So, what is probably going to be the biggest third party game released for the Wii ever is just about a month away from release, and as we get to know more and more about it, it becomes clear that the game might be poised to become the best game this year. And why not? After all, what else could you expect from a designer as legendary as Spector?
IGN has been exhaustively covering Epic Mickey. Here's some stuff that I thought I should share with you guys:
It might sound counterintuitive, but Disney Interactive'sEpic Mickeyis poised to be one emotional, engrossing affair. This evening, at the 2010 New York Comic-Con,Warren Spectorhosted a packed room and discussed some of the finer points of his – no pun intended – epic game due out November 30.
No doubt you've seen segments ofEpic's lengthy intro video, which reveals that Mickey happens upon a foreign world and accidentally unleashes a creature known as the Phantom Blot. The Blot, after quite a bit of time elapses, overpowers the Wasteland that contained it, and drags Mickey down to the depths of a corrupted, destroyed world full of the forgotten and abandoned Disney characters.It's here that players will meetOswald the Rabbit, a character that hasn't been seen on a screen since 1928. What's most fascinating here is that Oswald truly was forgotten in the history of animation – he is the "original" Mickey, predating his mouse counterpart by many years, relinquished by Walt Disney after a bitter financial dispute with Universal Studios. Those problems lead to Disney losing the rights to his beloved, successful and silent character. Disney then set about starting from scratch, and along came the mascot we all know.
Spector is taking this genuine history and running with it. In the world ofEpic Mickey, Oswald is the forgotten older brother of Mickey, who has been left in the Wasteland while his sibling takes all of the attention, accolades and love. As Oswald fades from memory, Mickey rises to become known the world over, one of the most recognized fictional entities of all time. Worse yet, Mickey has no idea of his tragic past, one that he will become aware of as the game progresses.As if the sad story couldn't get any worse, it turns out Oswald is aware of his brother's success, through means that Spector wouldn't elaborate on. Mickey's adventures and friends are the stuff of legend – and envy – for the forgotten rabbit. These depressing thoughts make such an impression on Oswald that he seeks to find some happiness of his own, attempting to (futilely) replicate Mickey's friends for himself as robots. Players will run across some of these warped creations throughout their journey, which Spector says took him about 25 hours to complete his first time through. The legendary game creator noted skilled players would likely finish in closer to 15 hours, but that multiple (three, to be specific) completions would be needed for those that want to collect everything.
The relationship between Mickey and Oswald definesEpic Mickey, and it's this core that propels our hero along his journey to save Wasteland and redeem his sins of ignorance. The game is Spector's love letter to fans of the old school Disney productions, ranging from Oswald's silent animated shorts all the way throughThe Jungle Book, the last production Walt Disney worked on before his death. The true Disney fans will be in for a treat, as the game features all manners of hidden items, ranging from the obvious – e-Tickets as the world's method of currency – to the more obscure – via Hidden Mickeys tucked throughout the corners of Wasteland's various replications of Disneyland.
Of course, no Warren Spector game would truly be complete without the concept of choice, forcing players to commit to actions which affect how their experience unfolds. Spector noted that there were definitely instances of "local change," where consequences would be immediate, as well as "global change" where actions could accumulate into significantly altering entire locales. Spector said the game does track a significant amount of data throughout its lifespan, which no doubt plays out in a variety of ways. The designer wouldn't really discuss how this might affect the ending, but did note the conclusion was indeed massive.The Wasteland
One thing was made clear by Spector toward the end of the panel – this is his game, and Disney has given him the kind of control he requires. A while back, rumors hit the Internet claiming that Spector had bowed to the pressures of focus testing, changing the designs of Mickey and eliminating the visual alterations to the character that would occur if a player was consistently making antagonistic or "evil" choices. Spector emphatically denied this, saying he would "never change" something because of focus testing. The designer said one of his employees pitched a way to better indicate a player's positon on the "moral spectrum" and the idea was so strong they redid the entire visual element.
No panel could pass without questions about the future. DespiteEpic Mickeybeing almost two months away, fans were still curious what Spector might do next. Does he have ideas for a sequel? The notion almost seemed to amuse Spector, who said there was no shortage of ideas, including the possibility of exploring Disney lore beyondJungle Book. Spector also once again noted he'd love to work on a new installment ofDucktales, which was met with overwhelming support from the crowd.
Stay tuned to IGN for more onEpic Mickey. In just weeks we will witness the sad and forgotten past ofMickey Mouse, and see if he'll be able to save the world – and his relationship with his older brother.IGN
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This is the Spector touch that is shining through again, and it could truly make or break this game.
What do you guys think? How good will Epic Mickey be?
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