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Epic Mickey 2 and Epic Mickey: The Power Of Illusion (3DS) Review Thread

N

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
Time to find out how try number two went for Disney.

Epic Mickey 2:

OXM: 7
Gamereactor.se: 7
1UP: C-
Gametrailers: 6.7
Spazio Games: 6
IGN: 6
Game Informer: 5.8
GameSpot: 5/10
EDGE: 5/10
Destructoid: 2/10


Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion

GamesBeat: 88
NWR: 7.5
GameTrailers: 7
1UP: C
Game Informer: 5/10


Excerpts Epic Mickey 2:

IGN said:
Ultimately, there is a feeling here of missed opportunity. Junction Point Studios tried hard to revolutionize the wheel, but Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two leaves you wishing the developer had refined the mechanics of the original before embarking on its more intrepid endeavors. The game still delivers on the charm and occasionally hits some truly inspired highs, but fundamental issues hold it back from ever getting within sight of its goals.

If you’re a Disney fan, there’s still much joy to be gleaned out of Epic Mickey 2, but those expecting anything outside of its nostalgic heart should, sadly, look elsewhere.
Click to expand...

1UP said:
I have no doubt that the potential is here for a good game. Warren Spector's pedigree shows that he's capable of producing wildly creative interactive experiences that push our medium forward. But while the much-touted morality question of paint or thinner is interesting in theory, it fails to integrate itself into the game past a superficial level. Same for the musical interludes that occasionally appear throughout the story -- had the entire narrative been told via these well-produced song and dance numbers, Epic Mickey 2 could've been a fresh voice in a stale genre. But until the series is able to embrace these risks and present a functional 3D world with controls that allow you to accurately express yourself, then these forgotten toons are destined to remain in obscurity.
Click to expand...

GameSpot said:
The Power of Two falters in all of the most important places, destroying its enormous potential. The musical story and reverential adaptation of classic Disney do an outstanding job of investing you in Mickey's struggles, but the act of playing continually destroys that sense of wonder. It's disappointing that so many of the same problems that haunted the original Epic Mickey are present in the sequel. It's simply not worth suffering through hours of punishing game design to discover the occasional moments of nostalgic joy. Sadly, The Power of Two is another failed attempt at revitalizing Mickey's career.
Click to expand...


Excerpts Power Of Illusion:

1UP said:
Mickey's 3DS outing doesn't live up to its 16-bit inspiration.

Past Mickey Mouse: "What you've done to this game is exactly the point! You got the anti-midas touch, future me. Everything you touch turns to bland. Here we have a game by the folks hwo made Henry Hatsworth, a challenging and inventive game. But they add you and all of a sudden it turns into this dull slog."
Click to expand...

Game Informer said:
I don’t know whom this game is for. Casual players will probably never make it to the end due to spike-covered later levels and cheap enemies. Hardcore players will be surprised how fast they’ll finish if they can power through (my game clock read 95:13 after the credits rolled).

You could always go back to collect missed Disney characters and items, but what’s the point? Every conversation with these chumps goes the same way. “I was walking through the forest/castle/etc. and I somehow ended up here,” the character says. “Well, golly,” Mickey replies. “We’ve got a fort you can stay safe in.” “Sounds good,” the character says before dematerializing, which seems like they could have done it at any time. I wish I could warp back to the time when Power of Illusion was full of mysterious promise.
Click to expand...

GamesBeat said:
OK, so I wanted more, but I really don’t have any complaints with what I played. Power of Illusion is a delightful, engaging, and clever tribute to one of Mickey’s greatest games. In many ways, it surpasses the original Castle of Illusion. In fact, this is the best title starring Mickey in years.

Ah, the hell with that. This is one the best 2D platformers I’ve played in a long time. Yes, that includes any with the word “Mario” in the title.
Click to expand...
 
R

Ridley327

Member
The console game always looked like more of the same old shit that the first was, but it's heartbreaking to see DreamRift fuck up such a golden opportunity with the 3DS game. The demo was just soul-crushing.
 
R

RealDeadOne

Member
Wow, what a disappointment. I so wanted to like Epic Mickey, but it was too flawed. I was hoping maybe they could turn the franchise around, if not with the main game at least with the 3DS game.
 
R

Ridley327

Member
Mpl90 said:
NWR review for Power of Illusion - 7.5

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/32515

The game seems to be 5 hours long if you just do the levels; 10 hours if you dedicate yourself to the Fortress.
Click to expand...

If the Fortress stuff is exactly like the stuff that's hinted at in the demo, then no one sane will want to dedicate any part of themselves to it.

"Hey Mickey, find IMPORTANT OBJECT RELATED TO THE THING THE CHARACTER WAS IN for me, and you'll get LARGELY USELESS STAT UPGRADE!"
 
M

metalslimer

Member
Looks like a huge fuckup on every level. Looks like the 60０ people developed games are not looking so good. (RE6, EM2, AC3). ANd you know this game is going to sell like shit or definitely not as good as the first, so goodbye Junction Point.
 
S

Saint Gregory

Member
The PoI demo really told me everything I needed to know but it's still sad to see the reviews confirm it.

I wonder what went wrong? It doesn't seem like making a spiritual successor to CoI should have been that difficult.
 
R

Ridley327

Member
Vaati said:
Both games are getting way higher scores than they deserve.
Click to expand...

The 3DS game at least deserves a lot of points for how lovely it looks; if for nothing else, DreamRift knocked all the visual details out of the park.

But they managed to commit first-year DS design problems with the ludicrous frequency of the touchscreen puzzles, and that's bad because the DS's first year began 8 years ago.
 
B

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
Tried both demos and disliked each. I never played the first game, but I have zero interest in the sequels based on their vertical slices presented.
 
