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[zigg]

It is twisted as all fuck, and one level in particular is downright disturbing. It is not the typical Disney colorful magic world of everything happy, it is a dark dark game.

Well, now, hang on—is this "give your kids nightmares" dark? Like, age 8 with a fairly innocent viewpoint on life?

 

[Peff]

Ha ha, that's right.

Here's what I take from those comparison to Banjo and Kingdom Hearts that concerns me. To me, that makes it seem as if the game involves large open environments which you navigate with second rate platforming mechanics while repeating a task of some sort (whether it's collecting something or tossing paint onto surfaces). It seems to take that aimless approach to platforming rather than the focused style of Mario.

The reason why this concerns me is that I dislike platform games that feature open, often boring environments especially when the controls are so basic and unsatisfying to use. I very much dislike Banjo and Kingdom Hearts and the type of platforming and combat in both is part of the reason for that.

Then there are 2D platforming sections, which seem more interesting to me, but do not appear to make up most of the game.

Basically, from what I've read and what I've seen, the game looks quite boring. If it does not, in fact, involve aimless wandering around an open environment with weak platforming mechanics, I may become interested again.


Klonoa is fantastic and is likely to be a vastly superior game to Epic Mickey, from what I can tell.

The game is like Banjo-Kazooie in the sense that it drops you in an open level, but they do have a goal other that "get the shiny thingie", like destroy X generators or find a way to open a door, etc. While the levels are actually split in small chunks and the game is apparently pretty linear, it's still the same idea of exploring and solving small missions instead of having pure platformer levels as far as I've seen, so it's probably not for you.

 

[Amalthea]

I feel after the first few stages that the Paint & Thinner mechanic is way more important than the plattforming itself.

 

[hxcmuziq]

Wow, it looks like this game is going to end up in this Name a good game with "bad" gameplay thread.

 

[Vinterbird]

Well, now, hang on—is this "give your kids nightmares" dark? Like, age 8 with a fairly innocent viewpoint on life?

I would not let my kid play Mickeyjunk Mountain, it legitimately scared me (in the disturbing way), it was not a pleasant thing.

But as Warren said, and I agree with him, Disney can and should be scary at times.

 

[WillyFive]

Wow, it looks like this game is going to end up in this Name a good game with "bad" gameplay thread.

But the gameplay is good....isn't it?

 

[LosDaddie]

Great OP there, Willy.

This game looks great. I'm hoping to play it....within a year.


You still miss GameSpot, Willy?

 

[Sadist]

Oh wait, I'm not the press.

I do agree with criticisms that this game is very rough around the edges. My biggest complaint is absolutely the camera. Yes there is an option to use the C button or the D-pad to adjust it, but it depends on where Mickey is on the screen. I'd say 65/70 % of the time it works like it should, but the other 30/35%... eh. Especialy in more narrow spaces or when Mickey want to reach a more difficult to reach platform, the camera will be wonkey. You can't really estimate how far the distance is or at times the camera will zoom in for no apparant reason. And at times, when in battle with enemies the camera will make a sudden jump.

The 2D levels... while terriffic homages to classic Disney cartoons, aren't very challenging. You just jump, collect E-Tickets and grab a filmreel which are fairly easy to obtain. Still, the design is awesome and if you are a Disney nut, you'll like it.

I'll write more tonight

 

[farnham]

I would not let my kid play Mickeyjunk Mountain, it legitimately scared me (in the disturbing way), it was not a pleasant thing.

But as Warren said, and I agree with him, Disney can and should be scary at times.

i remember when i was a kid and watched hunchback of notredame, little mermaid, beauty and the beat or fantasia

man some scenes were scary as hell

 

[WillyFive]

You still miss GameSpot, Willy?

Why? What happened to it?

 

[TEJ]

Even if the game isn't perfectly polished, I still greatly welcome another adventure/platformer. I loved mario galaxy 1 and 2, but not every platformer needs to be like them.

 

[Vinterbird]

But the gameplay is good....isn't it?

Not especially.

 

[zigg]

I would not let my kid play Mickeyjunk Mountain, it legitimately scared me (in the disturbing way), it was not a pleasant thing.

But as Warren said, and I agree with him, Disney can and should be scary at times.

Yeah, I agree too. But I was looking at it for my whole family, and maybe I am a little too protective of my kids yet, but that's that.

 

[Eteric Rice]

Yeah, I agree too. But I was looking at it for my whole family, and maybe I am a little too protective of my kids yet, but that's that.

I watched this as a kid, and turned out perfectly fine.

A little fear never hurt no body.

 

[LosDaddie]

Why? What happened to it?

I just thought you didn't post there anymore. I know I don't. But I do still blog / review games I finished over there.

 

[WillyFive]

I just thought you didn't post there anymore. I know I don't. But I do still blog / review games I finished over there.

