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Disney Epic Mickey |OT|
- Thread starter WillyFive
- Start date
Epic fake out in Epic Mickey. Just as I thought it was going to prematurely end, it doesn't 
But I do have one bug to bear with the game and no, it has nothing to do with minor obstacles like the camera or IR.
The game gives you quests to do, find this, go there, talk to him etc. Sounds good right? Well the game has this branching structure to the levels. Mean street is the hub world and then you go to say the Pirate world and then from there you get to other pirate locations like Skull island and Tortuga.
But then the game likes to shut off levels you've completed in story terms, so for instance I beat the boss in Tomorrow City and it closes off the level so I can't get back. But I still have parts of Daffy Duck to find in Tomorrow City and I can't go back. I can still get the parts, but only if I pay an extortionate amount in the shop - and even so, I want to find them myself.
It almost means that you have to get the most out of each area and do all the quests in said area before you face the boss and move on. And I hear from others that once you complete the game you can't go back into the game to polish off the quests either. I am headed back to Tomorrow City in a moment so I will see if I can polish off the quests there or if it's just a continuation of the Blot boss fight.
The other minor concern is that some characters give you multiple quests and once you do them you have to go back and talk to them. But say you have done quests A,B,C and D. You go to see a character and he will say "Whoa! Nice you have done quest A" and that is it.
Then you have to talk to him (initiate new conversations) three more times to get the payoff for B, C and D. It's more a minor annoyance than a big problem.
Still like the game a lot, so far I guess I would give it a 9.0, it just takes a long time to get going.
But I do have one bug to bear with the game and no, it has nothing to do with minor obstacles like the camera or IR.
The game gives you quests to do, find this, go there, talk to him etc. Sounds good right? Well the game has this branching structure to the levels. Mean street is the hub world and then you go to say the Pirate world and then from there you get to other pirate locations like Skull island and Tortuga.
But then the game likes to shut off levels you've completed in story terms, so for instance I beat the boss in Tomorrow City and it closes off the level so I can't get back. But I still have parts of Daffy Duck to find in Tomorrow City and I can't go back. I can still get the parts, but only if I pay an extortionate amount in the shop - and even so, I want to find them myself.
It almost means that you have to get the most out of each area and do all the quests in said area before you face the boss and move on. And I hear from others that once you complete the game you can't go back into the game to polish off the quests either. I am headed back to Tomorrow City in a moment so I will see if I can polish off the quests there or if it's just a continuation of the Blot boss fight.
The other minor concern is that some characters give you multiple quests and once you do them you have to go back and talk to them. But say you have done quests A,B,C and D. You go to see a character and he will say "Whoa! Nice you have done quest A" and that is it.
Then you have to talk to him (initiate new conversations) three more times to get the payoff for B, C and D. It's more a minor annoyance than a big problem.
Still like the game a lot, so far I guess I would give it a 9.0, it just takes a long time to get going.
AgentOtaku
Member
Played for about 30 minutes
sloooow
but the inspired bits are there.
About the camera:
People do know about tapping the dpad twice flips the camera quicker right?
Sorry to bring it up, but don't remeber it being mentioned and it feels better than constantly hitting the awkardly placed C-button
sloooow
but the inspired bits are there.
About the camera:
People do know about tapping the dpad twice flips the camera quicker right?
Sorry to bring it up, but don't remeber it being mentioned and it feels better than constantly hitting the awkardly placed C-button
Alright, I've played about an hour of the game and I'm at the part where you
Graphics: I think the graphics are great. I really dig the art style that they went with here. It has a Tim Burton-like quality I wasn't really expecting.
Sound: Really digging the music. There is some of it that sounds vintage Disney and other bits of it that sounds original. I'm enjoying most of it so far, but I'm really early to judge for sure.
One thing I'm really disappointed with is the lack of voice acting. It would have been awesome to hear Mickey Mouse actually voice his lines during the cutscenes! They are pretty damn cool and would have added a lot to it IMO, especially considering that the subtitles go pretty fast, guaranteeing that my 8 year old son might not be able to keep up with it. All you get is Rare like sounds that emote what they are feeling.