K

Kandinsky

Member
Meh, they didnt like the first either and it ended up being one of my favorite games this generation. I guess n64 type of platforms are my thing haha.
 
T

thecouncil

Banned
Saint Gregory said:
The PoI demo really told me everything I needed to know but it's still sad to see the reviews confirm it.

I wonder what went wrong? It doesn't seem like making a spiritual successor to CoI should have been that difficult.
Click to expand...

Maybe they made it close to the real thing? I played Castle of Illusion for the first time this past summer. It's just as bad as that demo I played yesterday so I don't see the problem.
 
R

Ridley327

Member
thecouncil said:
Maybe they made it close to the real thing? I played Castle of Illusion for the first time this past summer. It's just as bad as that demo I played yesterday so I don't see the problem.
Click to expand...

I certainly don't recall having to pull out my stylus every 10 feet just to draw a stupid-ass block on the Genesis.
 
S

SmithnCo

Member
There really is a lot more in the "forgotten disneyland" idea than they seem to be striving for. It's sad, because it's a wonderful concept.

I'll probably get the console version, but only when it's quite cheap. Keeping my eye on that Disney Skylanders thing though to see if that turns out well.
 
G

Gomu Gomu

Member
How do these games end up being mediocre? Every time I watch or listen to Warren Spector talks about the game, he seemed super excited and passionate about it. How can the games not live up to his level of enthusiasm?
 
C

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
Gomu Gomu said:
How do these games end up being mediocre? Every time I watch or listen to Warren Spector talks about the game, he seemed super excited and passionate about it. How can the games not live up to his level of enthusiasm?
Click to expand...


maybe he's excited and passionate about the wrong things
 
D

Downhome

Member
I was so excited for these, especially the 3DS version. I knew the reviews would be awful though. I HATED the demo, just hated it. One of the worst type of gameplay mechanics I've ever seen. I don't know how anyone could enjoy it with having to totally stop what you are doing every other screen just to outline or fully color in (erase) images. So freakin' stupid.

It wouldn't be hard to make a new Mickey game, REALLY! This isn't rocket science, stop trying to complicate it so much developers, seriously.
 
J

JohngPR

Member
Passion doesn't always translate to technical prowess unfortunately. I think if Spector had a more experienced team, he could make a much better Mickey game.

I'm largely disappointed with the low scores for Epic Mickey 2: Power of Two. I'm still going to try to pick it up for 25 bucks on Amazon during Black Friday though.
 
S

SpacePirate Ridley

Member
Currygan said:
maybe he's excited and passionate about the wrong things
Click to expand...

What wrong things? Because we know that Warren is a huge nerd of Disneyland (so am I) and even if passionate he also failed in the most basic things of how to do a forgotten disneyland como to life.
The music of Jim Dooley shitting in the wrok of the Sherman Brother and X Atencio doesnt help either.

So yeah, we have seen videos were they (or may I say it only seems Warren Spector), seem passionate of mnaking the game, but they failed with nearly everything.
The only thing this games make right is showing Oswald as the great character he is, but now that we have Oswald things (like the Oswald Gas Station at Buenavista Street in DCA) in the real parks, seems that the game are not really needed anymore to make oswald important again.
 
R

Ridley327

Member
SpacePirate Ridley said:
What wrong things? Because we know that Warren is a huge nerd of Disneyland (so am I) and even if passionate he also failed in the most basic things of how to do a forgotten disneyland como to live.
The music of Jim Dooley shitting in the wrok of the Sherman Brother and X Atencio doesnt work either.

So yeah, we have seen videos were they (or may I say it only seems Warren Spector), seem passionate of mnaking the game, but they failed with nearly everything.
The only thing this games make right is showing Oswald as the great character he is, but now that we have Oswald things (like the Oswald Gas Station at Buenavista Street in DCA) in the real parks, seems that the game are not really needed anymore to make oswald important again.
Click to expand...

Perhaps it's not so much that he's passionate about the wrong things as much as he's not passionate enough about the right things. No one can deny Spector's genuine love for the lost world of Mickey Mouse and Disney's past, but Deus Ex never convinced me that he was a great choice for a mascot platformer, and it looks like he's proven that twice now.
 
W

Wasp

Member
Despite the reviews I still think I will ask for Epic Mickey 2 for Christmas. Although it'll be played exclusively in co-op. Should make a nice Christmas Day game along with Sonic Transformed and LBP Karting.

I tried the demo and I thought it was pretty good. You can't be too fussy with platform games these days as they're practically extinct.
 
C

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
SpacePirate Ridley said:
What wrong things? Because we know that Warren is a huge nerd of Disneyland (so am I) and even if passionate he also failed in the most basic things of how to do a forgotten disneyland como to life.
The music of Jim Dooley shitting in the wrok of the Sherman Brother and X Atencio doesnt help either.

So yeah, we have seen videos were they (or may I say it only seems Warren Spector), seem passionate of mnaking the game, but they failed with nearly everything.
The only thing this games make right is showing Oswald as the great character he is, but now that we have Oswald things (like the Oswald Gas Station at Buenavista Street in DCA) in the real parks, seems that the game are not really needed anymore to make oswald important again.
Click to expand...


he's clearly a Disney enthusiast, but perhaps he failed to put the same passion -or communicate it to his team - in what actually consitutes a good videogame
 
C

Corto

Member
Those early (pre-first game) concept art sketches promised so much... :(

These ones:

2hi022s.jpg


epicmickey072904.jpg


epicmickey072903.jpg


Can't help to laugh remembering the slaughter that was that Epic Mickey thread filled with port begging.
 
S

SykoTech

Member
Unfortunately unsurprising, given the crappy Wii game and everything about the sequel looking like more of the same but with co-op.

Such a waste of a great concept.
 
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