Oh Ok. I still do work for the magazine there, so I still post, although I don't get very involved in gaming discussions there.

 

[raphier]

I was curious what was so disturbing about the Junk mountain that I had to youtube the segment (Youtube impressions allowed?) and honestly, I didn't see anything so disturbing about it.

Although, I expected Resident Evil-kind of disturbing. i think you guys are overreacting a bit.

 

[jett]

Man, I never thought the game looked all that great but not even I figured it would garner comparisons to Banjo and KH1. KH1 has virtually the worst platforming I've ever experienced in a game.

 

[Apenheul]

Here's what I take from those comparison to Banjo and Kingdom Hearts that concerns me. To me, that makes it seem as if the game involves large open environments which you navigate with second rate platforming mechanics while repeating a task of some sort (whether it's collecting something or tossing paint onto surfaces). It seems to take that aimless approach to platforming rather than the focused style of Mario.

Aimless would not be the right word, the game gives directions such as "shut down the machine on top of the tower" and then you have to figure out how to get there (often there are multiple ways of getting there). Personally I like the feeling that I might get there in ways that the level designer didn't expect--everything in the world has a predictable collision-model so if looks like you might be able to stand on something so can.

The reason why this concerns me is that I dislike platform games that feature open, often boring environments especially when the controls are so basic and unsatisfying to use. I very much dislike Banjo and Kingdom Hearts and the type of platforming and combat in both is part of the reason for that.

I don't see any similarities to Kingdom Hearts in the level design. Epic Mickey's levels always give the player something for exploring. In Mario 64 I spent much time trying to 'exploit' level-geometry and find shortcuts, Epic Mickey is sortof designed for that kind of play.

Then there are 2D platforming sections, which seem more interesting to me, but do not appear to make up most of the game.

The 2D sections are not very interesting gameplay-wise IMO. They're occasionally surprising if you happen to know the cartoons they're based on.

Klonoa is fantastic and is likely to be a vastly superior game to Epic Mickey, from what I can tell.

I disagree, but I do suspect that you'd like Klonoa better than Epic Mickey, if the open-ended 3D platforming isn't your thing.

Man, I never thought the game looked all that great but not even I figured it would garner comparisons to Banjo and KH1. KH1 has virtually the worst platforming I've ever experienced in a game.

I'm happy to say that this game is nothing like KH, I personally didn't enjoy KH at all.

All I got out of watching the Youtube vesion of Mickeyjunk Mountain was that all the platforming/puzzles are still binary "paint-by numbers". Progress always seems to be just fill in the blank spots, or erase the colorful ones blocking your path.

I agree that gameplay videos make the game seem very one-dimensional and that was also my biggest concern before I bought the game. However, the paint & thinner mechanic is very well executed. It's hard to appreciate it without playing with it and it definitely does not come across as paint-by-numbers in the moment of play. For example I'm always looking how I can solve things without using thinner since I like to attract 'blue gardians' that can help me in fetch quests. The paint & thinner mechanic adds a cognitive challenge to the game that makes you very aware of how you're in control.

 

[dimb]

All I got out of watching the Youtube vesion of Mickeyjunk Mountain was that all the platforming/puzzles are still binary "paint-by numbers". Progress always seems to be just fill in the blank spots, or erase the colorful ones blocking your path.

 

[Vinterbird]

I was curious what was so disturbing about the Junk mountain that I had to youtube the segment (Youtube impressions allowed?) and honestly, I didn't see anything so disturbing about it.

Although, I expected Resident Evil-kind of disturbing. i think you guys are overreacting a bit.

I was personally disturbed by it, but of course fear is a very subjective thing, so it might not work on some people. But I got a very unsettling feeling running around that level, and especially at the end of it with the confrontation.

 

[JRW]

Wow, so many negative impresions.
And I'm actually loving it :/.

Same here, For me the positives far outweigh the negatives. I cant remember the last time I actually sat down and played a game for 2 - 3 hours per session lol. It's hard to put down IMO.

 

[Odrion]

I always knew deep inside this game would end up having problems. Warren Spector, bless his heart, always compensated his inability to make a fun game with his ability to make deep, immersive, and interactive experiences. I guess when he strayed from his usual RPG formula he was too out of his element, and that jank that has always existed in his games becomes a lot more noticeable in a more gameplay oriented genre such as a platformer.

 

[DangerStepp]

I'm so stoked for this!! Please don't let me down, Junction Point (and Warren)!

 

[PseudoPrime1979]

I want this game to be good. I bought the LE just for the Mickey statue though.

 

[Hiltz]

I'd hate to do this, but what numerical score would you guys give the game based on what you've played so far ? Or what are the main pros and cons of the game besides the wonky camera ?


