What a zero-stress game Disney Illusion Island Starring Mickey & Friends was! Gaming doesn’t always have to have strict limits and fast paced action and this proves that. Is it going to move the needle for the platforming genre? Probably not, but it was fun and didn’t overstay its welcome. Throw in co-op, accessibility for all skill levels, and it’s a metroidvania and as far as I’m concerned that’s always a winning combo. If this sounds like something that would fit your gaming lifestyle at this point in your life, I say check it out.
Listen, I am usually the first to play “weird” games or at least give them a go. This one was no different. It wasn’t quite what I expected and that’s okay. And the story has heart so I would encourage players to try it and see for yourself just what others can come up with in the creative space like videogames. If it had more gameplay elements, I’d probably be more keen on it but you may find a hidden gem in this one for yourself. You never know.
There isn’t much to say about a game like this other than you get what you see. Looking for a relaxed hour of gaming? Look at Cats & Seek. Looking for that game to play after you spent dozens and dozens of hours completing that huge RPG? Look at Cats & Seek. Looking for a fast and easy 1,000 gamerscore? Look at Cats & Seek.
It’s fine. A short description of a game set 30 plus years after its predecessor is really how I’m feeling. It’s not bad but it’s not … for me. In my opinion Beyond the Ice Palace II keeps its retro hardness alive in this installment (which I’m not knocking) but in 2025 I want smoothness to my platformers. This one really takes me back to SNES days where a game was hard because it meant you had to put the time in to master it and I’m just not into that in this day and age which I realize isn’t necessarily the opinion of all gamers. I know some metroidvania fans who would love this one so if that’s you, at least give Beyond the Ice Palace II a double take.
This was a fun, short, nostalgia-based trip for me and it really was a see what you get type situation. I can see the Carmen Sandiego games I played as a kid, reimagined for a 2025 audience and this game fits that mold. Were the cases super hard for me? No. Did I expect them to be? No. For the younger audience however, this game poses some good critical thinking skills and closer to the end of the game, even some strategy. The options of a campaign and random “trimmed down” cases this one provides a fair bit of replay value if you are in the mood to collect clues and piece them together whenever otherwise you can get through the game under 10 hours, I’d imagine with the content available at launch. Check the review video if you haven’t for some nitpicky gripes and to see what the game has to offer and if it’s for you.