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November 27, 2012

Failed Review – Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Filed under: Editorial Rants — Tags: , , , , , — Jamie Love @ 11:32 pm

Review Epic Mickey 2 The Power of Two
Given how much work goes into creating the elements that bring a videogame into existence, even releases that fall short of their goals tend to offer minor points of interest. I’ve often maintained that even the worst releases have good ideas seeded somewhere within their core – why else would people work so hard in the attempt to flesh them out?

But Disney is determined to prove me wrong, offering a disheartening view into the business side of game creation with the multiplatform release of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, a game that feels as if it were assembled by machines in a subterranean dome. And while that may sound like an extreme appraisal of a project that clearly had human hands involved in its creation, anyone involved that ever had a love for playing videogames was clearly discouraged from expressing said love here, I assure you.

Any logical sense that guides the creation process has been abandoned in the bizarre effort to race the original Wii release to the bottom while selling you on the idea that the exact opposite is the case.

There are a lot of more fanciful and poetic paths toward opening a discussion about the game, but the simple fact is that I can’t be bothered.

Life is too short to expend the effort on Epic Mickey 2.

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October 21, 2012

The House of Mouse

Disney Epic Mickey 2
It’s hard to believe Warren Spector hasn’t always worked with Disney.

Spector visited Toronto last week along with writer Marv Wolfman to discuss the upcoming sequel to 2010’s Disney Epic Mickey, taking a moment to show off his Disney themed socks before demonstrating his extensive knowledge of the company’s animation history.

From documents and sketches hidden away in the Disney vault to pointing out the three rare instances where Mickey Mouse appeared in releases with differently angled ears, there’s no doubt that Spector has the deepest of appreciation for the source material painstakingly analyzed by Junction Point in creating a game that balances the need to chart their own course for Mickey while still honoring the years of work that have made Mickey the icon that he is today.

As impressed as I often am by passion, labors are not forgiven for shortcomings because of the love poured into them. But while Epic Mickey 2 carries the weight of criticisms regarding the original release, it’s very easy to believe that Spector’s motivation remains fixed on the earnest attempt to create a game worthy of the respect he continually pays to the house of mouse. And while Spector isn’t shy about pointing out that the original Wii exclusive sold quite well despite the critical reception, he doesn’t shy away from addressing complaints about the camera system and choice driven narrative that this sequel needs to improve upon on the road to realizing the original vision.

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June 10, 2012

E3 2012 – Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two

Disney Epic Mickey 2 the power of two E3 2012
Sitting down to discuss a game with any publisher is going to involve bullet-points, often with the razor sharpened and deadly efficiency of marketing power working to drill said points into your skull. So when I say that meeting with Disney to discuss the sequel to Epic Mickey involved a long list of bullet-points, you’ll likely thank me for pointing out the obvious.

In the case of Epic Mickey 2, Disney’s bullet-points begin with hitting the obvious – the 2012 release of Epic Mickey on Wii was an awkward one, sailing onto the Internet sea to find itself quickly smashed against the rocks by disgruntled waves. This wasn’t the result of the game simply falling short of its ambition, but of control problems that made appreciating what was accomplished consistently difficult and frustrating.

So Disney wants you to know that Epic Mickey 2 works diligently to resolve the camera system that garnered so much criticism the first time out, and that the game has added depth to the impact of player choice and how decisions affect the unfolding play of the game along the way. Disney also wants you to know that when you change something within the game, it remains the way you left it when you return – so no more painting the same house twenty times.

When these points have been hit, Disney wants you to know that Epic Mickey 2 is all about the power of two, encouraging players to tackle the game together as Oswald and Mickey.

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