There’s something… well… magical about 2010’s Wii-exclusive Epic Mickey getting a remake in 2024. As those who played the original know, the game itself is a journey through the forgotten Disney characters and attractions known as Wasteland. After playing the Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed demo at D23, I’m more certain than ever that this epic remake won’t, thankfully, be lost to the merciless hands of time like some of its predecessors unfortunately have.
What impressed me most about Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is how much it looks and, perhaps most importantly, feels like a game from 2024. In our original Epic Mickey review, we gave it an 8/10 and said that this “great” game was held back by a camera and control system that were “flawed to the point that the larger experience was ruined.” None of these issues were present in what I played of the remake, and it was an absolute joy to play. Oh, and the polished 60FPS performance didn’t hurt its cause either.
Mickey Mouse himself has also improved in the 14 years since he first entered the Wasteland, as he can now sprint, dash, and slam into the ground in a lovely but dim world that feels a lot like a twisted version of Disneyland. These modern additions to the journey bring Mickey’s brush skills and dance moves in a way that is as lovely as the best nighttime shows at the Disney parks.
I simply had a huge smile on my face jumping around the opening level of Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed and didn’t have to deal with the frustrating movements and camera controls of the Wii version, so I could paint and shade with ease and feel much more agile. The best remakes make changes that seem almost absurd to think were never there, and this one fits that description.
A remake in every sense of the word
As for the visuals in Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, that’s another highlight, largely due to developer Purple Lamp’s decision to not only rebuild the entire game from original assets to make it playable from start to finish, but also to remake every asset from the ground up and do it all over again. That sacrifice seems to have been worth it, as the Wasteland is now a place I’d like to explore forever.
From the inky black, paint-like smudges that float across Mickey Mouse’s body as he runs and jumps, to the colors and sharpness of the alternating flying elephants and teacups, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed takes place in a world where I can simply watch and listen to a subtle and unsettling rendition of “Once Upon a Dream” and still feel like I’ve had a worthwhile gaming session.
The side-scrolling, 2D projector scenes that transport Mickey from one level to the next also look much better, and in one of the modern additions to Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, you can go back and replay them as much as you want in the game’s Main Street Cinema. That means you can play levels based on such classic Mickey Mouse cartoons as Steamboat Willie, Mickey and the Beanstalk, and many more, as much as you want.
Now, there’s not much modern in Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, as it’s a very faithful remake, but fans can expect three times as many collectibles to find, from pins to film reels, artwork, and more. The team also told me there will be a few modern puzzles to solve, but that’s pretty much it.
So if you didn’t love the story, the painting gameplay, or the first interaction between Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, these contemporary improvements may not be enough to win you over. However, if, like me, you saw something in the original that was held back from greatness on the Wii – or you never owned a Wii and just love Disney and Mickey Mouse – this is one adventure you should look out for.
I’ll be very curious to see how the rest of the game plays out, as I’ve only managed to play this initial level. But what I’ve experienced has left such a gigantic impression on me that waiting until September 24th becomes that much harder.
Finally, I wanted to share a few words from my conversation with game design legend Warren Spector, inventive director of the original and a consultant on Rebrushed, who sums up why Epic Mickey is one of the games he’s “most proud of.” High praise from the creator of Deus Ex and System Shock.
“What I love about this game is that it touches people emotionally,” Spector said. “I wanted to make a game for families that parents and kids could play together, that kids could teach their parents how to play, because that’s how it would work, not the other way around.
“Also, one of the hallmarks of Disney is that things last. They have lasting value. How many movies from 1937 do people still watch today that weren’t made by Walt Disney? So the idea that a game had that kind of impact and longevity is really special. But the most important thing, the most important thing, is when people come up to me, like I did at D23, and they say, ‘I played this game as a kid, and now I can play it with my kid.’ It brings tears to my eyes. It just shows you the real power and potential of games to do more than I think most of us realize.”
