Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed review

There’s not a moment that goes by while playing Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed where you aren’t inclined to go off the beaten path. Making Mickey Mouse’s adventure more enjoyable is the fact it’s such a beautiful world, despite it being a land made up of characters that people forgot. By exploring hidden areas and larger environments filled with secrets and collectibles, there’s always new places you wander into, making it such a rich and colourful journey through the history of everyone’s favourite rodent. It may not be perfect, but some of the ideas at play continue to keep you pushing through to save Wasteland and help those that live there.

After making a huge mistake that leads to this world becoming a forgotten home to some of Disney’s lost characters, Mickey has to help save the inhabitants and restore it to its former glory. There are two key mechanics that help players do this, and it revolves around a magic paintbrush. Mickey can paint parts of the world to restore bridges or cogs to help him get across platforms, but he can also use thinner to remove parts of the environment. By using thinner on a wall, it will reveal hidden areas or new ways to get to where you need to go.

Paint and thinner can also be used on enemies to either remove them or stop them from attacking you, and while it’s a simple idea it can be frustrating when all you want to do is jump on their heads. It takes just a little too long to work, and when you’re overwhelmed by a bunch of critters trying to stop you, it’s just easier to run away. One of my favourite things to do in Disney Epic Mickey regarding combat, is utilising the environment to get rid of them quicker. I was facing a bunch of creatures in a coliseum but instead of trying to take each one out individually, I was able to remove parts of the ground and watch them plummet to their doom.

Sometimes the aiming is awkward, especially when aiming at the ground just ahead of you, but it just takes a bit of time to familiarise yourself with the mechanic. Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed uses the ability in some creative ways, and a lot of thought has been put into keeping these ideas feeling fresh as you travel through the Wasteland. Mickey has some new moves compared to the original, and while not revolutionary, they’re staples of most platformers and fit perfectly here. He can dash to get around faster, spin to hit objects and jump higher, and ground pound to send enemies flying.

Perhaps my most favourite part of Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is the cartoon levels. Based on old cartoons like ‘Mickey and the Beanstalk’ and ‘Steamboat Willie’ you’ll play in 2.5D side-scrolling segments that are gorgeous, changing the animations to look like the older movies with a fresh lick of paint. I would honestly love the developer to make an entire game based off this view and these animations because it’s stunning. You’re also free to unlock a cinema where you can go back and replay these levels at any point, meaning that they can be enjoyed over and over again. There’s also some animated cutscenes that are wonderful, and these are also a joy to watch.

Wasteland might be gloomy in its tone, but visually it’s filled with so much beauty. Towns filled with old buildings, broken-down amusement parks, and other locations keep you engaged with the world, and most of the levels are structured with multiple ways to get around. There’s plenty of freedom to choose how you play and get around, meaning you’re never restricted. There are also multiple side quests to do as you travel through Wasteland. You don’t have to complete them, but sometimes failure to do so can have repercussions, so it’s always wise to keep certain folks happy.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a love letter to Mickey Mouse and the foundations built by Walt Disney. Everyone grew up with Mickey, and while some are too old to remember or even know the early days of the House of Mouse, this is a beautiful tribute to open player’s eyes to a forgotten time. Disney is a powerhouse in 2024, with franchises like Marvel and Disney under its umbrella, but back then it was so much simpler, and its heartwarming to see the foundations in a whole new way. Some of the paint mechanics are a bit awkward to use, and I would have preferred to take out enemies in familiar ways seen in other platformers, but there’s plenty to enjoy here, even for returning players.