I thought Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask was a joke game. I thought it was one of those endless runner games that the Apple App Store and Google Play Store are inundated with. And yet I’ve seen the game on the digital storefronts and know that it’s being sold in actual brick and mortar retailers. Still, I thought this was nothing more than a small up-and-coming publisher trying to make a name for itself by releasing something into stores in order to make a quick buck before they fly off into the night.

So, color me surprised when I decided to pick up the game on PC during a drunken bender in hopes that it would make for some fun so-bad-its-good content online and found out that Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask is actually pretty decent and from a publisher that, while small, tries its butt off to make a name for itself. In fact, I’m sort bummed I didn’t go out and pick up a physical copy for one of the modern consoles as this title has a very old-school mentality.

The story in Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask sees a family go on vacation to a spectacular water park only to find out that it was a trap to capture both parents. You see, it turns out that your parents are famous spy’s and have been captured by there arch nemesis. Now it’s up to the Mickey and/or his sister to save them thanks to some gadgets that your parents left for you in your travel gear. With the help of a little floating robot buddy, you earn powerups, collect electricity tokens, and unlock rides and costumes. And the best part of all of this is that there is no DLC to be had. You just play the game, get better, and beat challenges to unlock stuff.

It feels like an age since a game released with all the content on the disc/download and not hidden behind a paywall. Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask might look and feel like a mobile game, but it doesn’t treat the player like a mobile game would. The goal of the game is simple: slide down waterways on your floaty and avoid obstacles, kill enemies, and solve puzzles as you work your way through the park to save your parents from an Uka Uka knockoff. It’s all very simple but the gameplay does do a few neat things to make it a decent challenge, especially for younger players.

You see, Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask isn’t an endless runner at all; at least not in the traditional sense. You control your speed by holding down to go backwards and up to go forward. It’s a bit strange but you’ll adapt pretty quickly. You’re in full control of your speed and direction which really opens up the gameplay and makes it feel much more like an old 2.5D platformer than an endless runner. This also means you have more control as you can battle enemies, jump and glide to new area, and backtrack to new paths that you open up via switches and puzzles. There are also secret areas to unlock in levels that can give you huge bonuses.

As you progress through the waterpark the stages get more and more challenging and while not perfect, it’s a fun little adventure for younger players. That said, the controls can become a problem, especially when trying/wanting to turn quickly, but thankfully the game doesn’t punish the player much. Certain segments of stages require you to hit a checkpoint in a given amount of time, but If you miss a checkpoint you are pushed back to just before it meaning you are never punished heavily for mistakes. There is a lives system at play but that only comes up when you “wipeout” which happens when you get killed by an enemy or trap.

There’s a lot to enjoy in this little adventure including the added co-op that can be a lot of fun. Stages are pretty varied with different locations and environmental looks and feels. Just know that this is the sort of game that you don’t sit down to play for hours, but one that you can fire up and tool around for a few stages and unlocking extras before calling it a day. I like these sorts of games, the ones that don’t ask a serious investment from me every time I fire them up. I enjoy collecting stuff, unlocking stuff, and if I were a parent, playing alongside my kids without having to worry about content.

Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask isn’t a deep (pun only slightly intended) experience, nor it is a very long one for experienced gamers, but considering you can find a new disc copy for the PS4 for around $10 you really can’t go wrong. On PC at $25 it feels like a bit much as the younger players the game is designed for probably aren’t on the platform, but if you can get it during a Steam sale then I say Mickey Storm and the Cursed Mask would make for a fun little time.

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J. Luis

J. Luis is the current Editor-In-Chief here at GAMbIT. With a background in investigative journalism his work encompasses the pop-culture spectrum here, but he also works in the political spectrum for other organizations.

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