Games

Epic Mickey Rebrushed Review – A Loving Remaster of a Wii Cult Classic

BBG News

As a seasoned gamer who’s seen the evolution of gaming from 8-bit to the high-definition marvels we have today, I must say that my journey with Disney’s Epic Mickey has been quite the rollercoaster ride. From the days of Deus Ex and JC Denton to the mischievous mouse of Wasteland, Warren Spector’s creative touch never ceases to amaze me.

When Epic Mickey debuted on the Wii in 2010, there was something about it that left me slightly puzzled. It wasn’t due to it being a Mickey Mouse video game, no way! But because Warren Spector, renowned for his work on Deus Ex, served as its Creative Director. I can’t fathom how he transitioned from JC Denton to Mickey Mouse. However, what didn’t surprise me was the fact that Spector once again struck upon a winning formula. With groundbreaking mechanics and an irresistible allure, Epic Mickey gained a devoted following.

14 years have passed since then, and now we find ourselves with yet another game receiving the remastered version update. Indeed, Disney Epic Mickey: Return to the Brush has a strong sense of being an enhancement rather than a complete overhaul.

In the revamped game titled “Epic Mickey Rebrushed“, you’ll embark on an adventure inside Disney’s famous mouse character’s universe. A blend of his inquisitiveness and clumsiness leads him to a mirror dimension, which was once tranquil but now lies in chaos due to his actions. Your task is to guide Mickey through this enigmatic world, with the goal of saving the people residing in Cartoon Wasteland from the Blot, an ominous presence that has drained life out of this forgotten realm and put their existence at risk. Equipped only with a swiped paintbrush, Mickey will color the surroundings to revive the newly discovered world, thereby restoring harmony along the way.

Fundamentally, “Epic Mickey Rebrushed” is a game that combines puzzle-solving with platform navigation. The unique feature lies in a paintbrush tool, which allows you to either add or remove elements within the world to solve puzzles, rescue trapped gremlins, and uncover hidden paths. This includes painting bridges, thinning walls to make them vanish, among other things. Fret not, you don’t need to be a contemporary artist like Picasso to progress through it; using the paintbrush to manipulate the environment is similar to aiming and firing in a third-person shooter game.

The big question is, how has Epic Mickey aged? Well, you know what, it’s aged pretty decently, to be fair. The innovative paintbrush mechanic still feels fairly fresh by today’s standards, and using it to solve puzzles and engage in combat feels immensely responsive. Like the original, it does tend to get old fairly quickly, and with little to no shake ups in gameplay from start to finish, the remaster has retained the same issues the original had. Still, flicking from 3D puzzle exploration to 2D side-scrolling antics will undoubtedly keep you interested until the credits roll.

In a bid to modernize the gameplay experience, Developer Purple Lamp has made some adjustments, including the introduction of a dodge, ground pound, and sprint functions. Despite this, they’ve largely kept the core mechanics of the game intact, focusing on the popular painting system and smooth transition between 2D and 3D aspects.

Absolutely, a remastered version implies a complete visual makeover, and given how outdated the original game appears, Purple Lamp Studio has done an admirable job. However, our main criticism is that they could have taken it a step further by adding voiceovers to the game. Unfortunately, this feature was not included, which seems unusual, as one would expect them to go the extra mile in truth.

“My main criticism about THQ Nordic’s remaster is that despite being generally well-done, it doesn’t quite live up to my expectations. The game boasts significantly enhanced graphics and some useful updates, but what makes it truly appealing is its nostalgic value as a throwback to when games were frequently packed with novel ideas. Epic Mickey Rebrushed won’t convert skeptics of the original or set any new trends, but it offers an enjoyable way to relive fond memories and experience a dose of nostalgia over a fun-filled weekend.

Read More

2024-09-25 16:42

Previous post Skye Wheatley reveals why she is refusing to show her face after ‘scary’ fox eye lift surgery
Next post The “Assembly Commission: Return to Ridu” web event is live. Participate to earn up to Polychrome ×510 and other great rewards!