RipTen Videogame Blog » Disney

Disney Acquires UTV, Parent Company of Deadly Premonition Publisher

Michael Futter — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:30:23 +0000

Way back in August, when the weather was warmer and the fall rush was just about to heat up, there were some rumblings that Disney was going to grow its interest in UTV Ignition’s parent, UTV.

At the time, Disney controlled 51% of the company that, among other media ventures, is responsible for publishing Deadly Premonition, El Shaddai and the recent Xbox Live Arcade title, Quarrel. Yesterday morning, Disney announced that it had assumed full control over the India-based firm.

In order to make the transition complete, Disney will be delisting the remainder of UTV’s shares. Along with a reorganization and the acquisition of the properties mentioned above, Disney will also control the largest mobile games developer in India, Indiagames.
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It’s hard to figure out exactly what Disney’s gaming strategy is, especially after shuttering Blackrock (Pure and Split Second) and Propaganda Games (Tron: Evolution). Maybe they should just sit down with Square Enix so we can finally get a proper Kingdom Hearts sequel… please?

Whoops. Epic Mickey 2 Revealed in Disney Newsletter.

Justin Carter — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:54:58 +0000

Two years ago, Warren Spector of Deus Ex fame and his studio Junction Point put out Epic Mickey for the Wii. The game put you in the role of Mickey Mouse and had you travel the animated Disney lands to defeat the evil you helped unleash. If you liked it, you’re probably wondering where the sequel is, right? Well look no further.

A recent Disney newsletter has accidentally revealed Epic Mickey 2′s existence. Instead of being exclusively for the Wii, the sequel will include the 360 and PS3 as well. The game will also come with a co-op mode where player two becomes Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who flies a helicopter and controls electricity to fight and solve puzzles. Like everyone’s rabbit does. Here’s the full summary from the newsletter:

“Disney Epic Mickey 2 is the latest game in the critically acclaimed Disney Epic Mickey videogame series. In this all-new action-platforming game available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii, Mickey embarks on an epic journey and is pulled back into a world filled with Disney’s forgotten characters. Players can choose to play single-player as Mickey or for the first time players can also choose two-player split screen mode. In the two-player mode one person can play as Mickey wielding magic paint and paint thinner to dynamically change the world and the second player can play as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit – Walt Disney’s first cartoon star – with the power to fly like a helicopter and use electricity to fight or friend enemies and solve challenges. Team-up and choose your path to save this forgotten world because the choices you make will alter the story and change the end of the game!”

Disney or Junction Point has yet to comment on the game’s existence, but it seems like an announcement is more than likely in the near future. If I had to bet, I’d say Game Informer will have it as their cover story. Considering that they revealed the original Epic Mickey, it makes sense.

via IGN

I’ve Seen LEGO Pirates of The Caribbean – It’s a Drunken Good Time (Yarrrr)

Dave Oshry — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:43:08 +0000

I recently had the chance to sit down with Traveler’s Tales to check out their latest LEGO game – Pirates of the Caribbean. Neither franchise needs any introduction and quite frankly, it was only a matter of time before TT took Disney’s beloved franchise into the world of LEGO.

If you’re not familiar with TT’s LEGO games, then you must be living under a barrel of rum because they’re kind of a big deal. There’s been LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Indiana Jones, LEGO Batman, LEGO Harry Potter and even LEGO Rock Band. Not only that, but each and every game has been a critical and financial success. For anyone who still thinks LEGO games are for kids, think again. These games are just as captivating as their original movie counterparts and when you add in the sort of humor that only Traveler’s Tales can provide – you’ve literally got games that are fun for all ages.

Getting back to the game at hand – LEGO Pirates is not simply just another LEGO game. The engine and therefore graphics have been noticeably updated and the game itself looks amazing. The textures, the lighting, the shadows and the animations are all better than ever and I was downright impressed by how good LEGO Pirates “looked.” I firmly believed the last LEGO game looked great and I didn’t think this game needed a graphical update – but apparently I was wrong, as Traveler’s Tales has definitely taken the visual appeal of LEGO to the next level.

In fact, I was not aware that it was possible to make LEGO characters look this much like Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom . . .

But it’s not just a pretty game – LEGO Pirates is packed full of content. The game will span all four (yes four) movies, feature nearly every character from each, and will be released alongside the new Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides this may. Does this mean Traveler’s Tales has seen and knows the plot of the new movie already? Yes, it does – and I’m /jealous.

