We bought into the hype. Well, we here at Crave’s gaming section. Erik, unlike myself, was hesitant to believe in Epic Mickey at first. He saw the game in motion for the first time a few months back and was immediately turned off by the presentation because of how it varied from the more brutal concept art leaked by the folks at Junction Point. Then the conventions started happening and the opening cinematic was released. They changed Erik’s mind. Epic Mickey looked great.
I, on the other hand, have been in love with the concept and the pre-release delivery the whole way through. It’s unfair, I suppose, because I’m a die-hard Disney fan. My family knows the theme park down in Florida as well as we know our sleepy hometown. We own a ton of the movies, artwork, watches, collectibles and sweatshirts. We’re a bonafide pack of Disney nerds, and entirely unashamed to admit it.
Erik and I decided that, between the two of us, a Disney geek would get the most from Disney Epic Mickey. The game is set up so that everyone can enjoy it, of course, but those staged to benefit the most from the subtleties are the folks with an encyclopedic knowledge of Disney. Nailed it.
And, to that end specifically, Epic Mickey is a wonderful experience. Disney fans might be able to dismiss the fatal gaming flaws we’re about to dive into in order to go on a vast journey into the land of Disney and Mickey history. If you’re one of those buffs, you’ll be treated to characters you haven’t seen in years, merchandise you remember owning as a kid and theme park attractions that disappeared eons ago. It’s all there. Yes, even still accessible classics like the People Mover in Tomorrowland and The Carousel of Progress. If naming those rides made you nerd out, this game is for you.
You’ll be able to unlock classic cartoons to enjoy in the extras bit of the clunky and entirely too basic title menu. You’ll also discover extremely subtle nods to theme park elements and items from old cartoons. As Spector told Erik and I during our interview at NYCC this past October, everything has been taken from the Disney Vault.
Looping in those not steeped in Disney lore is the story and the main character, Mickey Mouse. Everyone knows Mickey. You may have never had access to the Disney Channel, seen a Disney movie or been to their theme parks and you’ll still know Mickey Mouse. So, inherently, there’s a strong base for the main character. But Spector and the minds at Junction Point worked hard to create a story and atmosphere that lives up to Disney’s standards of quality and magic. Success. This story is really good. It’s exceptional for Disney die-hards, obviously, but those wandering in off of the street are going to love it as well.
Mickey is sucked into the Wasteland years a long time after he decimates the classic canvas with an ink spill. The Wasteland is made up of Disney's forgotten characters and attractions. Classics from every era that folks have just seemed to forget about over time. And, at the center of that world is Oswald. Oswald was Walt Disney's main hero before Mickey came along, and he's a rabbit. He presides over the Wasteland as Mickey does over the normal Disney Kingdom. Mickey meets old friends he doesn't remember as he tries to save the Wasteland from the destruction he wrought. Sprinkle in a few surprises and Disney lovers and gamers alike are in for a great tale.
If they can get past a few of the sour spots.
But first we’ll hit the stuff that works… The game’s mechanics for play are simple. Mickey can run, jump and spin to attack. He’s also given a paintbrush with a wealth of replenishing paint and thinner. Mickey can make certain objects and enemies disappear to gain access to places or defeat foes. Or he can paint missing spots and attacking enemies in order to fill them in or turn foes into friends. Move with the nunchuck and aim/attack/paint with the remote. Simple.
The painting and thinning mechanic is brilliant. You’ll constantly find yourself reaching once-thought-inaccessible locations by applying the mechanic all over. And you’ll always be rewarded for using it: you’re given tickets (nearly useless game currency), pins (collectibles) or access to gremlins (these guys always help you by letting you skip whole levels or, more commonly, completing difficult tasks for you).
You can only beat enemies with paint or thinner. You can thin some ink out entirely, thin out their armor only in order to whack them dead or paint them to make them friendly. Making them friendly sets them as defenders of Mickey.
And the more you use the paint and thinner, the more you’re given helping hands (upgrades, pins or magic). The entire system is, like I said, brilliant. It really encourages players to constantly be painting and thinning. It’s not so much a good vs. evil thing as it’s a game of necessity.
The biggest game-breaking flaw for Epic Mickey is the camera. You’ll be wrangling with it constantly. It tends to lock in place at the most awkward angles, making pointing and painting damn near impossible. You can lock on to enemies for combat, but the camera gets extremely frustrating in tight quarters packed with combatants. It’s a pain when it comes to the games platforming too. I physically gave up on getting to obviously special spots because of the grief the camera gave me. Really, if there’s any single thing that can ruin a game like this, it’s the camera. We’re more than a decade into the age of 3D adventure titles, cameras should have been perfected by now.
However, the camera isn’t a problem in the most wonderful parts of the game. Between worlds, Mickey must get through a 2D rendition of a classic cartoon… toons like Steamboat Willie are chosen as the backdrop to this quick, platform and timing based segues. They’re all great, especially the theme music.
The music of the entire game, for that matter, is another piece of the good side of this adventure. Junction Point managed to maintain a lot of the original Disney moods by playing a few rounds of theme and variation with their takes on Disney classics. You’ll hear creepy renditions of the music from the Small World ride and even creepier takes of The Mickey Mouse Song. They’re always setting the best tone for the environment. It’s too bad I noticed a few moments of aural skipping over several worlds… very odd.
As an adventure game specifically, Epic Mickey is just okay. At its core, it’s true to the genre. Platform, collect, fight using basic mechanics and explore. It’s just that a lot of the adventure feels very formulaic. The areas and characters may be new, but you’re always doing the same thing. It’s only going to wear you down if you aren’t enthralled with the Disney Magic at work around you.
Mickey will even be able to trapse through classic Oswald shorts.
Epic Mickey is one of this holiday season’s most hotly anticipated releases. It was supposed to be the saving grace for Disney Interactive, and it should have been another exceptional mark for Spector’s superb resume. Part of me, the Disney nerd part, is in love with this game. It’s everything I could have wanted when it comes to theme and it’s ability to reference what made up my childhood. But, as a gamer, this title is often frustrating. Is it bad? No, definitely not, but the camera and over simplification of the genre make it tough to respect and enjoy.
This is a must-buy for Disney nuts, but gamers only slightly interested in the Mouse and his ancestors are okay to pass. They will be missing, however, a well-written story with wonderful character play. But they’d also be avoiding the dreadful camera.