I think we have to remember that as great as Warren Spector is, this time he is working with a new developer and not Ion Storm or Looking Glass Studios.. Personally, I expected a lot from this game but Junction Point is an unproven studio. I have to give credit to the Spector for being a one-man marketing team. He sure knows how to sell us on the game without even really talking about the actual game.

 

[BertramCooper]

Even if the game itself ends up being a bit clunky, I'm pretty much convinced that I'm going to love it.

I'm an absolute Disney-phile, so in that respect, the game looks like it delivers in spades.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

Man, I never thought the game looked all that great but not even I figured it would garner comparisons to Banjo and KH1. KH1 has virtually the worst platforming I've ever experienced in a game.

From what I've seen, I seriously doubt the platforming is as floaty as KH1. Camera is looks better too.

Edit: I said looks, I haven't played it. It's easy to tell though.

 

[Pizza Luigi]

Spoiler

Mickeyjunk Mountain

is absolutely amazing. It is maybe the most unnerving part of the game I've played as of yet. Great vibe, really. I think I missed a few collectables and a side-quest though, I was too distracted by everything.

 

[Sachalink]

How's this game compared with Banjo?

 

[JADS]

I'd hate to do this, but what numerical score would you guys give the game based on what you've played so far ? Or what are the main pros and cons of the game besides the wonky camera ?

7 - 7.5 based on around 8 hours of play time.

 

[Cow Mengde]

So they didn't bother to fix all the problems from E3, huh?

 

[Vinterbird]

I'd hate to do this, but what numerical score would you guys give the game based on what you've played so far ? Or what are the main pros and cons of the game besides the wonky camera ?


I think we have to remember that as great as Warren Spector is, this time he is working with a new developer and not Ion Storm or Looking Glass Studios.. Personally, I expected a lot from this game but Junction Point is an unproven studio. I have to give credit to the Spector for being a one-man marketing team. He sure knows how to sell us on the game without even really talking about the actual game.

I'll let you know when the embargo is up. Main problems are that it is just not that great a game.

 

[Bel Marduk]

Have you read my post? I am talking about production values. Build quality. It's always easy to be offended by a post when you don't read the whole thing and think it means something different.

Uh, I knew exactly what you were saying. I still see no comparison.

 

[BertramCooper]

VIDEO: DAVID GARIBALDI PAINTS EPIC MURAL FOR DISNEY’S ‘EPIC MICKEY’ (video at link)

‘Rhythm and hues’ and Disney Fine Art artist David Garibaldi recently painted a large mural on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles in honor of Disney’s Epic Mickey which will be released exclusively for the Nintendo Wii on November 30. It took Garibaldi about 5 1/2 hours to paint the mural which includes a scene of Mickey Mouse approaching Dark Beauty Castle, the Phantom Blot taking on Mickey and the many spirited faces of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

Pretty cool.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Even if the game itself ends up being a bit clunky, I'm pretty much convinced that I'm going to love it.

I'm an absolute Disney-phile, so in that respect, the game looks like it delivers in spades.

Im like you, Im huge fan of Disney and Disney parks (hope to work one day as an imagineer), so Im not very dissapointed that the platforming isnt very polished.

 

[flak57]

Ha ha, that's right.

Here's what I take from those comparison to Banjo and Kingdom Hearts that concerns me. To me, that makes it seem as if the game involves large open environments which you navigate with second rate platforming mechanics while repeating a task of some sort (whether it's collecting something or tossing paint onto surfaces). It seems to take that aimless approach to platforming rather than the focused style of Mario.

The reason why this concerns me is that I dislike platform games that feature open, often boring environments especially when the controls are so basic and unsatisfying to use. I very much dislike Banjo and Kingdom Hearts and the type of platforming and combat in both is part of the reason for that.

Then there are 2D platforming sections, which seem more interesting to me, but do not appear to make up most of the game.

Basically, from what I've read and what I've seen, the game looks quite boring. If it does not, in fact, involve aimless wandering around an open environment with weak platforming mechanics, I may become interested again.


Klonoa is fantastic and is likely to be a vastly superior game to Epic Mickey, from what I can tell.

Is getting to the flagpole in Super Mario Bros "repeating the same task"?

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

From what I've read on /v/, it's more akin to Banjo Kazooie than something like Galaxy. It's more of an exploration game.

Well being that I find the Banjo series far superior than Galaxy I have no problem with that.

You still miss GameSpot, Willy?

:lol Seriously?

 

[hatchx]

I'll let you know when the embargo is up. Main problems are that it is just not that great a game.

Disappointment-ton. I was really hoping this game would surprise me, especially after all the Warren Spector love.

 

[Vinterbird]

A little thing for when everyone gets the game: The fire station holds a very very awesome secret (god damn you Warren, that was stupidly clever - it worked like intended).

