Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure Review (Xbox & PC)

Frontier Developments and Asobo Studio found gold in the whimsical world of Disneyland Adventures, yet also made a rather unfortunate decision not to incorporate the celebratory highs and lows of one of Walt’s greatest subsidiaries: Pixar. Granted, it did touch on some of the rural areas of the ol’ lamp-squandering realm, but it also left out a huge chunk of the studio’s signature intellectual properties—Cars, Finding Dory, Ratatouille, to list just a few. It could have added a little extra room—a new land for the park, so to speak—similar to how Hogwarts Legacy could have adopted Quidditch rather than turn a blind eye to it before having a lightbulb moment and giving it its own spotlight in an entirely unconnected world. But, it didn’t follow that route; it chose to keep Pixar to a bare minimum. Well, that was, of course, until Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure swept in to fill in the gap with its own bouncy ball and letters to squash.

On paper, Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure isn’t all that different from Disneyland Adventures. Sure enough, it has its own themed wings within a park, as well as mini-games and characters to buddy up with. However, where Disneyland Adventures casts its focus on a single-player journey and an immersive experience that mirrors a real-life, albeit exaggerated dip into the corners of Walt Disney’s beloved resort, Rush instead opts for a couch co-op endeavor that allows two players to enter one of several realms and quest, explore, and essentially accrue points and stars whilst completing challenges along the way. Here’s the bad part: it isn’t as gargantuan as Disneyland Adventures, meaning, you don’t have an enormous open world to unearth, and you don’t have hundreds of quests to onboard, either. It’s just you, a friend, and a handful of boroughs that each contain between four and five chapters. That is, in essence, what Rush is: a relatively short couch co-op campaign that invites you to “play the part” and complete various scenarios in exchange for ratings, stars, and opportunities to earn more challenges.

A Spotlight for Pixar

The good news is that, despite the game itself being rather small in comparison to its Disneyland cousin, each land that it does bring to its central hub is laden with unique gameplay elements. For instance, in the Cars saga, you have smooth racing and high-octane pursuits through the iconic Radiator Springs, whereas in Toy Story you have platforming and puzzle solving. On another level, you have boss encounters with the likes of Ratatouille, and, as if to add another layer to the cake for the sake of it, swimming and collecting coins with Dory.

To add to each of these episodic journeys, you have “milestones”—checkpoints that you unlock through completing challenges and finding more quests to return to in later missions. In other words, it has replay value, meaning you can quite easily return to old levels to still experience another tale. An example here would be in Ratatouille; if you successfully find enough coins and earn a high enough rating, then you will essentially receive another request to search for a “special” item the next time you decide to visit. It’s a small boon, but one that also keeps you wanting just that little bit more with each passing turn. There aren’t any “amazing” post-game rewards to unlock — but that isn’t really a problem, as the game finds various ways to keep you coming back for a second, third, perhaps even fourth excursion.

Perfect for the Younger Players

Gameplay-wise, there isn’t a huge amount to stress about here, as it is, in short, a game that leans towards a younger audience over the seasoned veteran. To say that it’s a perfect game for newcomers might be a bit of a stretch I’ll admit, as it does comes with a handful of obstacles, and not to mention the occasional boss fight that requires you to work collaboratively in order to complete your objectives. For the most part, though, what you see is what you get: a smooth ride through the beating hearts of various lovable Pixar worlds. It plays well, and, truth be told, it makes for a surprisingly great couch co-op game, too, warts and all.

Thankfully, the Pixar quality shines through across all crags and crevices here, with the iconic wide-eyed folk and charming audiovisual effects majestically forming a backbone for a B-movie interactive experience that screams inheritance. To that end, I’d say that it plucks on all of the right strings. It’s cute, familiar, and above all, a breath of fresh air that just feels fantastic to sit down and play after a long day at the office. It isn’t likely to claim any major awards in the future, but then, it doesn’t have to, as it cements over a hole that, sadly, has been frustratingly present for decades.

Verdict

Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure is an absolute blast to work through alongside a friend, more so given that it not only offers a wide selection of thematic worlds and characters to shake hands with, but also a dynamic experience that houses a variety of mini-games and challenges, avenues of exploration and opportunities to return and accrue new strands. It’s a platforming game, a high-speed pursuit, and a puzzler all in one giant sandbox. In other words, it’s a little piece of everything, meaning, even the most fussy players will have something to dig their paws into here.

Of course, if you are torn between Rush and Disneyland Adventures, then take it from me. If you would much rather spend your time exploring the vast parks and questing with the characters from Walt’s iconic universe, then you ought to consider dipping into the latter. For a beginner-friendly couch co-op experience that can help teach younger children the fundamentals of gaming, you should definitely climb aboard the Rush train. Better yet, if you simply adore Disney-Pixar and all of its timeless properties, then you should take a gander at both. You’ll thank us later.