Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed Review – A Superb Remake With Just a Few Smudges

Out of all the platformers we’ve seen throughout the decades, a few stand out as staples of the genre. You have your Crash Bandicoot, Mario Bros., Spyro the Dragon, etc. However, there are others you might hear about through the grapevine that are equally good. One of those is the Epic Mickey series, which brought innovative gameplay mechanics, top-notch level design, and a lot of player agency to choose how to complete most of the quests in the game. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, the 2010 classic, is a faithful and stunning remake that brings everything we loved from the original but overhauls it to attract new players and veterans alike.

As someone who’s into animation, I’ve always loved the early works of Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney. Yet, some of them have gotten lost through the ages or replaced by other modern characters. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a love letter to the ones who began the giant of a company that Disney is now. Still, you don’t require knowledge of this field or even recognition of some of these characters. After all, Mickey, Oswald, and all the inhabitants of the Wasteland are as timeless as the magic behind these cartoons.

Gone But Not Forgotten

In this day and age, we’re used to seeing Mickey as the heroic goodie-two-shoes protagonist—a mouse with such an iconic and noble persona that it is difficult to imagine him doing something wrong. I love Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed because it offers a fresh take on Mickey Mouse and shows him as a flawed character whose curiosity causes all sorts of shenanigans.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed paints the picture (no pun intended) of a careless Mickey Mouse who causes a calamity in a theme park model called the Wasteland, where old and forgotten Disney characters live. After accidentally creating a monster and flooding the Wasteland with paint and thinner, Mickey forgets about the incident and goes on with his life as he becomes the famous icon we know. Yet, the forgotten do not forget, and one faithful day Mickey gets sucked into the Wasteland, where the Mad Doctor wants to steal his heart. With the help of the Gremlins, Mickey escapes and starts a journey to rescue this dilapidated place and earn the trust of its inhabitants.

That’s as far as I’ll go in describing the story, but what I can say is how impactful and original it is. Mickey notices all the damage he did when he arrives inside the Wasteland. Every building is destroyed, and characters lose their possessions. Also, Oswald the Rabbit, the cartoon character before the mouse, resents Mickey. After all, Oswald disappeared for years because Mickey stole the spotlight, and that’s a topic the game touches upon.

Furthermore, we see a doubtful and scared Mickey as we progress through the game. We can see Mickey’s guilt surface when people explain how the calamity ruined their lives. Heck, Oswald doesn’t make things easier. The rabbit has re-created many of Mickey’s things inside the Wasteland because he feels that’s the life he deserves. On a surface level, it is just a normal story of a hero versus a bad guy. But if you dig deeper, you’ll encounter a terrific plot with a strong message of owning up to one’s mistake.

To Paint or Not to Paint

Another thing that takes Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed beyond a normal platformer is its gameplay. In general terms, you have the usual gimmicks. You can double jump, slam the ground, and use your brush to restore the Wasteland or erase parts of it. Also, these mechanics translate to your encounters with enemies. You can paint them and make them become your allies or apply thinner to eliminate them permanently. Overall, it is a simple gameplay design, but the shocker relies on how your actions affect the story.

For example, during a certain boss fight, you can use your paint to turn the foe into an ally. Another example lies in specific quests. There’s a moment outside the Gag Factory in OsTown where you can drop a safe on someone’s head or do a longer quest to make that NPC move away from harm. The same applies to certain items you find. During one level, I found a climbing axe that an NPC needed but got the option to use it to open a gate, thus breaking the axe and preventing me from completing the missions.

Beyond the replayability factor, the best thing about these choices is how they shape Mickey as a character. Does he want to restore everything or just delete what’s broken for the sake of it? It’s all up to you. Ultimately, you’ll be able to watch the impact Mickey has caused in the Wasteland as you progress. Unlike other platformers where replayability lies in increased difficulty, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed ingrains its narrative into every gameplay aspect. This creates a terrific journey that will make you think twice about every action you perform.

A Wasteland Reborn

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed features stunning visuals and a welcome graphical overhaul without compromising the looks of its vintage characters. On the contrary, it enhances everything. When most of us saw the Wasteland for the first time, we couldn’t help but feel its eerieness as we progressed through it. However, the visuals are so great that they improve the immersion and even give you that feeling of loneliness and despair its inhabitants live with.

Yet, the improvements aren’t exclusive to the visuals. Beyond what I’ve already described regarding its gameplay, this installment has many QoL features. Combat is much more fluid. Since the original launched on the Wii, controls were a bit clunky. Fortunately, combat has never been smoother, and aiming your brush at enemies is extremely easy and satisfying. In terms of movement, Mickey can finally run, making traversing levels much faster.

Also, something fans will love is that the 2.5D sections are proper platforming levels. As someone who fell in love with Steamboat Willie, playing this level while scouring for secrets, currency, and collectibles felt fantastic. It doesn’t stop with one of Mickey’s most famous animated shorts. You can dive into Mickey and Beanstalk, Clock Cleaners, Alpine Climbers, and more. Even if you’re not an animation fan like yours truly, you’ll have a blast jumping across these levels, which look even better this time around.

Lastly, I must admit that I faced a few bumps on this animated road. Since I played Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed on an Xbox Series S, I can tell you the performance is choppy. I rarely hit 60 FPS. The only times I had a consistent framerate was during the 2.5D sections or in enclosed spaces, like inside houses. Also, I experienced a few bugs with certain enemies. They often got stuck and stopped attacking, which wasn’t too bad, but it was definitely noticeable. Since we’re looking at a multi-platform release, I worry about how other consoles might handle this remake.

A Love Letter to the Ones We Left Behind

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed and its original version are hidden gems among the sea of platforming games. It is truly one of those games I can’t forget and stick around despite how many others I play. Yes, it isn’t too difficult, and the gameplay might get old after a while—but it has heart. The strong message it conveys and the take on Mickey Mouse is one of a kind. Plus, looking at characters like Oswald, who was as crucial as Mickey in the past, is always a treat.

While I feel the game still needs a bit of polish, it is one of the best platforming you can experience. Also, under a modern light, I’m happy to see more people will get to dive into this world and meet old characters. Regardless of the type of gamer you are, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is an endearing journey full of interesting choices and that sprinkle of magic that makes these characters so iconic.

Review copy provided by Publisher.