The combat and platforming/puzzle solving in the game will be familiar to those who have played previous LEGO games. It’s your basic co-op button masher with light puzzle and platforming elements. The only real difference here is there will be much more swashbuckling and blunderbussing. Yes, blunderbussing is now a word. Try saying it yourself, it’s fun. BLUNDERBUSSING.

Anyhow – the game will also feature the drop in/drop out co-op we’ve all come to love but will once again not feature an online multiplayer component. This is sad news for those of you who have no real life friends or family to play with.

They Even Brought Along a Life Sized LEGO Jack Sparrow!

However, the real draw here is the attention to detail Traveler’s Tales has paid to making the world and characters of LEGO Pirates as authentic as possible. The setting is there, the story is there (the rum is there), and the characters and all of their defining characteristics are definitely there. In fact, LEGO Jack Sparrow may be the most adorably bad ass character I’ve ever seen in a video game. He even has the trademark Keith Richards meets Hunter S. Thompson swagger that Johnny Depp has made famous and it’s things like this that let you know how much effort Traveler’s Tales puts into these games.

The game is coming this May to every conceivable platform: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii PSP, Nintendo DS and 3DS, and PC.

Is LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean going to be another home run for Traveler’s Tales and LEGO? I’d have to say, Yarrrrrrrrrrrr

Disney Shuts Down Propaganda Games

Aaron Alexander — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:40:55 +0000

It’s never a good day when a developer gets terminated, so today we pour one out for the guys over at Propaganda Games. Disney has officially confirmed that they have closed the Vancouver based development house, as Disney would like to shift it’s focus away from Console games and into more Casual based markets like Mobile gaming.

The studio had previously been working on the halted Pirates of The Caribbean: Armada of the Damned game, and are also responsible for the companion piece to the Tron movie, Tron Evolution: The Video Game. Disney have also confirmed that all work on Tron Evolution has been finished, so don’t expect anymore DLC to appear on the Marketplace ever again.

Source: MCV

RipTen Review: Epic Mickey (Wii)

Andrea Emmes — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:17:27 +0000

Is Disney Interactive Studios Epic Mickey really and truly epic? In a word, yes!! I can’t believe how amazing this game turned out to be. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a humongous Mickey Mouse fan and have been salivating over Epic Mickey ever since we saw it at E3 this past summer. Famed creator of games revolving around choice and consequence, Warren Spector, the director of this extremely original and inventive Wii game, has taken this beloved icon and totally transformed him into a new and exciting character that will bring new fans to the Disney universe while also giving old fans something they never dreamed possible. Although, if you’re still not a Disney fan by now, you must be living under a rock!

Mischievous Mickey woke up one night and traveled through a magical mirror that took him into a sorcerer’s lair. There, he decides to play with the magic paint brush. However, in classic Mickey fashion, he ends up spilling paint thinner all over the sorcerer’s plans for what is presumed to be Disneyland. This major faux pas changes the world into a wasteland and brings the nasty Blots into the mix which then ravage the magical land. (oh noes!) Mickey is then pulled into this world by a mad scientist who is trying to rearrange all of Disney’s characters into freaky looking renditions of themselves. (Trust me, I ran into Goofy in OsTown and was a little scared) Oh, and do you remember, Oswald the Rabbit, Walt Disney’s original character before Mickey? No? Well, he has a major role in this game as a potential antagonist and the being who created the world that Mickey must traverse through while he makes important changes that will forever affect the wasteland.

I'm your older brother, Mickey, and I was stepped over!!

You as the player can make key choices throughout the game of whether you’re going to be Hero Mickey or Scrapper Mickey. You do so by making moral choices to either help or hinder the NPC’s in the game. Armed with the powers of Paint and Thinner, you can paint the environments back to life or thin them out, which is of key importance for progressing through the game. Your moral compass is determined by how much paint or thinner you choose to use, and while there is no clear indication of how good or bad you’ve been (a-la Mass Effect) you will certainly see the world around you change depending on how you choose to play the game.

There are also tons of fun quests apart from the main storyline of reshaping wasteland. These range from turning on TVs to keep the cute little (evil) bunnies from throwing you into the thinner pool, finding film reels of old school Disney cartoons, and collecting E-tickets which are used like currency in the game. Sometimes you are even guided by Gremlins (I’m not sure how they fit into the Disney back story) but it works as they are cute and quite helpful. Also, there are tons of collectibles such as pins, cartoons, film reels, concept art and more. The replay value is there, for those of you who are true Disney fans.