Gameplay: I can definitely see where the complaints about the camera are coming from. I'm honestly not having a REALLY hard time with the camera, but I really wish that they would have gone the route of Metroid Prime Trilogy and had the camera pan around as you aimed the reticule around the edges of the screen. I find myself doing this instinctially at times and it would have helped with aiming the camera up and down since it's a little on the uncomfortable side to reach and press those on the Wii Remote's D-pad (which acts like an analog stick). I don't think Wii games can get patched can they? If so, that should be the first feature they add.
With that complaint aside, I'm getting used to using the D-pad as an analog stick. Centering the camera also makes up for some of the issues of using it to turn the camera. I think those saying that it's as bad as the original Kingdom Hearts is really exaggerating. It hasn't reached those depths of frustration yet. More than anything, looking up and down is what becomes a bit of a chore as I'm getting accustomed to things.
Now that the camera woes are out of the way, I have to say that I really dig the gameplay thus far and I'm just scratching the surface. The jump mechanic feels good to me which is vital in an action/platformer and the Paint vs. Thinner mechanic is simple to use and fun. So far so good.
I also did one of the side scrolling levels and it was super simple, but fun. It helps to break up the pace of the game and it was really cool to see a 2D level themed after one of Mickey's cartoon shorts.
Overall, I'm having a lot of fun with it, but I'm way too early to say anything definitely one way or another. I can say though that the game is a lot of fun so far and I'm looking forward to playing more.
have to fix the tea cup ride.
Graphics: I think the graphics are great. I really dig the art style that they went with here. It has a Tim Burton-like quality I wasn't really expecting.
Sound: Really digging the music. There is some of it that sounds vintage Disney and other bits of it that sounds original. I'm enjoying most of it so far, but I'm really early to judge for sure.
One thing I'm really disappointed with is the lack of voice acting. It would have been awesome to hear Mickey Mouse actually voice his lines during the cutscenes! They are pretty damn cool and would have added a lot to it IMO, especially considering that the subtitles go pretty fast, guaranteeing that my 8 year old son might not be able to keep up with it. All you get is Rare like sounds that emote what they are feeling.
Gameplay: I can definitely see where the complaints about the camera are coming from. I'm honestly not having a REALLY hard time with the camera, but I really wish that they would have gone the route of Metroid Prime Trilogy and had the camera pan around as you aimed the reticule around the edges of the screen. I find myself doing this instinctially at times and it would have helped with aiming the camera up and down since it's a little on the uncomfortable side to reach and press those on the Wii Remote's D-pad (which acts like an analog stick). I don't think Wii games can get patched can they? If so, that should be the first feature they add.
With that complaint aside, I'm getting used to using the D-pad as an analog stick. Centering the camera also makes up for some of the issues of using it to turn the camera. I think those saying that it's as bad as the original Kingdom Hearts is really exaggerating. It hasn't reached those depths of frustration yet. More than anything, looking up and down is what becomes a bit of a chore as I'm getting accustomed to things.
Now that the camera woes are out of the way, I have to say that I really dig the gameplay thus far and I'm just scratching the surface. The jump mechanic feels good to me which is vital in an action/platformer and the Paint vs. Thinner mechanic is simple to use and fun. So far so good.
I also did one of the side scrolling levels and it was super simple, but fun. It helps to break up the pace of the game and it was really cool to see a 2D level themed after one of Mickey's cartoon shorts.
Overall, I'm having a lot of fun with it, but I'm way too early to say anything definitely one way or another. I can say though that the game is a lot of fun so far and I'm looking forward to playing more.
Let my brother and wife try it out, they played for 5 hours and are in love with the game.
Everyone agrees the camera can be shit but the Disney stuff is worth the patience.
They had not seen any of the previews or gameplay prior so that probably helps.
That was a complaint my brother had, my wife is used to that from Zelda and Mario so it did not bother her as much.
Everyone agrees the camera can be shit but the Disney stuff is worth the patience.
They had not seen any of the previews or gameplay prior so that probably helps.
JohngPR said:
That was a complaint my brother had, my wife is used to that from Zelda and Mario so it did not bother her as much.
TheDrowningMan
Member
I'm liking this more and more as I progress - the camera issue has been almost extinguished through familiarity now, although I have to concede that it shouldn't need the amount of user control it does.
It's full of great moments and some of the choices to be made are really forcing me to deliberate.
It's full of great moments and some of the choices to be made are really forcing me to deliberate.
