Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed Review
Image Credit: Disney
We’re a little late to this one but wanted to write a review anyway!
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a reimagined version of the 2010 classic, Disney Epic Mickey, and it brings a fresh coat of paint to a beloved concept while retaining much of what made the original game special. If you're a fan of Disney's history and love games with artistic and narrative ambition, this revamped edition should 100% be on your radar. However, it still faces challenges in modernizing some gameplay elements that feel a bit outdated.
The story of Epic Mickey: Rebrushed remains largely the same, following Mickey Mouse as he's transported to the Wasteland, a twisted version of Disneyland filled with forgotten and abandoned Disney characters and attractions. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s original cartoon star, plays a central role as Mickey's estranged sibling, offering a compelling sibling rivalry. The plot revolves around Mickey trying to fix the world he inadvertently ruined with his magic paintbrush while coming to terms with the consequences of his actions.
The Wasteland itself is one of the highlights of the game. Each location feels like a deep dive into Disney history, packed with references to classic films, cartoons, and theme park rides. For die-hard Disney fans, it's a treasure trove of Easter eggs, and for those that may be new to Disney lore it is still an absolute blast. Rebrushed does a fantastic job enhancing the environments with more detailed textures and lighting, making this dark, alternate Disney world feel more immersive than ever before.
At the core of Rebrushed's gameplay is Mickey’s paintbrush, which can either paint or erase parts of the environment and enemies. This mechanic leads to some intriguing puzzles and choices: do you restore the world with paint or destroy it with thinner? These decisions impact the story and character relationships, giving the game some replay value.
However, the gameplay, while innovative for its time, hasn’t aged as gracefully as one might hope. The camera, one of the original game’s major issues, is slightly better in Rebrushed, but still prone to frustrating moments where it swings too wide or gets stuck behind objects. The platforming, too, feels a bit clunky compared to more recent games in the genre.
Image Credit: Disney
Where Rebrushed truly shines, as with most things Disney, is in its art direction. The new graphics give the Wasteland a vibrant but also eerie quality, with updated models and animations bringing forgotten characters and environments to life in a way that feels modern while also somehow nostalgic. The color contrast between using paint and thinner is more pronounced than in the past, making your moral decisions even more visually impactful.
The soundtrack by Jim Dooley is hauntingly beautiful, capturing the whimsical atmosphere of a world filled with discarded dreams. [No Spoilers] Oswald’s theme, in particular, hits hard emotionally, especially for fans aware of the character's real-world history as Disney's lost creation.
Mickey’s evolution throughout the game is tied to player actions. As you decide whether to rebuild or destroy, you’ll notice that characters react differently to Mickey depending on your choices. Rebrushed does a good job of fleshing out Oswald, making him more than just a jealous sibling. His motivations are more underlying, especially as he sees Mickey not just as a rival but as someone who took everything he ever had. This rivalry is the emotional core of the game and works well in Rebrushed's updated presentation.
For fans of the original, Rebrushed adds several quality-of-life improvements. Beyond the graphical updates, the game also includes new side quests, more detailed moral decision-making systems, and a refined interface for Mickey’s abilities. There’s also a new section in the Wasteland that explores even more obscure Disney properties, which feels like a real treat for hardcore fans.
One of the biggest new features is the improved AI for Oswald, especially during co-op segments. He’s more helpful this time around, responding more fluidly to Mickey’s commands, making co-op mode far less frustrating. While there’s still no online multiplayer option, local co-op feels smoother than before.
Image Credit: Disney
Though Rebrushed improves in many areas, it doesn’t entirely solve the problems of the original. The camera is still clunky, and some of the platforming feels imprecise, leading to moments of frustration during more challenging sections. Additionally, while the moral choice system is engaging, it can sometimes feel a bit binary, lacking the complexity of more modern moral decision-making systems seen in other adventure games.
The pacing also remains an issue in some areas. Certain sections of the game can feel repetitive, especially if you’re going for a 100% completion run. Side quests often boil down to fetch quests which can disrupt the flow of the main story.
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a love letter to Disney fans who have an appreciation for the company's long-forgotten history. It has enough new features and improvements to appeal to returning players, but it doesn’t fully overcome the technical flaws of its predecessor. The game’s improved visuals are standout elements, but some frustrating gameplay mechanics hold it back from being something we can call great.
If you can overlook the occasional clunky controls, which admittedly was difficult, at least for me, then Rebrushed offers a rich experience and invites you to rethink what you know about Disney’s beloved characters.