Check out some, “Epic” gameplay:

As you can see, the tone of this game can definitely be a bit darker than what Disney fans are used to, but that’s just part of what makes it so Epic. Make no mistake, in this game, Mickey Mouse is a real video game hero.

But this isn’t only a 3D platformer – it’s a very competent 2D platformer as well. Throughout the game you will be able to play through 2D sections of classic Disney cartoons such as the iconic Steamboat Willie.

No matter what you do in this game, there will be consequences for your actions. Such is the way Warren Spector and Junction Point make games. Without choice and consequence, you cannot truly be a real hero, and they make sure you’d do well to remember that.

I won’t spoil the game for you, but it’s a fantastic journey that will leave you begging for more, tired from constant gameplay, because you’re not gonna want to stop.

Epic Mickey is just that, a truly exciting, satisfying, dark and artistically beautiful EPIC.

Here’s The Rundown:

+Artistically brilliant with an amazing premise
+Intriguing gameplay and memorable characters

- Wiimote controls can feel a bit unstable at times

Disney Epic Mickey was developed by Junction Point and published by Disney Interactive. It was released in Disneyland, USA on November 30th for $49.99 USD. A copy of the game was provided to us by the publisher for the purposes of review. We played though the entire game while riding teacups – it made us dizzy.

Warren Spector on Choice, Consequence and Mickey Mouse

Dave Oshry — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 23:55:03 +0000

RipTen has been lucky enough to discuss Epic Mickey with Warren Spector several times this year. Yet, as the game gets closer to launch – Warren still has a few things left to discuss.

In a conference call which was participated in by about 20 or so media outlets (RipTen included) Warren Spector, widely known as, the man who makes games with choice and consequence such as System Shock, Deus Ex and the Thief series, was asked a series of pre-approved questions which were submitted by said outlets. Some of these questions we’d had answered before, and some did indeed cover new ground.

When Warren was chosen by Disney to take over production of Epic Mickey, he had no idea what he was getting into, but was every bit a Disney and Mickey fan. He was given full access to the immense Disney archives and given almost complete liberty to do as he wished with the Disney universe. In fact, Epic Mickey is packed full of so much Disney content, one simply must wonder how Warren and his studio, Junction Point, managed to put it all together.

During the call Warren discusses choice, consequence, Disney, the archives, and the possibility of a Mickey trilogy.

Listen to the full call here

This audio comes to us from Totally Gameing Network – who did a much better job of recording the call than we did :-)

New Daft Punk Music Comes With Free Game

Sam Naylor — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 21:59:33 +0000

Disney Interactive’s Eric Wein, Senior PR Manager at the company, has announced in a panel at NY Comic Con that the Daft Punk album that comes with a free videogame will feature brand new music from the group.

“We haven’t announced details for the soundtrack, we will soon,” said Wein. “We can tell you it’ll be a combination of the film’s soundtrack and some unique, original music.”

Personally, I can’t wait. Not only is there a version of the Daft Punk album that comes with an entire movie for free (with Jeff Bridges in it, even!), there’s going to be one with a videogame attached as well with even more new music.

The header of this post is misleading and probably some sort of joke. If you hadn’t guessed, welcome to the Internet.

Tron: Evolution – Behind the Scenes Look with Olivia Wilde

Garrett Hartman — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:40:01 +0000

Tron is set to make a huge comeback with feature film Tron Legacy and action-adventure tie-in video game Tron: Evolution. Courtesy of Disney Games UK, check out the following video to see new footage of the game as well as interviews with the creative team and ravishing starlet Olivia Wilde.

Tron: Evoultion is currently in development Propaganda Games and will be released for the PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS platforms on December 7th.

Disney Acquires Social Gaming Developer Playdom

Rangebar Merani — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:11:18 +0000

Disney has reportedly purchased social gaming developer Playdom for at least $563 million, joining the new craze over the social gaming market.

In just two and a half years, Playdom has become the third-largest social gaming developer on Facebook (behind Zynga and Playfish), averaging an estimated 42 million active players each month. They are known for games such as Social City, Sorority Life, Market Street, Mobsters and other games you probably never heard of.

Disney joins EA on the list of top dogs trying to get a piece of the social gaming cash. EA acquired Playfish late last year for $400 million, who have since gone on to develop FIFA Superstars for Facebook.

