Disney officially unveils Epic Mickey
Visit the Cartoon Wasteland next autumn.
Disney has officially unveiled Warren Spector's new project, Disney Epic Mickey, and said it will be out in autumn 2010.
As you may already know thanks to leaked details and a US preview and interview, it's a platform adventure exclusive to Wii.
But it's a lot more interesting than that might suggest. Spector - whose background is in games for Origin Systems, Looking Glass and Ion Storm Austin - and his Junction Point studio have come up with a story that pairs a mischievous, thirties-style Mickey Mouse with an unusual setting and exciting gameplay ideas.
"Mickey is an adventurous and rambunctious mouse," Spector said in a statement marking the unveiling. "I want to bring his personality to the forefront, place him in a daunting world and connect his spirited character with videogame players worldwide. Ultimately, each player decides for him- or herself what makes Mickey cool."
The daunting world he mentions is the Cartoon Wasteland, a creation of sorcerer Yen Sid and the domain of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit - Walt Disney's first cartoon star - who hosts retired and forgotten Disney characters.
Oswald has come to resent Mickey's popularity over the years, however, and at the outset of the game Mickey stumbles into his world, messing it up considerably in the process, which presumably exacerbates things.
With these elements in place, the player's role is to waggle the Wiimote around distributing paint and thinner to solve puzzles and make progress past peculiar enemies. Paint creates and thinner destroys.
"The core of this game is the idea of choice and consequence, and how that defines both the character and the player," Spector added towards the end of a very long press release.
"By putting the mischievous Mickey in an unfamiliar place and asking him to make choices - to help other cartoon characters or choose his own path - the game forces players to deal with the consequences of their actions. Ultimately, players must ask themselves, 'What kind of hero am I?' Each player will come up with a different answer."
Look out for our in-depth thoughts on Disney Epic Mickey very soon.