Introduction
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a gem. It was exclusive to the Nintendo Wii back in 2010 and was one of the most unique and interesting third-party platformers on the market. Nintendo already had a strong grip on that niche on the same console generation, but Epic Mickey would stay trapped on the a console that is now old enough to vote.
After 14 years, we now have to opportunity to experience Epic Mickey on two different console generations, and the magic still holds up even after all these years.
Story
The story takes place when Yen Sid from the 1940’s film ‘Fantasia’ is shown working with a magic paintbrush. Mickey gets up to his usual mischief and manages to create a mess in the Wastelands - a place where forgotten Walt Disney creations reside. Along the journey, you will meet many forgotten icons of the Disney IP such as Oswald the lucky rabbit who had a memorable series of shorts for those of us old enough to remember.
Mickey gets possession of a magic paintbrush that lets him take color or place color around the world to get back into his world and fix the mess he has created. The picturesque world of the Wasteland is one that is dark, gloomy but has its moments of looking charming. This is still your atypical platformer with the abundance of collectibles along the way, so there is no shortage of range of scneries here as you explore the many wonders in the Wastelands.
You will see a lot of colorful and vibrant parts of the world brought to life with the remaster that were previously less detailed on the Wii version, and this easily makes the remaster a well-warranted purchase if you are an ardent fans of platforming games.
Gameplay
The gameplay is similar to other platformers but with a twist, the paintbrush lets you drain select parts of the world, but equally lets you place color in a place that didn’t have it before, and allows you to make that part of the world a solid object for you to use to progress or reach a collectible.
As you progress the game, the paintbrush also doubles as your weapon, giving you new ways to fight the enemies as you make your way through the story. The game has no shortage of tricky platforming and you are rewarded for going off the intended path in the form of collectibles or other items that can help you in the game.
The game also offers a morality system at every step, with how you deal with enemies and even presenting you choices, leading to the player getting the good or bad ending. This comes as no surprise as the game was designed by Warren Spector who is known for the System Shock and early Deus Ex games.
All in all, the gameplay is fun letting you explore the world to solve puzzles by removing or adding parts of the area you are in to reach a collectible that is just out of reach, or even to progress the story.
Presentation
The game looks phenomenal, when you consider the source material is a Wii game. The game will not blow you away visually, but it is decent enough to stand the modern standards of graphics, and fans of the genre will easily look past the visuals to enjoy a great package.
I played the PS4 and PS5 versions, and was often hard pressed on finding the differences, but perhaps when this goes under the microscope, we can see where the visual differences lie, but for the most part, even if you play on the previous generation consoles, the visuals are still a solid part of the experience.
The sound design is equal parts charming and eerie when it needs to be. Combined, this is a well-bundled package that does a fantastic job of bringing a once forgotten game back to life with a fresh coat of paint to boot!
Verdict
Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is not for everyone. It is a game for fans who have been waited for over a decade to get the niche platformer to modern systems. It may not have the visual presentation style of Astro Bot but it has its own unique charm and the signature Warren Spector touch to make this a memorable and enjoyable experience if you are a fan of platforming games, and enjoy a little bit of morality choices in your games!
