Disney Pixel RPG: a pleasant and surprising free experience for mobile.

This week a new Disney RPG was launched, although it's not a new Kingdom Hearts title, but a free mobile game called Disney Pixel RPG. This game is a turn-based RPG featuring art inspired by 8-bit and 16-bit graphics, where many iconic Disney characters appear. While it has typical features of mobile gacha-focused games, much of the content can be enjoyed without needing to spend money for an entertaining experience.

GungHo Online Entertainment and Disney are introducing this game at a timely moment, as Square Enix recently announced the closure of its mobile RPG Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius by the end of this month. For players looking for a similar game, Disney Pixel RPG seems to be a viable alternative with plenty of room for expansion.

In Disney Pixel RPG, several fictional worlds from Disney video games have been infected by "bug pixels" and creatures called Mimics. Players are summoned by friendly characters called Repixies to help save these gaming worlds. To do so, they must summon Disney characters from these damaged worlds and solve the mystery behind the bug pixels. However, the game does not seem to have the rights to Disney video games from the 1980s and 1990s, which could disappoint some. Still, GungHo is expected to collaborate with companies like Capcom to promote crossovers with classic Disney video games. For now, the game opts for fictional ideas, such as a stealth title set in Zootopia or a carnival game featuring Mickey and his friends.

The simplicity of its concept avoids complications with heavy narratives like those in Kingdom Hearts, but it provides enough explanations for characters like Stitch, Baymax, Maleficent, and Mickey to appear together on the same team. Gacha mobile games depend on the appeal of the characters that players can use, and Disney has a vast range of intellectual property available. These games usually require players to spend currency to "pull" characters they can utilize.

Through gameplay or spending real money, players earn crystals that can be used in Disney Pixel RPG's gacha menu. Each character has a special ability that they can use in combat and upgrade in various ways. Players must form teams of five characters and face a series of RPG battles across different worlds. They control their team to attack, defend, or use abilities on each turn, aiming to prevent the group from being annihilated before defeating all waves of enemies in the stage.

The gameplay system is accessible, with depth deriving from selecting the right moment to use the characters' abilities. It is advisable to obtain a healer as soon as possible, as they can counteract the team's health loss in tougher levels. Additionally, players can interact with Disney characters in the game's hub and send unused characters on inactive expeditions to gather more items.

Although these features are not innovative for a mobile RPG, Disney Pixel RPG executes them successfully, offering iconic characters and a pleasant visual style. For those who are not fans of this type of game, the Disney brand may not be enough. However, for Disney fans, RPG enthusiasts, and mobile gamers, GungHo's latest release manages to balance all these elements. Spending money is not necessary unless desired, but Disney Pixel RPG could be an interesting option for curious Disney fans and those looking for something similar to Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. The game is now available on iOS and Android.