Disney Magical World review: I don’t need to go to Disneyland any more

Disney Magical World is one crazy game, and I’m certain it will have just one publishing run and become a hard-to-get cult classic before long. It doesn’t sound like a good game; actually it sounds like it’s made for kids, but I’m a grown adult and believe me when I say: this is a great game, made better if you’re a Disney fan.

You’re deep in the action in Disney Magical World. Right at the start, you’re accosted by a flying letter called Letta (get it) who tells you you now have a passport to Castleton, a wondrous, miniature Disneyland-esque town. You. Get. To. Live. In. Disneyland.

You go there, obviously. Who wouldn’t?! There, you realize that Castleton is home to Mickey Mouse and the gang. The Disney characters featured in Disney Magical World are mostly old school Disney; that means you even get to see Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Chip and Dale, and even ol’ Unca Scrooge and Pete. The only time this rule is broken is when you step into Castleton’s adjacent worlds. Unfortunately, that also means the Disney princesses you get to meet there are kept to a minimum. (Ariel, Rapunzel, noooo…) At least there is a nightly fireworks display!

Part of your world

A lazy way to describe Disney Magical World would be to say it’s a life-sim like Animal Crossing, but with Disney characters. That’s completely wrong. Disney Magical World is so much more than the bare necessities of life.

(See: Line Disney Tsum Tsum review: cuteness overload)

In the main town of Castleton itself, you’re able to shop for general goods, make furniture, and tailor outfits. Dressing up is a huge part of Disney Magical World, but you know, don’t hate. That really appeals to the demographic it’s looking at, anyway. Very early into the game, you’re also granted ownership of the local cafe, which you can stock with delicious, Disneyland-worthy food, decorate, and later, even live on top of.

Castleton is also chock-full of random people needing your help with favors (requests, quests, call them what you will), friends to wave and curtsey at, and things to gather. Help the actual Disney characters enough, and you’ll get to take photos with them, albeit as offline keepsakes.

As mentioned, there are four different worlds accessible from Castleton: Alice in Wonderland’s, Aladdin’s, Cinderella’s, and the Hundred Acre Wood. But they’re not just more places for you to pillage and live in. Each world has instances where you can fight ghosts, complete quests, and harvest rare items, which you need in order to make rarer food, furniture, or clothes.