DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing: Everything We Know

If there was ever a time to cash in on the concept of putting Shrek behind the wheel of a kart, it’d be now — right at the height of the racing subsidiary’s popularity. Because hey, if Nickelodeon can do it, then why can’t DreamWorks? Safe to say that it wasn’t an idea that everyone and their neighbor had any intention of exploring, but it’s an entertaining one, nonetheless. And if the aptly titled DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is as inclusive as it roster makes it out to be, then sure, we don’t see why we can’t tie a few new knots with the squad over at DreamWorks.

The so-called DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing isn’t due out for a few months yet, but that hasn’t stopped DreamWorks and team from posting a trailer or two to give us a deeper insight into what’s to come. Kung Fu Panda in a tiny candy-popping kart? Sure, why not? But that’s not all it’ll bring, as made clear by the elevator pitch the studio posted earlier this week. Interested? If so, then here’s everything you will need to know before signing the waiver and getting behind the wheel. Take it away, Puss.

What Is DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing?

DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is exactly what it sounds like — a kart racing game featuring none other than a collected bunch of friendly faces and misfits stripped directly from some of the animation studio’s most celebrated works. To this end, players can expect to dive into a Mario Kart-type experience as heroes such as Shrek, Po, Alex the Lion, and even Boss Baby, for crying out loud. Sound like your typical run-of-the-mill karting game with a touch of DreamWorks’ signature paint? That’s because it is — and it’s doing nothing to tell us otherwise. Not that it’s a problem, mind you. It’s about time we received a spiritual successor to 2009’s Shrek Kart, to be fair.

“Twenty of the most iconic DreamWorks Animation characters take the wheel in the fast-paced world of kart racing in DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing! the blurb reads in part. “Shift, drift and jump at high speeds across a variety of fantastical tracks inspired by DreamWorks Animation’s many fan-favorite films. Blaze past the competition in fun and hilarious action for players of all ages with solo as well as online and local split-screen multiplayer modes.”

It goes without saying that, at face value, All-Stars Kart Racing is really just Nickelodeon Kart Racers with one or two added features and an entirely new roster of racers. And that’s, you know, fine. Or at least, it is for those who’d give an arm and a leg to jump behind the wheel of a gingerbread kart as none other than Muffin Man’s protégé, anyway.

Story

Of course, it’s a karting game clear as day, so don’t expect it to be littered with traces of rich backstories and lore. On the contrary, it’ll serve only as a bread and butter racing game that’ll be suitable for family, friends, and that one oddball who’d give it their all just to be able to drift through a virtual swamp as Donkey and pals. Needless to say that it’ll cater to all audiences and skill levels, which will no doubt bode well with anyone who’s eager to tear up the Kingdom of Far Far Away without having to rely on their competitive streaks to score a laugh or two.

“Players will be able to feel the excitement in Free Race, Cups, Challenge, or Time Trial game modes, and take on family and friends in eight-person online and four-player local split-screen multiplayer action,” the elevator pitch adds. “Players will be transported into fantastical worlds as they traverse through tracks inspired by locations from beloved DreamWorks Animation films including: The Kingdom of Far Far Away from Shrek, Bergen town from Trolls, Spirit Realm from Kung Fu Panda, Baby Corp from The Boss Baby, New York City Zoo from Madagascar, and many more!​“

Gameplay

Much like a lot of wacky karting games that find a way to incorporate characters from multiple dimensions, DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing will feature both a single-player and multiplayer mode. It’ll also introduce twenty playable characters, each hailing from a different franchise in the DreamWorks network. So, if you’ve ever dreamed about toying with DreamWorks’ most popular heroes, then now’s your chance to soak up everything the upcoming karting entry has to offer.

“Each character boasts their own uniquely styled kart to race,”‘the description continues. “Players can put their own twist on each ride with hundreds of customizable parts and accessory combinations.”

Surprise surprise, there’ll be power-ups, too, which will essentially let budding petrolheads take the lead and bring mischief to the track in numerous ways. Again, like Mario Kart — but with a good old-fashioned DreamWorks twist to boot. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary there, then.

Development

It’s being developed by GameMill Entertainment, the same team that actually poured life into Nickelodeon Kart Racers. Fair to say that its latest DreamWorks-centric project will feature some references to the SpongeBob-themed karting segment, if not visually, then mechanically, to say the least. Either way, it’s in safe hands, what with GameMill Entertainment having already walked the same path twice or thrice before.

Trailer

At the time of writing, GameMill Entertainment hasn’t released any footage to showcase DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing in all its glory. Needless to say that the likelihood of it getting a launch trailer at some point in the next several weeks seems pretty high. Until then, all we’ve got are the screenshots.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing will be heading to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam at some point in 2023. As for when in 2023 it’ll see the light of day remains a mystery, though it’s fair to say that it’ll be targeting a Q4 launch, perhaps to coincide with the pre-holiday season rush, if anything.

According to the site, the game will be available in one of two editions, with the standard copy coming in at $39.99, and a Digital Deluxe Edition at $49.99. Apparently, the latter copy will include the base game, as well as two additional characters and their respective karts — Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda, and Wolf from Puss In Boots. You can go ahead and add either of these editions to your wishlist over on the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, or Steam.

Has GameMill Entertainment’s latest venture caught your attention? If so, then be sure to check in with the team’s official social feed for all the latest pre-launch updates here. If anything changes ahead of its 2023 release window, we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing when it hits consoles and PC later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.