AgentOtaku
Member
gamingeek said:
Absolutely
Hell, I've been playing Sonic Adventure on XBLA and even find that camera managable.
TheDrowningMan
Member
gamingeek said:
I agree with that. I can see that it's problematic, that better is expected nowadays, but I think it's a great shame some have seen it as reason enough to toss the game aside and not bother going any further (I've seen mention of it being hard to paint - well, surely you cannot be going into first person mode using the 1 button, then!). There's an excellent game in there, and you don't have to dig especially deep to find it.
TheDrowningMan said:
Also 4 reviews have said that there is no lock on for combat when there is. I just checked again, Joystiq, IGN, Metro, Eurogamer all said there was no lock on and complained about the camera in relation to the combat.
It's not mentioned in the manual from what I can see, but holding down C when near an enemy does indeed lock on. So any review that mentions this and says it is hard to use the camera in combat because you have to manipulate your character, the pointer and the camera at the same time is wrong.
magicalsoundshower
Member
I just did some snooping around in OsTown and I'm still really digging the game, gonna try the "double tap the dpad" trick the next time I get a chance to play. It just occured to me that I never even bothered reading the manual, I can't believe how lazy I've become.
I admit I was kind of lukewarm on what you could call the first level, though, but then again, this is a Warren Spector game.
I admit I was kind of lukewarm on what you could call the first level, though, but then again, this is a Warren Spector game.
Eteric Rice
Member
I'm liking it a lot so far. It's not terrifying like the concept art was, but it is grim. In some places it reminds me of Naxxramus in WoW.
One thing they need to polish out for the sequel is the controls. Mickey's collision with some objects is a little weird. The pointer is a little jumpy, and I know the Wii is capable of a smooth pointer, so they need to fix that. Camera also needs to be revamped, but it's not bad.
Also, I think they need to get someone better to work on the pure platforming elements. They should really consider teaming up with Nintendo's Galaxy, or Retro team, since Nintendo has that shit down pat.
I do like the paint mechanic, and painting mobs to make them help me. I do wish I could interact with the world more.
Also, gus, they need to get rid of gus faster.
This is early impressions, I'll post a full review in a few days.
One thing they need to polish out for the sequel is the controls. Mickey's collision with some objects is a little weird. The pointer is a little jumpy, and I know the Wii is capable of a smooth pointer, so they need to fix that. Camera also needs to be revamped, but it's not bad.
Also, I think they need to get someone better to work on the pure platforming elements. They should really consider teaming up with Nintendo's Galaxy, or Retro team, since Nintendo has that shit down pat.
I do like the paint mechanic, and painting mobs to make them help me. I do wish I could interact with the world more.
Also, gus, they need to get rid of gus faster.
This is early impressions, I'll post a full review in a few days.
Alright, so here's what I don't get. Twelve years ago, Nintendo had a button that both locked on and centered the camera in Ocarina of Time, and it worked just fine. So how is it that Epic Mickey tries to do the same thing with the C button but totally screws it up?
I'm enjoying the game aside from this little issue and the considerably larger issue of the camera, but I just don't understand how you mess something up when somebody else set the perfect example over a decade ago.
I'm enjoying the game aside from this little issue and the considerably larger issue of the camera, but I just don't understand how you mess something up when somebody else set the perfect example over a decade ago.
Fuck the lukewarm reception its getting here, this game is AWESOME
Seriously, so far i'm loving it more than i probably should. This game is overloading with charm and personality. Been playing non-stop since i got home from work and had to stop because of a massive headache i have right now :lol
If it doesnt suddenly go to shit after
there is NO WAY in hell this is a below 8.0 game as far as i'm concerned.
And i almost cancelled my pre-order because of this thread........
Seriously, so far i'm loving it more than i probably should. This game is overloading with charm and personality. Been playing non-stop since i got home from work and had to stop because of a massive headache i have right now :lol
If it doesnt suddenly go to shit after
Mean Street
And i almost cancelled my pre-order because of this thread........
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
I can't bring myself to play this anymore.
Luckily I have DK Returns (World 3), Kirby (Last World) and Sonic Colours (untouched) waiting for me.
Extremely disappointed. So many glaring issues, the most obvious of which are directly related to player movement and interaction with the world (god awful pointer, super-slow camera that can't be inverted on any axis, centre button that just doesn't work the majority of the time, a shake that doesn't work with anywhere near the precision of Galaxy or DK) and the most awful of which are related to the quest design (unbearably tedious, repetitive fetch quest design, annoying pause for a few seconds before the A button appears to interact and a fade to black before the character interacts with anything).