Coincidently, it will be former EA COO John Pleasants who manages Playdom for Disney. In 2009, Pleasants left EA to join Playdom, and will now work as the executive vice president for Disney’s Interactive Media Group. Disney’s deal should be closed by the end of their 2010 fiscal year.

Source: BusinessWire.com via Game.com

Epic Mickey to be Get Digital-Comic and Graphic Novel Incarnations

Gavin Bard — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:48:47 +0000

The steampunk infused Disney world (lol) of Epic Mickey will be given a bit of an extended universe.

A digicomic by the name of “Tales from the Wasteland” will be a prequel to the Wii-exclusive title and not a piece of Fallout 3 fan-fiction. There will be six editions that will flesh out the games characters and settings. It will feature art from Claudio Sciarrone and words from the prolific Peter David. “Tales from the Wasteland” will be available on all the iProducts- so if you don’t worship Steve Jobs you might be a little bit screwed on that aspect of the extended universe.

A version of the tale will also be told in a 64-page graphic novel, also by David and featuring game art from Paolo Mottura and Fabio Celoni. Although, since Epic Mickey features multiple endings and ways to play, one cannot simply absorb the story through the magic that is the printed word. You will have to play the game for that.

I am pretty staunchly anti-Disney, which probably doesn’t surprise anybody since I have a blackened heart made of cold glass, but I am fairly pro-steampunk. Which also shouldn’t surprise anyone since I am incredibly attracted to girls in ruffled dresses and goggles. The more brass in your apartment, the more likely I’ll buy you dinner. It is entirely safe to say I am stoked on Epic Mickey. I’m also confident that the Disney media juggernaut will be rolling out more things like this in the upcoming months.

No date on any releases yet.

[Source: That VideoGame Blog]

New Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Gameplay Trailer

Bryce Wilson — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:20:36 +0000

I’ve never played Kingdom Hearts, so shoot me. I’ve heard wonderful things about it, read glowing reviews, and even wanted to play it, but unfortunately I haven’t. Maybe that will change when Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep heads to the Sony Playstation Portable in September of 2010. If you’ve been interested, enjoy the following trailer.

Disney Buys Tapulous: Why Bart Decrem is the Happiest Man Alive

Stephanie Gutowski — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 07:38:13 +0000

Disney recently purchased Tapulous from Bart Decrem, CEO of the iPhone music game publisher. The makers of Tap Tap Revenge and Riddim Ribbon have been assimilated. There is no escape. No- wait. This is a good thing.

Decrem can’t complain though. He revealed in an interview with GamesBeat that the deal was quite beneficial for both parties. Tapulous will continue to produce games within the music genre for the iPhone and Decrem will take his place as senior vice president of Disney’s mobile games division. Not a bad deal at all.

What does this mean for Tapulous? Decrem assures fans that the future is quite bright.

In addition to running the Tapulous unit, we will also be running mobile more generally for Disney. Disney already has dozens of games on the App Store and teams in Hungary, Beijing and Burbank, Calif. We will provide some input to them, and over time we will look for ways to integrate the two. The focus will be next-generation entertainment products. That means social is a big part of that. You will see me spend time with Tapulous and execute against the billion-dollar opportunity here for Disney.

This is a huge move for Tapulous. With the power of Disney behind them, they’ll have access to music and content rights that were previously unavailable. So really, this is good news. Great news, in fact.

While the price of the deal hasn’t been disclosed, I think it’s safe to assume that Disney made an offer that Decrem couldn’t refuse.

[Source: GamesBeat]

Prince of Persia Surpasses Tomb Raider As Highest Grossing Video Game Movie Ever

Dave Oshry — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:26:18 +0000

It appears that a video game movie has finally been able to surpass the epic boobage of Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. That thing is Jake Gyllenhaal as The Prince of Persia . . . seriously.

$274 million. That was the high water mark set by Tomb Raider. It was a tough mark to beat for a video game adaptation, especially given how much they seem to fail at the box office. Alas, Disney’s latest summer blockbuster starring everyone’s favorite two timing cowboy, has done it with a total gross of $300 million so far.

However, The Sands of Time is almost considered a flop when you compare it to Toy Story 3 which has already made $326 million worldwide and is still a very new movie at the box office.

Neither movie was highly regarded by critics.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider rated 20% amongst top critics on Rotten Tomatoes and the consensus was that

Angelina Jolie is perfect for the role of Lara Croft, but even she can’t save the movie from a senseless plot and action sequences with no emotional impact.

