Highlights
- Illusion Island is a new game featuring four iconic Disney characters in a Metroidvania-style adventure that can be enjoyed solo or with others on Switch.
- The game follows The Fab Four as they embark on a journey to retrieve stolen magical books, traversing three biomes with unique abilities to unlock goodies and face boss battles.
- Illusion Island incorporates classic Metroidvania-style design features, including interconnected maps and 2D side-scrolling gameplay, offering a refreshing take on the genre with fun co-op abilities.
Illusion Island is a new game developed by Dlala Studios in partnership with Disney featuring four iconic Disney characters: Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Donald Duck, and Goofy. Also referred to as The Fab Four, players will experience the four’s new story in a Metroidvania-style platforming adventure with unique maps and abilities that can be enjoyed solo or with other players. Those who want to dive into the adventures of The Fab Four can play Illusion Island now on Switch.
Recently, Game ZXC got to speak with creative director AJ Grand-Scrutton on the Metroidvania-style design of Illusion Island, how it affects gameplay, as well as some of the abilities players can expect from The Fab Four in-game.
Illusion Island Combines a Metroidvania Style Map with Fun Abilities
Disney’s Illusion Island opens with the four main characters thinking they are going away for a vacation. The Fab Four pack and make their way to the village of Monoth, only to realize upon arrival that they have actually been summoned to help the townspeople retrieve three magical books that have been stolen from them.
Throughout their journey, The Fab Four traverse three separate biomes in search of the thieves who have made off with the aforementioned magical tomes. Along the way, players will gain access to a handful of abilities that make traversal through the world fun and exciting. Each character has an ability unique to them that will help players explore the map, unlock goodies, and make their way toward exciting boss battles at each level of the Metroidvania-style map.
“I would like tothink that we’re a spiritual successor to those incredible games from the 90’s like the ‘of Illusions’ and Magical Quests but with a modern take and Metroidvania structure.”
The term “Metroidvania” refers to a distinct subgenre of action-adventure platformers. The name is a portmanteau of the classic titles Metroid and Castlevania, the two games that are cited as the pioneering franchises behind the set of level design mechanics that define the subgenre.
While there is no definitive list of mechanics that distinguish Metroidvania style games from other subgenres, there are a handful of design features that help give a game a spot within the subgenre. The most recognizable concept of all is the interconnected map. With this design, players slowly gain access to the full map over time by platforming, discovering specific items, and/or gaining new abilities that allow access to previously blocked areas of the map. Another notable design feature is that these games are often 2D side-scrolling games in which players can only move in the four cardinal directions. That being said, 2.5D and 3D spaces can be seen in modern iterations of the concept as well.
Illusion Island makes use of these features in fun, distinctive ways. The level designs feature classic Metroidvania-style platforming and exploration, but deliver a different experience depending on how players choose to play the game. The game can be played solo or in co-op with up to three others. Regardless of how one chooses to play, the maps remain the same, but the abilities accessed in co-op will change navigation through the three biomes.
In co-op mode, players will gain access to new abilities such as Leap Frog. This ability lets players spring off the backs of others to fly further and reach other areas of the map. Similarly, Rope Drop lets players drop a rope the whole length of the level so that other players can simply climb the rope and bypass some platforming elements of the current room. Outside the unique co-op abilities, each character also has abilities tied to their personalities that help players traverse the map, such as Goofy's ability to propel himself by squirting what appears to be a bottle of mustard, which also ties into to his love for food.
“We want people who played 1-player to have an absolutely incredible experience, but for those that played multiplayer we wanted to give them some little touches that brought out the fun of friendship.”
Illusion Island offers a refreshing take on the classic Metroidvania formula, delivering a fun platforming adventure with new abilities that expand the capabilities of gameplay depending on how players choose to play. Whether one is playing solo or with others, Dlala’s newest title brings a fun new spin on these classic Disney characters.
Disney’s Illusion Island is available to play now on Switch.
