We breakdown some of the visual upgrades currently in the works for racing!
We received a lot of feedback during our PC Closed Beta on how various visual and HUD (Heads Up Display) elements could be improved. In today’s Dev Diary, we will showcase several of the visual changes that are in the works for Disney Speedstorm. Please keep in mind, some of the visuals we showcase in the Dev Diary may change slightly between now and when the game launches, but we’d like to give you an early look at what we’ve been working on.
PRE & POST-RACE VISUALS
There’s been a big focus on making improvements to both the visuals and HUD, to give players an overall more immersive and accessible experience.
The above GIF showcases the same pre-race animation that you know and love from the Closed Beta, but with one key improvement. AI Racers will now always be sporting different kart liveries and parts rather than the default setup, so now you’ll be able to view different cosmetic items in action on the track before you may have unlocked them yourself!
The post-race animation has also been given an upgrade with the top three racers now being showcased on-screen at once. You’ll also be able to brag about your place on the podium with your Victory Animation of choice. Check those out in this video if you missed it previously.
MID RACE VISUALS
In the above GIF you can catch a glimpse of the new and improved Skill Boxes that you can crash through to pick up your racer’s unique and common skills. We feel they are super pretty [Arbee! Do we really have to write that?] Racer Billboards are also a new addition to the mid-race visuals in Ranked Multiplayer that will provide you with some key information about your rival racers. As long as you are within a certain distance of a rival racer, a billboard will be shown containing their username, current race position, game platform as well as their player avatar. We are still working on the exact design but don’t worry, your Racer Billboard won’t show when using skills that make you invisible like Cloak!
In case you missed it in our last Dev Diary on drifting, we have also improved the visual indicators of when your Drift Boost is ready to activate. Read more about it here.
RACE HUD (HEADS UP DISPLAY)
The Manual Boost Bar is also receiving an upgrade, in order to make it more impactful and visually appealing. Another small change from the Closed Beta will be that when you have your racer’s Unique Skill available, it’s now much more clearly visible in the HUD thanks to some cool new artwork.
There you have it! Just some of the small but important improvements we have made to the race experience for launch. We can’t wait for you to see the final versions and what else we have in store in upcoming Dev Diaries. Don't forget to follow us on our social media channels for all the latest news and make sure you to wishlist the game if you haven’t already!