Disney Unveils Stunning Video Game Slate
A few years ago, Disney gained notoriety for closing its video game division and ostensibly turning out the lights on the gaming industry.
Yesterday, Disney emphatically demonstrated those fears were unfounded. Here are highlights of the new games and content Disney just confirmed.
Aliens: Dark Descent
As part of its Fox purchase, Disney acquired the Aliens franchise. So at some point, Disney will make an Aliens movie, which is difficult for longtime fans to comprehend.
Nothing says Mickey Mouse like an alien bursting out of someone’s chest, right?
Your path to survival is unique and impacts levels irreversibly in #AliensDarkDescent
Safe zones, shortcuts, trackers.. Everything you leave behind remains as you venture deeper into Planet Lethe to tackle more objectives.
Coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One & PC in 2023. pic.twitter.com/gHzHdQduIC
— Focus Entertainment (@Focus_entmt) June 16, 2022
Anyway, Disney will take its first step in the Aliens franchise with Dark Descent. Of course, we’ve known about this game for a few months.
Yesterday, Disney published new game footage:
I’m pretty sure that the odds of all those Marines surviving is less than one percent.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
The other license Disney acquired from Fox is somehow even more significant. It’s Avatar, the biggest blockbuster in box office history.
Get a quick look at the world of Pandora in the upcoming Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora from #D23Expo. pic.twitter.com/LRTCblVnYh
— IGN (@IGN) September 9, 2022
Disney will monetize Avatar with several sequels, its themed land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and…video games.
Here’s a developer’s trailer for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora:
Yes, that unmistakably looks like Horizon Forbidden West with some Fortnight paragliding thrown in for good measure.
Honestly, this game strikes me as identical to the strategy Disney just employed with Marvel’s Avengers, a pretty but ultimately unsatisfying MMORPG.
Captain America and Black Panther in…World War II?!
Okay, here’s arguably the biggest reveal from the event. Look at this!
The tagline is “King, Captain, Soldier, Spy.” The second half is “Four Heroes, Two Worlds, One War.”
The premise here is that Captain America fights alongside some version of Black Panther during a World War II-era struggle against Hydra.
Here is the description of the new MARVEL ensemble game project headed by @amy_hennig pic.twitter.com/ZKASCkMSNd
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) September 9, 2022
Obviously, we’ll have some multiversal elements here, presumably on the Black Panther side of the equation.
Disney has confirmed that the other two characters are Nanali, the leader of the Wakandan Spy Network, and Gabriel Jones, a Howling Commando.
The Black Panther here is T’Challa’s grandfather, Azzuri. Apparently, this game will be storyline driven, which makes it sound that much more tantalizing.
Disney Illusion Island
Disney has also gifted Nintendo Switch owners with this brilliant new game:
This game appears to be a platformer starring Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck, stylized with their current cartoon animation.
Obviously, the whole thing seems as kawaii as possible. Also, it hearkens back to the early days of Mickey Mouse gaming.
I get a distinct Castle of Illusion vibe from some of the levels.
Disney Updates and DLC
Disney also announced new content for several existing projects.
Photo: Disney
For instance, Disney Mirrorverse will add Halloween season updates. The big takeaway is that Hades will join the game.
Marvel Strike Force feels that its current group of two Hulks isn’t enough. So, the Red Hulk will join the regular Hulk and She-Hulk.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga adds a Galactic Edition, whatever that means, on November 1st.
As part of the enhancements, characters like Cassian Andor and Reva will join the game. In addition, Captain Rex is also a part of the new DLC, which pleases me.
Also, Disney Speedstorm isn’t even out yet, but it’s already adding new content. You’ll want to watch this:
Yes, that’s a shinier Mario Kart starring Disney characters including Monsters, Inc. folks! As my wife said, we’re just here for the Sugar Rush levels!
Finally, the lucrative Disney Dreamlight Valley will add a Toy Story realm complete with Woody and Buzz!
Gargoyles Remastered
A dear friend of mine worked on Gargoyles during the 1990s. He’s since accomplished many things in Hollywood, but Gargoyles remains his pride and joy.
Anyone who has watched the groundbreaking animated series understands. So, we’re all happy that the Sega Genesis platformer, Gargoyles, is receiving an update.
Gargoyles Remastered will be available on all modern consoles and the PC. If you’re unfamiliar with it, you should give it a try for the soundtrack alone.
Michael Giacchino, the Academy Award-winning Disney icon, worked on the music for the Gargoyles video game as one of his first gigs with the company!
Marvel World of Heroes
Niantic enslaved the universe a few years ago with its AR game, Pokemon GO.
Later, the company tried the surprisingly disappointing Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, which never found the same formula for success.
Now, Niantic will try again with Marvel World of Heroes. As you might expect, the game includes Pokemon GO’s game mechanics combined with Marvel characters.
As with most of these titles, Disney was cagey about the release date. You will download the app at some point in 2023.
Kee reading MickeyBlog for confirmed release dates on all these games.
Midnight Suns
Hoo boy, this is THE ONE TRUE VIDEOGAME coming out soon.
Disney announced a release date of December 1st, which is welcome news to people tracking it for a while. Midnight Suns had suffered previous delays.
Frankly, few were expecting the game to debut in 2022. So, plenty of Marvel fans are ecstatic right now. Here’s why:
I need a cold shower after watching that. Folks, that’s Iron Man, Wolverine, and X-Men joining forces with some of Marvel’s mystical characters.
I don’t just mean Dr. Strange, either. I’m talking about Ghost Rider, Magik, Scarlet Witch, and my beloved Nico Minoru from Runaways.
Source: Marvel.fandom.com
They’re all pounding on various villains and their henchpeople in this XCOM-like turn-based fighter.
Marvel has also announced a character called The Hunter, whom you can build from the ground up into a superpowered being.
This game’s visuals are absolutely breathtaking, and I sincerely hope it doesn’t break my heart the way that Marvel’s Avengers did.
One disappointing note: The Nintendo Switch version of the game won’t come out in 2022. Sorry,
Nintendo enthusiasts! You’ll have to wait until 2023.
Tron: Identity
Nobody believes me when I say this, but neither Tron nor Tron Legacy were box office hits. However, they both did fine and didn’t lose money.
Still, Tron has achieved iconic status almost in spite of the theatrical releases.
Tron: Identity is a detective game set years after Tron: Legacy, according to Bithell Games. #D23Expo https://t.co/e2MwOUjQrM
— IGN (@IGN) September 9, 2022
For whatever reason, many people love the concepts and the visual flair more than the stories. That’s why Disney keeps mining the IP in different ways.
In fact, the Speedstorm game comes with Trony maps because Disney’s not dumb.
Similarly, Tron: Identity sells you on the visuals right off the bat:
You see those colors, and you’re instinctively drawn to the game, right?
Tron: Identity plays as a storytelling game wherein you assume the role of a “detective program tasked with solving the mystery of an unprecedented crime.”
Yes, that sounds like Blade Runner. So, Tron’s visuals with a Blade Runner-esque story works for me. I bet you feel the same.
