You'll love it if:
- Υou are a fan of Disney games
- Υοu have already played the older title
- Are looking for a quality action platformer game
Not for you if:
- You are looking for a title with great difficulty
- You are looking for a game with deep mechanics
- You find the character of Mickey too childish
Today’s industry has flooded the market with many remakes or remasters of games, which often show minimal effort to improve the quality of the title. However, some studios make a difference. Purple Lamp having the success of Spongebob Squarepant’s Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated in its pocket did not stop them from continuing into remaking a much more coveted Wii exclusive title called Epic Mickey!
Having played the older game several years ago, I was thrilled to learn that Μagic Lamp has taken over this remake and they did not disappoint! So, let’s see what they have prepared for us!
The Past
First, it should be mentioned that Epic Mikey was an exclusive Disney title on the Wii and indeed, as one of the few platformers on the console that wasn’t made by Nintendo, it was loved by young fans at the time regardless of its issues. A rather spontaneous story unfolds starring, of course, the unrivalled celebrity Mickey Mouse. In particular, he is presented as a talented artist who will be given the mission to save many worlds from the destruction of the Bars. Epic Mickey: Rebrushed combines platforming adventure with item collecting, which one can expect from an old title like this.
However, leaving the past behind, let’s focus on the current remake!
The Foundations for a Good Remake!
For Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, it is worth mentioning that it was created by the close collaboration of Purple Lamp with the first creators so it to not lose the character of the old game. This, of course, creates many expectations for the quality of the game. Apart from that, though, the title can be purchased on almost every system and console thus making it easier for all players. In this review, the title was used on the Nintendo Switch.
Graphics
Before we dive into the story and the gameplay I will first mention the awesome work that went into the graphics. Purple Lamp took each asset and rebuilt it from scratch which is not common due to the sheer amount of work involved, but really the difference from the old one is tremendous! In fact, something that has also changed is the 2D cutscenes! Everything was modified to a 4K resolution which someone without a matching screen can’t see in its entirety but the difference is still evident.
Performance
Now, moving on to the performance of Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, Purple Lamp managed to upscale the entire game to a 4K resolution and extend the framerate to 60FPS. However, regarding this matter, I got a taste of disappointment because, on the Switch, the framerate drops were a frequent and irritating phenomenon. In particular, the first framerate drops appeared almost in the first 15 minutes that I started playing, which I immediately disliked.
Yes, the Switch is not the most powerful console, but it was really the first time it made such a bad impression on me, especially in the most demanding moments when a lot was happening on the screen, resulting in input lag in my movements. Nevertheless, having looked for gameplay videos of Epic Mickey: Rebrushed on other systems, I can say that the problem I encountered is mainly on the Nintendo Switch. So if anyone really wants to buy the title I would recommend getting it on any other system.
Story
The story of Epic Mickey: Rebrushed remains largely the same! Mickey, having been transferred to the apocalyptic world, will meet Oswald the Rabbit, a legendary Disney character, who was the king of that world. Of course, Oswald, even though his Kingdom’s problems are intense, refuses to accept Mickey’s help because of the fame he has gained over the years at his expense. Thus, Mickey will wander into this very dark Disney world where he will meet various old characters, friends and enemies. At the same time, depending on the player’s choices, a unique ending is determined.
In general, the story hasn’t changed much which I respect, but there are some small changes here and there which of course only players who have played the old title relatively recently will notice. The whole feel of the dark tones in this Disney world is something unprecedented for the rest of the Disney titles we see today, making Epic Mickey: Rebrushed stand out.
Gameplay
Moving on to the gameplay part of Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, Mickey as in the older title could do the classic double jump, the spinning attack and the use of his brush. But the Purple Lamp thought that these mechanics were not enough and enriched the movements of our hero! Now mickey can run, make dashes and make ground attacks which gives a greater depth to the gameplay part of Epic Mickey: Rebrushed.
Level Reworks!
The levels have been enhanced with more detail, and objects have been added or moved to give a nicer flow to the game. And as if that wasn’t enough, there are also extra secret areas and puzzles for the veteran players of the old title to find! The attention that Purple Lamp put into this remake is evident and I can’t describe how amazed I was when these changes unfolded before me!
Destruction or Healing?
Now let’s move on to the core gameplay mechanic of Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, the brush. Mickey can use ink or thinner to restore or destroy objects or creatures on his journey. Thus, the player is allowed to “paint” his own story through the choices he will make, which adds a ton of interest to the flow of the game, thus reaching special endings depending on your choices.
The most technical parts of the gameplay show the first problems it inherited from its native source.
But, There are Some Problems…
First of all the platforming of the game, I can’t say that it can compete with other titles that exist in today’s industry. Maybe then its exclusivity on the Wii combined with the fact that it had Disney characters helped it stand out on that system, but now it’s up against much better titles in this regard. Of course, I can’t find any negative to say about it, but neither do I recognize the element of originality.
Secondly, the player’s progression many times in the following levels is based on the number of items he has collected. As a collectathon, Epic Mickey: Rebrushed makes the mistake of forcing the player to hand in a certain number of tokens to unlock the next level.
If the player does not have the required number he must return to the beginning of the track he is on to complete that number. This fact left a bad impression on me both then and now. That is, I believe that the player is not required to “grind” and go through the same track and the same enemies again and again just to satisfy several coupons that should not be present at any stage of the game.
Verdict
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed as a remaster stays true to the original game while at the same time taking a breath of fresh air and not taking advantage of our nostalgia. Purple Lamp built on and improved the old title on almost every level without, of course, losing any of the essence of the old one. Its graphics are undoubtedly modernized, its levels satisfy the flow of the game, and the mechanics are more than ever all this combined with the story and characters of Disney makes it a complete product. It has, of course, its problems as we mentioned, but most of them are deeply connected to the identity of the old game.
If you are a Disney fan I highly recommend it, the experience you will have with it is awesome! If you are not, Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a good start to getting to know the fantastic world of Disney. I had a great time playing it and reliving some of the old memories I had with it from my childhood, it was a nice trip back in time!
Special thanks to Enarxis for sponsoring our review!
If you liked our review of Epic Mickey: Rebrushed and want to enhance your experience by playing it on a high-quality PC monitor, be sure to check out our review of the AOC Porsche Design Agon PD32M.