SDCC 2015: We Hit The Track With The ‘Disney Infinity 3.0’ Toy Box Speedway!

As we mentioned in our E3 preview, Disney Infinity 3.0 looks to create a much bigger experience than its predecessors partially thanks to the Toy Box Games. These dedicated modes look to bring full fledged games outside of the main Play Set campaigns, all of which will allow any of your figures to work. At Comic Con 2015, we took a peak inside Disney’s Pop Up shop to and had some hands on time with the Toy Box Speedway, a dedicated racing game that expands the game play in even bigger ways. And while I walked in expecting a fun side game to compliment the main content, what I left with was what felt like it could have been a full fledged title.

At first glance, the Toy Box Speedway looks to be doing its best Mario Kart impression, and that assumption wouldn’t be too far off. Players will be able to choose from a variety of cars and any character figure they own to jump onto the track with, with each one playing exactly the same stat wise. In fact, the only ones that do have an advantage are the Pixar Cars, and rightfully so considering racing is kind of their thing. After choosing between a car and figure, players will get to choose between numerous Disney locales to drift through. Including stages inspired from films such as Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph and The Nightmare Before Christmas, each track played up to their themes well, with iconic imagery and personality throughout.

Once the race actually started however, I was surprised by how well the game handled, with a strong sense of speed, a variety of weapons to use from the item boxes scattered along the track, and the boost storing mechanic that fills a meter every time you drift or pull off a trick. If this sounds at all familiar, then I’m guessing you’ve played the Sega All-Stars Racing games, because Disney pulled the incredibly talented developers at Sumo Digital to develop this mode. Their level of quality shined through each race, leaving me wanting to play each track when all I was expecting was a quick, half hearted mini game that only served as an optional break from the Play Sets.

After the finish line was crossed, I felt more optimistic for Disney’s next game than I already did. With Toy Box Showdown taking an action approach alongside the Speedway tackling racing, it’s looking like we’ll have tons to do with our new toys, alongside our old favorites. Are you planning on jumping into this whole new world when Disney Infinity 3.0 launches on August 30th? Share your thoughts below!