Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed

Genre: 3D Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Epic Mickey is a 3D Platformer originally released on Wii in 2010, with this remastered version of the game releasing in 2024 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. This game aimed to place Disney’s squeaky-clean mascot in the center of a grand, sprawling adventure, armed with a magical paintbrush that could create or erase reality as the player saw fit, with plenty of references to both Mickey and Disney’s past works. However, what we got was… well…

At its core, Epic Mickey is a pretty straightforward 3D Platformer with occasional 2D sections, with a gimmick that Mickey’s brush can create or erase some sections of the world Mickey is in, usually highlighted with a sparkling outline. This ability is pretty selective, which really undercuts the purportedly all-powerful nature of the paintbrush within the game. Without it, this is a fairly unspectacular entry in the genre, with uninspired platforming and combat that feels like so many other 3D Platformers from the Wii/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 generation, complete with collect-a-thon elements and plenty of hand-holding.

Sorry, did I say “plenty” of hand-holding? I mean that this game grabs the player’s hand right from the start and holds it in a vise-like grip throughout the entire game. It seems like you can’t walk five feet in the game without the game’s helper character, Gus, telling you what to do next. The game wastes absolutely no opportunity to make sure that players can’t discover anything for themselves or, heaven forbid, spend even the briefest of moments wondering what to do or where to go. And every time it does this, the game grinds to a halt as players are forced to read through the text directing you what to do next. Yes, this was from the era before we could expect such things to be voiced, and that is something this remake has no desire to update for modern players.

Speaking of updating, Rebrushed actually does succeed at one thing, and that is remastering this game to look good on modern platformers. While by no means impressive, Rebrushed has some great updates to the original game’s textures and 3D models that do a great job of making this look like a game released in the modern day, even if it still plays like a game from 14 years ago. One caveat on the Nintendo Switch version of this release – there are definitely moments where the framerates drop, and even spots where the game momentarily freezes as it loads. It’s not ideal, but as far as sacrifices in a Nintendo Switch release of a multiplatform game this is relatively mild.

Speaking of the Nintendo Switch version, this release does honor the Wii roots of the original by including gyroscopic motion control when aiming Mickey’s brush, though players can opt to turn this off if they prefer. This doesn’t alter the gameplay too much, but it’s appreciated all the same.

Overall, I really wanted to like Epic Mickey: Rebrushed. The notion of a truly grand adventure that reframes Mickey as something more than the boring alternative to Donald and Goofy, a plucky hero in a daunting quest… this idea still holds a lot of potential even to this day. Unfortunately, as high as this game’s aspirations may have been, those aspirations crumble in the face of what is ultimately a mediocre Platformer with some of the worst hand-holding I have ever seen in a videogame. And even this excellent remaster can’t use a shiny coat of paint to hide the disappointment underneath.

tl;dr – Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a 3D Platformer that takes the Wii game and gives it a brand new coat of paint. The result is a game that looks better than ever, but unfortunately underneath it’s still the same mediocre, dated Platformer with absolutely atrocious hand-holding. Unless you’re a huge fan of the original, this game isn’t likely to paint a smile on your face.

Grade: C

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