HANDS-ON: Epic Mickey Rebrushed does a fantastic job of bettering the unique

In a way, the plot for Epic Mickey was in peril of turning into a metaphor for the sport itself.

The 3D platformer, which was a Wii unique again in 2010, informed the story of Mickey Mouse visiting the Wasteland, a darkish different world the place all of Walt Disney’s forgotten creations stay (together with Oswald the Fortunate Rabbit, the rights to whom had simply been reacquired by Disney after practically 80 years).

Whereas the sport did nicely – I used to be informed right this moment that the full gross sales ended up coming near 4 million – the sport’s potential was arguably held again by the truth that it was unique to the Wii at a time within the console’s life, 4 years in, when quite a few followers of ‘core’ video games had left it behind in favour of the HD platforms.

It’s now been practically a decade and a half since then, and for a time it regarded like Epic Mickey – which has remained a Wii unique in any case this time – was itself turning into a forgotten Disney creation just like the characters within the sport’s Wasteland. Due to Austrian studio Purple Lamp, nevertheless, that can now not be the case.

Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, set for launch subsequent month, is a whole remake of the Wii sport, with all its belongings rebuilt from scratch. As somebody who reviewed the Wii authentic again within the day and nonetheless thinks fondly of it, the distinction is evident from the second Mickey seems on-screen.

For these not acquainted with the sport, Mickey is armed with a magical paintbrush which he can use to control objects and characters within the Wasteland. The comb can be utilized to fireside both paint or paint thinner, with every clearly affecting his goal otherwise.

Each will also be mixed to get previous some obstacles. If there’s a bridge in entrance of you that’s blocked by an enormous pile of boulders, for instance, you should use thinner on the bridge to make it disappear, inflicting the boulders to tumble down under. You may then use paint on the empty area the place the bridge as soon as was, to carry it again into existence and cross it merrily with a skip in your step.

The unique sport was developed by Junction Level studios and directed by Deus Ex creator Warren Spector. Whereas Spector isn’t working straight on the remake on a day-to-day foundation, Purple Lamp has been delivering common builds to him to ensure he was proud of its interpretation of the unique.

I used to be informed by one of many builders exhibiting off the sport that Spector significantly loved taking part in the brand new builds on his Steam Deck, and claimed that that they had made “a greater model” of his sport. “It’s not a greater model”, they burdened. “It’s only a model made 14 years later”.

I used to be informed by one of many builders exhibiting off the sport that Warren Spector loved taking part in the brand new builds on his Steam Deck, and claimed that that they had made ‘a greater model’ of his sport. ‘It’s not a greater model’, they burdened. ‘It’s only a model made 14 years later’.

Though Rebrushed is clearly a recreation of the Wii sport, it’s not a whole 1:1 facsimile. Probably the most instantly apparent examples of this are the controls and the digital camera. As a result of the Wii model was performed with a Wii Distant and Nunchuk gamers didn’t have a lot management over the digital camera, which finally turned one of many greatest points critics had with the sport.

This has now clearly been changed with a typical twin-stick system giving the participant full management of the digital camera, making the sport way more intuitive for contemporary audiences.

The adjustments transcend widespread sense quality-of-life enhancements, nevertheless. The sport’s ‘Projector’ ranges, that are the side-scrolling platformer levels that be a part of every of the primary 3D areas collectively, did a fantastic job of delivering nostalgia to Wii gamers again in 2010, with every based mostly on a basic Mickey cartoon.

That nostalgia apart, nevertheless, the Projector ranges have been criticised for being fairly fundamental, one thing Purple Lamp has tried to treatment. These levels now have extra interactive components – elevator platforms now must be manually activated, there are extra hidden collectibles, and the like – that guarantee they’re now not simply “keep in mind this” moments between the ‘essential’ sport however extra fleshed-out sections.

Different little tweaks we have been proven included a brand new cinema hub the place gamers can choose and replay these 2D levels (in case they missed any collectibles the primary time round), an improved menu display screen with missions cut up into higher classes, and a bigger Bonus menu with thrice as a lot idea artwork to unlock than earlier than.

With round a month to go till launch, we gained’t have lengthy to see whether or not Epic Mickey: Rebrushed goes to ship a second wind for a sport that basically deserved extra love the primary time round, however missed out because of platform exclusivity, waning enthusiasm for the Wii and aggravating niggles like the sport’s digital camera.

One factor’s for sure, nevertheless – if Rebrushed sells nicely sufficient and demonstrates that an viewers stays for this darker tackle Mickey Mouse, Purple Lamp tells me it’s conserving every little thing crossed that it’ll get the inexperienced mild to begin on a remake of Epic Mickey 2. Primarily based on what I’ve performed of Rebrushed, if Purple Lamp is eager to do the sequel then – should you’ll pardon the inevitable Mickey pun – I hope THQ is all ears.