Whereas we’re nonetheless ready for Disney and Epic Video games’ related universe to reach in Fortnite, a giant step has been taken in direction of that objective as Disney Parks has arrived in Fortnite for the primary time with Disneyland Game Rush. We had the prospect to check out this Fortnite island, created with the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN), and found it to be an extremely genuine expertise that celebrates Disneyland’s Seventieth anniversary by way of pleasurable but forgettable mini-games and environments impressed by beloved sights corresponding to Haunted Mansion, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and extra.
Disneyland Game Rush is a limited-time providing in Fortnite that formally launches on November 6. You’ll be able to merely seek for the sport title or leap proper in by utilizing the island code, 4617-4819-8826, to expertise this new journey at no cost.
While you first enter Disneyland Game Rush and in-between mini-games, you might be welcomed into an esplanade that’s modeled after the one between Disneyland and Disney California Journey, full with the Seventieth anniversary fortress construction within the center. On the perimeter, you possibly can see Sleeping Magnificence Fort, Haunted Mansion, Pixar Pier, the Matterhorn, and extra, and all of those items make a really visually interesting Disney puzzle that I beloved exploring.
You can too open up presents which might be every impressed by sights or Nighttime Spectaculars, take part in Disneyland trivia for factors, commerce within the tokens you’ve earned within the mini-games for island-exclusive Disneyland Seventieth-inspired cosmetics like Mickey Ears, a Spider-Bot hat, the top of a Disneyland Seventieth-themed R2-D2, and even a Hatbox Ghost Again Bling, amongst others. Considered one of my favourite touches is that you’ll find one Disneyland Key in every land and redeem it for a golden model of those cosmetics. For these unfamiliar, the Disneyland Secret’s a bodily toy key you need to use on locks round Disneyland throughout its Seventieth anniversary celebration, and it’s represented right here in a intelligent, enjoyable means.
Talking of the mini-games, there are seven that you simply and as much as 11 others can randomly compete in, and they’re Disney Haunted Mansion: Scavenger Hang-out, Matterhorn: Slip-and-Climb, Area Mountain: Rocket Race, Indiana Jones: Tomb Runner, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Sneakout!, Star Wars: Stormtrooper Showdown, and WEB Slingers: Spider-Bot Blaster.
Disney Haunted Mansion: Scavenger Hang-out was my favourite of the bunch, because it offers me an excuse to run by way of the spooky halls of one among my favourite sights with a flashlight and a freedom you don’t have on the actual factor. It additionally will get many bonus factors for beginning with the Stretching Room with that iconic welcome speech and work which might be Fortnite variations of the actual factor. Whereas there actually isn’t an goal moreover accumulating cash, it simply made me smile a lot with Grim Grinning Ghosts blasting by way of my audio system whereas I stumbled upon the Eating Room and acquired to bounce with a bunch of ghosts that included Peely.
Star Wars: Stormtrooper Showdown was my subsequent favourite, because it put you aboard a First Order Star Destroyer and tasked you with taking down as many Stormtroopers as you possibly can. This was made much more enjoyable as you may tackle Kylo Ren and Captain Phasma and, in case you defeat them, you possibly can take their weapons as your individual. There are even lightsabers hidden across the stage, which is at all times a welcome addition. Followers of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance shall be completely satisfied to know the AT-ATs and laser cannon may be discovered as nicely.
I’d place Matterhorn: Slip-and-Climb third as a result of it’s maybe probably the most chaotic. It’s important to climb the Matterhorn with a Grappler, however the twist is that your toes turn out to be blocks of ice whenever you do. It’s enjoyable to swing and climb up the face of the mountain, however there was numerous slipping, falling, and mates hilariously hovering down subsequent to you in agony. As soon as I acquired the grasp of it, although, it was an pleasurable expertise with some good technique thrown in, particularly after I swung proper right into a Disneyland Key!
Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Sneakout! takes spot quantity 4 largely as a result of it started with the welcome shock of Jackson 5’s I Need You Again. What adopted was a 2D journey by way of an area jail the place you needed to keep away from guards and make it to the Collector’s workplace on the highest stage. There have been some good touches on this stage, with the Milano floating exterior and the power to throw Boogie Bombs at guards and mates to make them dance, but it surely wasn’t notably thrilling and the guards took you out means too quick.
Indiana Jones: Tomb Runner was subsequent, and it’s a race by way of a trap-filled stage that includes a ton of nods to Indy’s adventures, together with large boulders, spikes coming from the ground, and poison darts being launched from the partitions. There are additionally pace boosts you will get that will help you in your mission, however anytime you contact a hazard, you decelerate. It was powerful to get good momentum because the traps appeared very difficult to keep away from, however possibly I’m simply not but superb at being a treasure hunter.
WEB Slingers: Spider-Bot Blaster was second final for me, regardless that I beloved how the workforce used the identical fashions and animations because the Spider-Bots in WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Journey in DCA. It’s a taking pictures gallery with multiplying Spider-Bots – regular ones, golden ones, and even a large boss one – but it surely’s not as partaking, as you might be principally standing nonetheless in a window and taking pictures bots and exploding barrels as an alternative of working and leaping everywhere.
Lastly, we have now Area Mountain: Rocket Race. I really like how this mini-game begins in an area modeled after the precise attraction, however the mini-game itself is simply grinding on rails for a few minutes. The sense of pace is good and I do love that basic Area Mountain music, but it surely didn’t really feel like I actually had management of whether or not I used to be successful or dropping and I fell off just a few occasions and needed to await a respawn whereas I used to be slowly gliding down into nothingness.
All in all, these mini-games are enjoyable distractions and I’m very excited to carry my mates with me into this expertise till we are able to reunite at the actual Disneyland. Sadly, I can’t think about coming again to them after the luster of dwelling in these extremely well-done homages to a few of Disneyland’s high sights wears off.
What this does most of all, nevertheless, is make me much more excited for this partnership between Disney and Epic. As somebody who has extensively coated Disney and visited Disneyland throughout its Seventieth anniversary celebration, I believe they captured the texture of those sights and parks in a really particular means. I imply, there are even popcorn carts hanging about, a railroad circling the hub space, and a celebration on the finish the place you possibly can dance with Mickey in his Seventieth-anniversary greatest.
Disneyland Game Rush, regardless of its identify, doesn’t really feel like a sport that was rushed. It seems like a challenge lovingly created by Disney to have fun Disneyland’s huge milestone and provides followers a strategy to have fun even when they will’t make it out to Anaheim. Whereas I hope they will enhance the precise gameplay of those Disney experiences sooner or later, I couldn’t be happier with how faithfully Disney Parks has been introduced into Fortnite for the primary time.
Adam Bankhurst is a author for IGN. You’ll be able to observe him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and hearken to his present, Talking Disney Magic.