Disney's Mascot Looking To Repeat Its "Epic" Gaming Adventure
When we last left the beloved Disney mascot in Epic Mickey, peace was restored in the Wastelands, and Mickey had returned home, leaving the brush behind. Now it seems that destruction has returned, and the Mouse is needed again to save the Wastelands. This time, you will have a little bit more help in the form of a familiar rabbit.
In Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, one or two players can take control of Mickey and Oswald, as they take on the dark world yet again. Like before Mickey can use the magic brush to either create or destroy the worlds around him, while Oswald can use a magic remote to tackle monsters along the way. The players can also use double-team maneuvers, such as throwing each other up into the air to each higher areas and a helicopter maneuver that Oswald can use while Mickey grabs hold of his legs.
In the E3 demo I started things off by jumping through my TV after hearing Gus's cries of help, landing in Yen Sid's lair and grabbing the magic brush. I then returned to Mickey's house, where I discovered a secret room hidden behind Mickey's living room. I soon found myself jumping through one of the magic screens, leading me to one of the side-scrolling levels.
It is in the side-scrolling level where I am reunited with Oswald (voiced by Frank Welker), where he and I discover our new techniques. After reaching the end of the level, we found ourselves in a boss battle against a cog-filled dragon. In order to defeat it, we first had to suck the paint off its body while defending ourselves against his fiery breath and minions. Soon after we had to take out his buzz-saw-styled tail while avoiding its smash 'n' slice maneuvers. Finally, after a set of stairs were revealed, we found ourselves eliminating three pillars to cause the ceiling to topple on top of the dragon.
For my experience I gave Epic Mickey 2 a try on the Xbox 360, which was a bit of a hassle at first seeing as I was used to playing it on the Wii. Here the right stick is used to aim the paint or thinner, with its camera system automatically focusing on the action needed to be seen. It took some getting used to, but once I had the handle of it the gameplay got a lot easier.
As it's being released on all the consoles, the graphics have been given a massive overhaul. It's still wonderfully dark, a much needed contrast to the colorful world of Disney. Also new to the game is the addition of voice-acting and CGI cutscenes, a welcoming change compared to the weird Flash animation and adult Peanuts speak from before.
Fans of Disney will be happy when this game drops on all three systems on November 18. Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is so far looking to keep to the true spirit of its predecessor. The magic is still intact from what I've seen, so there is plenty of reason to get your Mickey Mouse Club membership renewed.
