Disney Lorcana
A new Disney collectible card game feels like exactly what you would think: a fun, but undoubtedly money-grabbing endeavor that isn't exactly a labor of love. That'd be a fair assumption, right? After all, Disney has a storied history of profiting off of its characters, and there's no reason that a card game made by a company that also owns Marvel and Star Wars would be any different. But Disney Lorcana manages to avoid that cynicism through its sheer affection for Disney characters, and a desire to showcase deep cuts from the animation house's storied history.
That's not to say that the game isn't without its flaws, but in my experience with it so far, Disney Lorcana seems like a product made by Disney lovers, for Disney lovers.
The basic premise of the game is simple; players take turns playing cards that represent classic Disney characters and their abilities, until one reaches the goal of 40 points. What's surprising though, is the gameplay itself; instead of feeling like a typical collectible card game, it feels more like a party game. I played a few rounds with a friend, and we were both pleasantly surprised by how much it felt like a game of Balderdash or Charades.
If you're familiar with the world of Disney collectible card games, you'll know that there are a lot of them, and that several of the big ones have been made by the company Cryptic Studios. The Magic Kingdom has a long history of partnering with outside companies to make licensed games, and while Cryptic is a part of that history, Disney Lorcana is different in that it truly feels like a labor of love.
While it might not matter to some people, when it comes to something like a collectible card game, I personally find the character selection to be an important part of the experience. The cards in Lorcana are split into four 'eras', each with their own theme. For example, the classic era features characters from the golden age of Disney animation, while the '90s era focuses on the era's hits.
It's clear that a lot of thought went into this; Mickey and Maleficent have the most cards, and it's because they're the most iconic characters of all time. It also shows that the team behind the game has a deep knowledge of the Disney catalog; it's a really cool surprise to see that the Genie from Aladdin, or the Grandmother from The Little Mermaid are in the game.
Card selection is random, and that means that some characters are going to be pulled out more than others. I can understand why the team at Disney Interactive made this decision, but it does mean that some characters are going to get dusted off more than others. This can be slightly frustrating for fans of those characters, but its randomness does ensure that it's a relatively fair game.
When I first loaded up Disney Lorcana, I had a real sense of nostalgia. It felt like I was watching old Disney VHS tapes as a kid, and reminiscing about my love for the characters. The game captures that old Disney magic that can sometimes be lacking in modern offerings.
The hope, then, is that the game continues to sustain its momentum, and maintains this magical quality throughout. There's a lot of potential here, and I'm excited to see where the team takes it, and what other surprises they have in store.
Disney Lorcana is available now on PC and mobile
