Disney Illusion Island will arrive later this week on the Nintendo Switch. From the looks of it, the game may be developer Dlala Games’ most accomplished title yet. The platform-based 2D game can either be played in single-player mode or with up to three people. The game’s initial looks suggest smooth gameplay and neat visuals.

Furthermore, Illusion Island’s interesting new approach to multiplayer mode sets it alongside some of the best platforming games, including Ori and The Blind Forest. The CEO of Dlala Games recently discussed Illusion Island’s features, art style, and the inspirations that helped to make the game what it is.

Illusion Island: A heartwarming family platformer

The premise of Illusion Island is fairly simple. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy have to navigate a treacherous environment to find the Three Tomes of Knowledge on Monoth. When the relics are taken by bandits, residents of the island of Monoth seek the help of Disney’s Fab Four. The devs have taken extra care to make sure Illusion Island feels like Disney.

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There’s a lot to do in the game in terms of movement. You can wall-jump, jump over each other, and even scale higher grounds using makeshift ropes. But these parkour options are not what makes this a good game for some quality family time.

There is a feature that gives Illusion Island its warmth. If you’re low on health, and you go stand beside one of your friends and press ‘Y’, your friend will give your character a hug and restore some of your health. If that isn’t a pretty wholesome way to play a co-op game, we don’t know what is.

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However, be cautious, for there are plenty of moments in the game that can catch you off-guard and bring down your health. So, stay on your toes.

Straightforward controls for a fun family time

AJ Grand-Scrutton, the CEO says that making a platform game that the whole family can enjoy was at the center of the creation of Illusion Island. He thinks the upcoming title will be a great way to spend time together. The game ditches heavy in-game combat for exploration and the joy of jumping over obstacles. Players will have to wait and see if taking the less-traveled path turns out to be the right decision or not.

The devs also mention that accessibility is a key feature of the game, which comes as a result of attempts to make the controls not too complicated.

All controls in the game can be executed using only the face buttons. The controls are smooth and necessarily so! You need to jump over obstacles and hazards as you unlock new territories and fight bosses. However, you need to gain more abilities before being able to just roam around anywhere. You can’t attack your enemies in any way, so avoiding them would be your best choice to move forward in the game.

To make the game more accessible for players, the devs have also provided an option where you can choose how much health you want before diving into the game. While you can be a daredevil who likes to play it close, Illusion Island has been developed with your relaxation in mind.

The art style and inspirations behind Illusion Island

Since the announcement of Illusion Island, its aesthetic has turned a lot of heads. Company CEO AJ Grand-Scrutton mentioned that a particular art style wasn’t decided on from the very beginning, Rather, several improvisations were made throughout the designing process to finally create something unique. The game feels like a hand-drawn modern-day Mickey Mouse cartoon. The graphics are great, the characters are vivid and the mechanics are slick. All of these, with a captivating narrative, make Illusion Island a great game.

Grand-Scrutton says that the devs took great care in making the game. He said that while making the title, he read all Mickey comics again for inspiration. He also watched every available Mickey cartoon so that he could “live and breathe Mickey“.

The game’s impressive platforming features and its contrast in style, when compared to modern platformers, make Illusion Island similar in many ways to games like Rayman Legends. Making your own ropes to help your friends climb up also hints at Rayman being a major inspiration.

Grand-Scrutton acknowledges this as well. He mentions Rayman Legends and Ori and The Blind Forest as titles that the devs have taken inspiration from. The core gameplay mechanics are heavily influenced by Rayman Legends, as is evident at multiple points throughout Illusion Island. Battletoads is yet another title by Dlala Studios that the devs haven’t managed to isolate entirely from Illusion Island. Some similarities pop up now and then as you move forward in the game.

What do you think the new Switch release will feel like? Who would be your favorite character to play?

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