(also the credit sequence is probably the best one of the year)

 

[Big One]

Basically, from what I've read and what I've seen, the game looks quite boring. If it does not, in fact, involve aimless wandering around an open environment with weak platforming mechanics, I may become interested again.

It doesn't have this. Let me elaborate... (SPOILERS for people who want to be surprised by the gameplay mechanics)

There'll be two philosophies when people go into Epic Mickey with expectations, I think:

1. Completionists who want to collect and do everything
2. People who just want to have a fun experience without worrying about completing it 100%

Epic Mickey is a game I expected people would either love or hate, but not really because of the controls.

Basically the premise of the game is making decisions. Whatever decision you make, and how you play the game, determines how the game pans out for the player storywise and gameplaywise. Every action in the game actually has meaning so saying it's aimless is a big stretch.

Secondly you have to realize that Epic Mickey isn't really much of a platformer, it just has platformer controls. Basically I'd say in terms of level design and what you can do it's a fusion of Mario 64 and inFamous. Each of the levels are these massive canvasses to explore and search for with tons of secrets that is a lot like in the style of the Banjo Kazooie games.

However this poses a problem that I can find people easily irritated with: You can't go back to the old levels in your first playthrough. Not only that, but the game punishes you for making wrong decisions on both a moral and gameplay level. Missed Donald's leg? You can't go back to get it, and now have to pay 1000 Mickey dollars to buy it. There is a New Game+ that fixes this problem, but I can see people getting easily irritated by this on their first playthrough.

Also, when I say the game punishes you for making moral decisions, I mean that the moral system will determine whether you're even able to do some missions or not. Making a bad decision, whether it's good or evil, will result in a mission to be failed completely. In general, Epic Mickey is a game you have to play carefully.

There's also the factor that there's a multitude of missions given by the NPCs in the game. As I said, if you're a completionist you'll probably try to complete them all even though it isn't necessarily and turns out to be less rewarding in the end (they're mostly there to give you sparks and cash). If you go OCD on these you'll probably find the game extremely repetitive.

Is it a bad game? Well, the camera sucks - and I really don't think criticizing the platforming elements is too relevant to the game's structure - but it entirely depends on how you play the game. Personally I think all of the above features I discussed give more weight to the game and the decisions you make in it, but I can easily see why people would find it tedious and annoying.

 

[Vinterbird]

For those 10 or so hours in:

Spoiler

Has anyone found the Alice in Woderland level? It's there in the extras menu under artwork, so I presume it was there at some point, or is there. Did anyone encounter it yet?

 

[Deleted member 30609]

comparisons to KH are completely ludicrous.

 

[Amir0x]

This game is pretty wretched. The platforming feels like Kingdom Hearts, for fucks sake :lol

Holy shit. That's literally order canceled material. Someone else verify/deny.

 

[SpacePirate Ridley]

Holy shit. That's literally order canceled material. Someone else verify/deny.

I cant verify because i dont have the game, but other people here have say they are not like that, the control is not good, but not in the level of KH.

 

[Sadist]

Yeah, I don't agree at all. The camera will fuck up your jumps at times, not the controls itself.

But as I said earlier regarding the camera and the 2D levels not being very challenging, the game for me has a lot of redeeming qualities. Graphical style is good and especialy the animations are awesome. For level design... I hear some of you talking about polish, but in reality Mickey is the polish if you fix things up with paint. Or thinner ofcourse. There is a lot to discover with the use those two and that's the real power of the game. Just throw around paint and thinner, there is a lot to see.

Also, the game gets better with the discovery of a new world. Mickey Junk is fantastic, but other area's like the one showed during E3

Spoiler

Ventureland

are cool and the characters who inhabit them are funny.

But it comes down to fullfilling quests and a few are cheap (fetch item A to complete quest A) but there are several quests which are really fun.

Plus, I'm digging the animated style of cutscenes, they really should make a new Disney short with this style and humour.

And people asking for a certain grade: I'd say around 8 - 8.5

Game spoiler:

Spoiler

I'm at the mansion, fixing that painting puzzle. Didn't complete it yet

 

[Vinterbird]

Game spoiler: [/SPOILER]I'm at the mansion, fixing that painting puzzle. Didn't complete it yet[/SPOILER]

There's an easy way to get through that one:

Spoiler

There's an Grimlin hidden somewhere in the one with the dudes in the swamp painting. Free him and he will fix it instantly for you.

I really really hated that puzzle, I could not see the logic in it, and it really had me going crazy

 

[Sadist]

Really? Ha, didn't try that painting yet :lol:

 

[Vinterbird]

Really? Ha, didn't try that painting yet :lol:

Saved me a ton of headaches finding him, second floor if I remember correctly. Also:

Spoiler

Don't break the marble figurehead statues

 

[Sadist]

Okay, the puzzle is really confusing. FFFFUUUUUU

Where is the logic?