I suppose that means that everyone went to see Angelina, but left before they fell asleep. Would you stay awake for this?

Prince of Persia rated 25% amongst top critics on RT, yet the consensus was that

It doesn’t offer much in the way of substance, but Prince of Persia is a suitably entertaining swashbuckler — and a substantial improvement over most video game adaptations.

There was also a lot less boob. Unless you consider Mr. Gyllenhaal a boob, in which case there was tons of boob in this movie.

Still, $300 million is no great feat for a Disney summer blockbuster, so it seems that we still have a ways to go before video game movies really start bringing in the moolah. Personally, I’d take a great adaptation over a high grossing piece of shit any day. But then again, I don’t work in Hollywood.

Marvel vs Capcom 3 Could Come to Wii

Sam Naylor — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:50:11 +0000

Ryota Niitsuma, the producer of Marvel vs Capcom 3, has said that Capcom are not ruling out a Wii release. He also notes that a Capcom vs SNK 3 game has not been ruled out either.

When asked why there was no Wii version of the game, Niitsuma said “Well, with that, we felt now it’s time to do a Vs game on Xbox 360 and PS3. It was just a matter of deciding we wanted to work with those consoles. There’s no mindset, personally, within Capcom where we want to go out of our way to avoid Wii or do it only on Wii this time. It’s just the flow of development.”

When pressed, he added that “we can’t get into any specifics, but all I can is that the game we made right now, as it is, it’s for Xbox 360 and PS3. We want to see how it does and maybe see where we’ll take it from there.”

Sounds like he’s avoiding the point a little, and I think this is a good grounds to believe that the game will come to the Wii in some form. At least, we hope so.

Niitsuma has also said that Capcom are not against making a Capcom vs SNK 3 game, or even a Capcom vs Disney one following Disney’s purchase of Marvel. “We’ll see how this does and then we can start talking about doing other things. The potential is there,” he said, “but we just want to concentrate on this first.”

Disney’s Epic Epic Mickey and TRON Controllers

Demi Adejuyigbe — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 04:42:52 +0000

While it may be rather gauche to use epic twice in a row, I think it’s justified when talking about the new controllers Disney & Performance Designed Products have announced. This week at E3, Nintendo showed off Disney’s Wii-exclusive, Epic Mickey, and Disney showed off its new nunchuk & controller stand that you can purchase and use with the game. The nunchuk is shaped as a paintbrush, while the controller stand/charger is shaped like one of the antagonists of the game. These peripherals are really cool, but not as cool as the TRON controllers they announced at the same time.

The controllers, in TRON fashion, are black-clad, with grips on the sides, and blue LEDs running up and down the controllers. And they look beautiful. It looks like the PS3 and Xbox 360 controllers might be wired, but I still think they’re great. No price has been announced for the Epic Mickey-themed controllers, but the TRON controllers will all retail for $50… eventually.

If you’re in the market for a new controller, and don’t mind playing an extra $20 for style, then you should definitely check out one of these TRON controllers. [via Siliconera]

Jonas Official Trailer

Dylan Duarte — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 09:05:48 +0000

Oh thank the heavens, Jonas comes out in November, so I won’t have to decide between that or Brutal Legend. But I will have to change my Modern Warfare 2 preorder.

What’s Up with Ultimate Band? Get an Inside Listen

Dan Landis — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:52:41 +0000

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to participate in a conference call with a few dudes from Fall Line Studio, developers of the just-released Ultimate Band for the Wii and DS. Tim Huntsman (senior producer), Mark McArthur (development director), and Mike Thompson (art director) fielded questions posed by us media types in a James Lipton-style interview presented by Access Communications.

The good questions, obviously, were submitted by me, but I want to apologize for the woman at the end who was rude and unprofessionally douche-like. Yes, it is possible to be professionally douche-like, so shut up.

There is also an occasional beepy-boop noise that I’m assuming is people joining the call, but that was totally not my computer making the noise so whatev. And after re-reading all of the stuff that I just wrote, I realize that deep down inside I am apparently a valley-girl.

Disney’s Ultimate Band – New Trailer

Dan Landis — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:13:33 +0000

If you’ve ever thought that Rock Band and Guitar Hero would be even more awesome if you didn’t actually have instruments, Disney Interactive has the game for you. Instead of fake drumming and guitaring, you play air drum and air guitar using the Wiimote and nunchuck. I’m not sure how it works on the DS, though. Trailer follows, but it unfortunately does not show any people actually playing (boo!).

