Game review: Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (Xbox Series X)

2010 seems like a long time ago now, as the PS3, Xbox 360, and even Nintendo Wii consoles were still going strong. Not to mention, it was only the second year that I became a game reviewer for Techday NZ. Back then, we still had a publication called Netguide NZ.

2010 was also the release of the original Epic Mickey game for the same aforementioned consoles. I never played the original game, but I did have a chance to review Epic Mickey 2 in 2012. Epic Mickey 2 was the first time in the series that allowed a second player to join in to play as Oswald, the Rabbit.

I remember liking some parts of Epic Mickey 2, but the game had some annoying flaws. The final boss fight was annoying because you had to wait for a small amount of time until the boss revealed its weak spot very briefly. If you miss your chance, the fight keeps going on. 

The other thing I hated about Epic Mickey 2 was its annoying jumping physics. For some reason, Mickey sucked at double jumping, and I remember falling off platforms quite constantly. Thankfully, it seems like things have improved with Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, which is a remake of the 2010 original.

The cool thing about remakes is that most of them have been built from scratch. This means the graphics have a huge overhaul, and many of the gameplay physics are improved as well. This is unlike remasters, which mostly just have minor graphical upgrades, but the gameplay is roughly the same. 

While I did not play the original Epic Mickey game, I had a look at YouTube videos of the Wii version, and it looks outdated by today's standards. The original Wii wasn't even HD-ready, and the colors looked washed out and faded.

Comparing the Wii version to Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed on Xbox Series X, you can see the huge differences between the two. The remake's cutscenes look immaculate because the animation looks like it has been ripped straight out of a Hollywood movie. While the in-game graphics aren't as impressive, they still look miles better than the original version of the game.

As for the game's story, Mickey himself causes the problem after his curiosity gets the best of him. This is because Mickey plays around with Yen Sid's (who is a wizard) model of Disneyland and spills paint all over it. The concoction creates a huge monster called The Blot, and the world is now considered a 'Wasteland'.

Mickey has to fix his own mistake because The Blot and many enemies have now taken over this fictional depiction of Disneyland. Not to mention, many of the environments have been 'erased', and Mickey has to restore them by literally painting them to their former glory.

What I like most about Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is the unique gameplay mechanics that make it stand out from other platform games. Mickey is armed with two types of paint that both serve different purposes. Firstly, he has blue paint that can restore objects and characters. Secondly, there's a green paint called 'thinner', and this erases objects and enemies too.

Mickey will have to use both types of paint to solve puzzles and/or utilize them to create jumping platforms. For example, a switch might be hidden behind a wall, and Mickey will have to use the thinner to gain access to it. 

In another scenario, Mickey may have to paint a bridge so that he can get to the other side. The gimmick works, and the developers have created scenarios to make sure it doesn't feel repetitive or boring.

Mickey can also use the different paints on enemies and bosses. Players can choose the green thinner to erase enemies from existence if they are feeling evil. For a more pacifist playthrough, players can paint some enemies with blue paint to make them become allies instead. These same options are also available during specific boss fights.

Aside from squirting paint, Mickey has other abilities as well. The developer added a new dodge mechanic that I feel is really helpful during boss fights. Mickey has a spin attack as well as a double jump. Players will use the latter ability a lot because there is a ton of platform jumping to be done in this game. 

There are also 2D-style mini-levels Mickey can traverse through to earn more money. Dying costs money, so you will want to stack up on currency when you can.

While Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is mostly fun for both old and new players, I noticed some flaws. For one thing, this remake doesn't have any full voiceovers much like the original game. It just sounds odd to hear Mickey and the other characters just grunt during cutscenes.

Personally, I also encountered a game-breaking bug during my playthrough of the game. I completed a puzzle where I had to rearrange some paintings on the wall, but the game wouldn't open the door for me to continue. Even restarting the game multiple times didn't fix the problem. Thankfully, my brother found a workaround and sought out an optional side character that opened the door for me.

If you are a fan of the original Epic Mickey game, you will love the multiple improvements that have been included in Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed. The new abilities are great, and the graphics look better than ever before. It's not as epic as Astrobot, but Disney fans will still love this game no matter what.

Verdict: 8.0/10