Review : Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Xbox 360)

I’ve been a Disney fan since I saw The Lion King. I’ve seen all their movies and played all the video games they’re studio have launched. I was the adult more excited than the kids about Monsters Inc. 2 The previous game in the series was pretty awesome, it had its set of problems like camera and control issues but the dark tone theme of the game was very perfect and unexpected from Disney games.  You win some, and  you lose some.

Game AI

However,  Disney decided that it can’t be like that. So the villain of the previous game is now a good guy who walks around with you in the game throughout i.e – Oswald the lucky rabbit who has some issues with its AI. Even EA has better AI than this for its games! Oswald keeps wandering around and tries doing things which are not needed and useless. (Isn’t AI supposed to help you and not get you in trouble?) You could say that’s part of the storyline, but there is no story.

My main problem with Oswald is that his abilities, for a lack of a better word – suck. You can’t even blame anybody except the development studio for this. The AI issues can be gone when you get someone to play alongside with you, but why would anybody want to play as Oswald especially when his abilities are so bad? They’re dull and boring and you never feel like playing the game again.

Basics of Game Play

The basic idea of the game, similar to the previous game is based on Mickey and his brush. The world you’re in is sad and blank and full of sorrow, and its up to Mickey to change that. He can either use the thinner for objects he wants to turn into complete nothingness or he could use his paints and color them and turn them into a part of the world. Sounds pretty cool but I already did the same thing in the last game, so there’s nothing new about that. I completed this game in about 13 hours of gameplay and got tired in between and dozed off for a while, maybe my expectations were high because I really liked the first game. The story in it was awesome, and the characters were someone you’d care about even after the game is over. In this game, I was not even interested in the side missions.

What changed compared to previous series:

There are some noticeable changes from the previous game, the resolution being one, and the ability to play it on Xbox, for me personally is a big one. Using two analogue sticks make the combat better and easier and more accurate. The third and I know most people won’t agree with me is the camera got a bit better too in some respects. For those who don’t agree, you should pick up the first one and see how bad that was. There is no music in the game; there is just one character singing. So most people aren’t going to be liking that either. Now the good part is that the game even without its storyline sends your heart and soul to the world of Disney, where nostalgia is your friend. I am actually happy that the original game got a sequel, but I am not happy with the studio that made certain decisions regarding the game, which resulted in a dull storyline and a dull game, overall. The only reason for me to buy this game was because I’m a Disney fanboy, and for most people it’s going to be the same reason.

What disappointed me?

So my only advice is you will be disappointed even if you’re a Disney lover and played the first game if you haven’t played the first game, borrow a Wii and play it. And if you’re lazy – buy this. I think many people will still enjoy it, even without a proper storyline as paint and thinner mechanics of Mickey’s abilities works brilliantly.

Rating:

• Pros:
  • Mechanics are neat
  • Camera and Control issues are better as compared to the previous game

• Cons:
  • Story is disappointing
  • AI is bad

Download :

Trail mode of this game can be downloaded from here.