Honestly, Ultimate Band does not look that much different than Guitar Hero, and the use of the Wiimote may be good for those that haven’t grasped the concept of fake real instruments. This may actually end up being a ‘gateway’ music game. I think EA and Activision might owe Disney for this one.

The Watercooler – 02 November 2008

Dan Landis — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 11:04:27 +0000

Warning: The Watercooler is the best thing you will see on the Internet today, mainly because it is the best thing I saw on the Internet yesterday. Be advised that The Watercooler is not necessarily videogame related (it usually won’t be), and is often silly, controversial, and/or not safe for work (NSFW). If this type of content frequently offends you, please be aware that I just warned you — if you still click through and get offended, it will be your own stupid fault. Otherwise, please continue…

Today’s Watercooler features a classic: The Little Mermaid. Going back and watching some of the older Disney movies, it’s amazing how much generally slutty behavior the female characters exhibited. This video shows what Ariel was really singing about when she desired to be human.

Do it.

I always had kind of a thing for Ariel, but it wasn’t until I was a little older that I realized the logistics of the situation just didn’t work out. Then I thought about how she likely smelled, and I quickly moved on to Princess Jasmine, which I stand by to this day. Pocahontas is a relatively distant second.

You’re welcome.

Think you have something that could be Watercooler material? Send it to dlandis@ripten.com. If your submission gets featured, you will win a prize package full of pride and accomplishment.

Xbox 360 Review: PURE

Rangebar Merani — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 06:39:44 +0000

What do you think when you hear Disney? Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, right? But ATV’s, offroading and freestyle tricks? I think not.

That’s why Disney Interactive got Black Rock Studios to handle the development to one of the most fun, exhilarating and extreme off-road racers that is known as PURE. And you know what? It’s literally a “pure” thrill ride every time you grab the controller.

Simply put, PURE is an off-road racing game with insane freestylin’ action that would even make pro ATV riders sweat. There are seven real world locations (Italy, New Mexico, Wyoming, Thailand, New Zealand, Glamis Dunes and Ocotillo Wells) with over 30 tracks for you to use as your own playground.

The gameplay is essentially split up into four main modes: the PURE World Tour, Single Events, Freestyle or Sprints. The PURE World Tour is where you can make your name known by competing to become the PURE World Champion.

PURE allows you to build your own ATV from scratch with tons of parts available for you to work with. As you race, you’ll unlock more parts, outfits, special tricks, garage slots and new locations to race in. A character customization option would have been tight, but the only things you can do with your character are change the helmet color and unlock a few costumes.

The controls in the game are “pure”-ly simple for anyone to pick up and play. There are all sorts of trick moves to pull off while in midair and that’s when the real fun starts. By pulling the Left stick in any direction combined with pressing A, B, Y or LB/RB buttons, you’ll pull of some intense tricks. The level of tricks you can do depends on how much boost you’ve earned during the race. The more boost you earn, the more your Thrill Bar fills up and allows you to pull off B button tricks, Y button tricks and eventually, your Special Trick, which is unique to each character. The game could have used a few more trick options, but I’m easy to please.

In terms of the graphics, the locations are beautifully crafted and the game is incredibly detailed to the point of noticing which way your shirt blows in the air and seeing how much mud and dirt are splattering onto your clothes. But by far the best and most striking thing in the game is pulling off one of your Special Trick moves and just floating in the air through a stunning backdrop.

As for the characters themselves, they are truly animated making multiple gestures throughout races when speeding by another racer or just making a perfect landing on a trick. I was really awed at seeing how they reacted in certain situations during races.

Disney’s PURE features online play for up to 16 players over Xbox Live. The best thing about getting online is that there is no drop off in gameplay or design. It looks just as good online as it does off. You can play in ranked or player matches, controlling preferences such as the engine class, location and the type of race you want to play in. But my recommendation would be to wait until you have at least opened up the Class B engine before getting online, because some of these online gamers are brutal.

That said, PURE is one of the most thrilling off-road racers on the Xbox 360 and is, simply put, a really fun game. I can’t explain the joy of flying through the air and pulling of a combo of tricks and successfully landing to boost pass the next racer to the finish line. And I’m not even a fan of ATVs or off-roading, but you just have to play yourself to understand. I really couldn’t find too many things that disappointed me about the game besides the lack of more trick moves and more customization options. But other than that, the game is, well, “pure”.