Mediocre in nearly every respect. The first hour or so had so much potential. I was one of the people singing this game's praises. Now, I'm done.
Luckily I have DK Returns (World 3), Kirby (Last World) and Sonic Colours (untouched) waiting for me.
Extremely disappointed. So many glaring issues, the most obvious of which are directly related to player movement and interaction with the world (god awful pointer, super-slow camera that can't be inverted on any axis, centre button that just doesn't work the majority of the time, a shake that doesn't work with anywhere near the precision of Galaxy or DK) and the most awful of which are related to the quest design (unbearably tedious, repetitive fetch quest design, annoying pause for a few seconds before the A button appears to interact and a fade to black before the character interacts with anything).
Mediocre in nearly every respect. The first hour or so had so much potential. I was one of the people singing this game's praises. Now, I'm done.
MYE said:Fuck the lukewarm reception its getting here, this game is AWESOME
Seriously, so far i'm loving it more than i probably should. This game is overloading with charm and personality. Been playing non-stop since i got home from work and had to stop because of a massive headache i have right now :lol
If it doesnt suddenly go to shit afterthere is NO WAY in hell this is a below 8.0 game as far as i'm concerned.Mean Street
And i almost cancelled my pre-order because of this thread........
Were you a big fan of Banjo Kazooie and Mario 64. Is the game anywhere near that quality? I still find both of those games to be incredibly fun. Are you having a lot of technical/control issues?
ItWasMeantToBe19
Banned
Rez said:
How is it even possible to screw up some of the most basic elements of gaming?
Zaraki_Kenpachi
Member
Can't wait to get the CE tomorrow.
apana said:
Its definitely more Banjo than Mario 64...but not really (if that makes any sense).
Still pretty early for me to say anything beyond what i said in that post. Loving it so far, will say my final thoughts when i finish it.
apana said:
The camera wont win any awards but either i'm a master at controlling poor cameras or people are overeacting. I never died or got frustrated because of it. Still, it can be a bit clunky at times, and sometimes it forces you to shoot paint a bit lower than intended when you're trying to paint/thin out floor sections. Hardly a game breaking issue when you can fix it by tilting the camera or moving a bit.
About the jumping and spin controls; i found EM's controls to be pretty damn easy to pull off so yeah, cant relate to the controls complaints either.
Mario Galaxy's are definitely better but the worlds are not structured like Galaxy at all so that kind of precision is really not needed here.
PowderedToast
Junior Member
i really got this vibe from all the post release footage, giant bomb's quick look in particular. i'm really disappointed, too. i know i haven't played it but i think it's fair to say i know i won't enjoy it very much.Rez said:
but it's not even the quality of the world interaction that had me worried most, the overall art design and heavy reliance on platforming tropes really surprised me. it's hard to see where's spector's touch is here, maybe i'm overrating him as a designer but i hope not. games aimed at children don't need constant expository cutscenes to explain gameplay like those in the GB video, just look at mario galaxy. if the level design is good enough then the player rarely needs to be interrupted, if ever. it just seems lazy to me.
this is junction point's and spector's first attempt at platforming so i didn't expect mario-like polish to the mechanics. what i did expect to see was a much more inspired approach to the design than i am currently seeing.
Rodney McKay
Member
I love the premise of this game but one thing bugs me to no end about it...
Mickey's eyeballs.
I know that it's a different style Mickey than the one I grew up with (black with a light skin tone face and TWO SEPARATE EYEBALLS), but god damn, it creeps me out to no end to see him in this game.
Maybe I would be more comfortable if they went even more old fashioned and gave him the triangular cuts in sides the retinas.
Mickey's eyeballs.
I know that it's a different style Mickey than the one I grew up with (black with a light skin tone face and TWO SEPARATE EYEBALLS), but god damn, it creeps me out to no end to see him in this game.
Maybe I would be more comfortable if they went even more old fashioned and gave him the triangular cuts in sides the retinas.
Gully State
Member
MYE said:
I just happened to watch this. He goes 5 min fawning about the game and about how profound his experience with the game was, but without the why (I understand he doesn't want to spoil it).
