New Epic Mickey Information Revealed

Epic Mickey. For a long time we’ve known only a few things about the game: it’s in development by Junction Point and Disney Interactive Studios, being directed by Warren Spector, and it’s geared towards a mature audience. Yesterday we told you that it may in fact be a single-player Wii game due in autumn of 2010, and the Wii exclusivity has been officially confirmed. Well, now we’ve got some more details on the game so without bothering to banter on, I’ll jump right into the thick of the new information. Enjoy!

The story  of Epic Mickey will be based around the “forgotten” Disney characters — characters who have fallen into obscurity over the years, whether they’re from old cartoons, theme park rides, or animated films. These outcasts have lingered in the darkness for years and have become extremely bitter toward the Disney characters who’ve been more fortunate than they. It’s intriguing how this idea translates into the concept art that’s been revealed thus far. Take a look at any of the foreboding figures artists have drawn out, including rather disturbing images of characters who look as though their skin has been eaten away, and the game’s dark theme becomes strikingly evident.

The central antagonist will be Disney’s very first hero, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. I’d say the average person living in the present-day has probably never heard of him, which is a good indicator of how far he’s fallen from fame, and how angry he may be. Oswald craves revenge above all else, especially against the mouse who crushed his future. That said, Oswald begins his destruction by setting loose something called the “Phantom Blot”, a creature who enters the Disney world and begins to rip it apart. Through the use of deathly black ink, and by smearing the world’s colours together, the phantasmic being wreaks havoc upon a universe that was once beautiful and glorious.

Guess what? We’re going to be playing as Mickey Mouse. Mickey will try to save his kingdom from Oswald and the Blot by recreating or fixing what they’ve destroyed.  He’s going to make use of paintbrushes, paint thinner, erasers, pencils, and more to restore the universe to its former state. As you can imagine, the game is deeply involved with artwork and the exploration of the Disney universe in a way we’ve never seen before. Mickey himself is supposed to be getting a dramatic makeover. If you look at the GameInformer teaser, you’ll notice that his face has been purposely left unrevealed. We’ve heard that his new design is highly retroactive, so it will be interesting to see what the artists have created.

The new issue of GameInformer is coming out next week on October 12, so check back for fresh intel on Epic Mickey then. I’m excited about this one and it should prove interesting to see where Junction Point and Disney Interactive Studios take the Disney universe under the guidance of Mr. Spector. Till then, stay updated with our coverage and let us know what you think of this fascinating game!