Mickey Mouse has had a strange year. You see, back in 1928 the seminal short film Steamboat Willie showcased Mickey Mouse to the world. That early version of the famous mouse has seen its copyright end, meaning anyone can use that image for other projects, even though the modern version is still owned by Disney. And already there have been a bunch of projects using him, including animation and horror movies.
But back in 2010, Disney’s Epic Mickey released. It was critically successful but not so much financially, and after the sequel disappointed, the studio behind it closed. But now Mickey is back, with an upgrade and brush up in Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed. Let’s see if Mickey still has the magic touch…
The story opens with Mickey in bed, snoozing. A portal opens up in his room and he goes exploring. It’s here where we discover a wizard is creating a magical kingdom with a magic paintbrush, before deciding to call it a night. Mickey comes in and spoils it, all by mistake, unleashing a monster called The Blot onto the world. Years later Mickey gets captured by The Blot, sent to somewhere called The Wasteland. Here, with his magic paintbrush to hand, he must right the world once more and destroy The Blot.
I like this story, as well as the characters we meet along the way. It’s a game that still feels like it is from 2010, open to all, family-friendly. But at times it is most certainly stuck in a decade past. That doesn’t mean Disney fans won’t have a field day though, as it feels as it should, like you are stuck in a cartoon.
Gameplay-wise and Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed plays as a mix of an open-world and that of traditional platforming, where you can jump, double jump, and enjoy a host of extra frills. It swaps between 3D worlds and 2D elements seamlessly, and you’ll certainly appreciate having access to those two different styles.
But the big bonus is the paintbrush. It’s here where you can make the most of differing uses, whether that be thinner paint, or more colourful normal paint. The thinner will help you traverse certain areas, by getting rid of platforms, walls, or doors that may be in the way. The paint, meanwhile, will fill in the gaps. So you might have a section where you are missing a bridge, left to paint one in so you can cross.
There are creatures to fight too; corrupted beasts of this world. It’s up to you to decide how you tackle them and up pops the opportunity to use the thinner and erase them from history, or make the most of that paint and tame them, ensuring they fight alongside you. The choice is yours, even if it does have implications later on. The whole combat system works nicely and with the upgraded movement, Mickey is smooth and fast.
The whole control system is good, but I’ve worked my way through Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed to have moments when it doesn’t feel as fluid as it should be. There are just little moments of inaccuracy and not making jumps can annoy, rather than keep you interested in going forward. But there’s no doubt that the levels have plenty for you to get involved in, with loads of things to collect like little Gremlins to rescue and reels of old cartoons.
And then we get to how this looks visually. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed has had an upgrade and everything looks brand spanking new, super bright. It does still have the feel of a 2010 game in the way it loads up different levels and in terms of some of the design features, but the cutscenes are great and Disney fans will be in for a treat. I really do think that the painting and thinning mechanic that powers Epic Mickey is a great piece of gameplay magic.
As you may expect from such a game, the audio is good too, with some bright music and an epic Disney-like score. It’s just a shame that it’s lacking in voice work.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a good remastering of an older game. Mickey moves better than ever, but the platforming does at times feel a bit old hat, lacking some of the zip that more modern games have injected into them. The combat is fine and dandy too, but does get a bit repetitive after a while.
It’s in terms of the visuals where Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed excels, especially in the remastering, fidelity and colour. Disney fans will have a blast, yet even though it’s enjoyable, the gameplay does feel a bit old-fashioned.
Mickey’s Magical Makeover: Disney Epic Mickey Returns, Rebrushed and Beautiful – https://www.thexboxhub.com/mickeys-magical-makeover-disney-epic-mickey-returns-rebrushed-and-beautiful/
Buy Epic Mickey: Rebrushed on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/disney-epic-mickey-rebrushed/9NVR29JZF6RP/0010