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
Hard to argue with these science and facts.Kandinsky said:
Eteric Rice
Member
I think he's trying to say that since doing something one way can have an effect, you're constantly thinking about how to do things.
Which is true, at least for me.
Which is true, at least for me.
speculawyer
Member
Reviews are a bit heartbreaking . . . sounds good but marred by weak controls and a shitty camera system.
I'll definitely be picking this up but not right away.
I'll definitely be picking this up but not right away.
Eteric Rice
Member
LevityNYC said:
Mine's nose was broke. But luckily I could stick it back in.
Unless the nose is supposed to be off. /shrugs.
Eteric Rice
Member
I think this is the first time I've actually ever seen GAF divided on a game like this. :O
Only about an hour in. The game's really quite beautiful.
Technically it's impressive, but it's the creepy as fuck yet somehow familiar (in a twisted sense) aesthetic that really gets the job done. Music's beautiful. And creepy. Heh.
Controls and camera are by no means ideal, especially for a platformer.
But I can overlook that so long as the relative adventuring, puzzle-solving, and collecting stays fresh and fun. Very engaging so far.
Technically it's impressive, but it's the creepy as fuck yet somehow familiar (in a twisted sense) aesthetic that really gets the job done. Music's beautiful. And creepy. Heh.
Controls and camera are by no means ideal, especially for a platformer.
But I can overlook that so long as the relative adventuring, puzzle-solving, and collecting stays fresh and fun. Very engaging so far.
joeyjoejoeshabadoo
Member
Got through the first world
and I just entered Ostown. I have to say as a Disneyland geek I'm totally enjoying the little details thrown in the game. For instance, in the Ice Cream parlor they have the green elephant statue. It's details like that, Steamboat Oswald playing at the cinema, and E-Tickets as the currency that really makes me appreciate the game.
I'm also in love with the music. The little touches of Disney themes
thrown in with the game score are really well done. It ties the game world and the real world together nicely.
The gameplay isn't without a little jank, however. The camera needs getting used to and the shake for a spin move isn't as responsive as other games that use the same mechanic. Overall I'd completely recommend it to Disney fans. There are some fantastic details that will please us. For others, I would say rent and see. It's a little janky gameplaywise and without the affection for the source material it could get old fast.
Small World stage
I'm also in love with the music. The little touches of Disney themes
Once Upon a Dream and It's a Small World in particular
The gameplay isn't without a little jank, however. The camera needs getting used to and the shake for a spin move isn't as responsive as other games that use the same mechanic. Overall I'd completely recommend it to Disney fans. There are some fantastic details that will please us. For others, I would say rent and see. It's a little janky gameplaywise and without the affection for the source material it could get old fast.
What is up with the pointer?
The cursor movement isn't smooth. Its the first thing I noticed even when selecting a new game. At first I thought my sensor bar was acting up, but its not. The cursor is just kinda stiff, if that makes any sense. If you played Mario Galaxy you saw how smooth it should be. Its just odd, but you get used to it.
I am still enjoying the game, but the cursor thing is just weird.
The cursor movement isn't smooth. Its the first thing I noticed even when selecting a new game. At first I thought my sensor bar was acting up, but its not. The cursor is just kinda stiff, if that makes any sense. If you played Mario Galaxy you saw how smooth it should be. Its just odd, but you get used to it.
I am still enjoying the game, but the cursor thing is just weird.
AgentOtaku
Member
LevityNYC said:
As someone else mentioned earlier, they didn't calibrate it to be smooth. Whether this was deliberate or technical, I don't know, but it completely undermines a bit of the visual punch/polish. It just looks sloppy as fuck and I hate when I have to use it honestly. Compound this with the fact it doesn't disappear when your IR is off the screen as I think it should like it many other pointer based titles. It just hangs uglily in the corner
magicalsoundshower
Member
Yeah, the jumpy pointer just doesn't feel very good at all. I can tolerate it, though, as the game doesn't seem to require you to be all that precise with it -- yet. Is this a common problem with "Gamebryo" games? According to one of the intro splash screens the game is based on the engine.
It's funny, the pointer really only bothers me on the menu screen. In practice, I haven't noticed it much and it hasn't been an issue. Obviously it'd have been better had it been as slick as Mario Galaxy 2's implementation, but yeah, it mostly only irks me when navigating menus.