Epic Mickey Looking More Real, More Amazing

[gurgi]

Oh, and another thing....those in-game shots are also from a demo. That is not even the final look of the game. I'm sure there will be more "spit & polish" on the final version too.

[Mr. Bungle]

Originally Posted by Garfieldo

Well, if you're comparing that to the concept art that I think you are, that's not really very fair since the concept art is for an entirely different area.

True enough, I wonder if it'll get more twisted looking. I mean, it still looks nice, but it looks like Kingdom Hearts. I wish it was more in the direction of something like American McGee's Alice, but that probably would push too far past what's acceptable interpretations of the Disney characters.

Originally Posted by gurgi

Oh, and another thing....those in-game shots are also from a demo. That is not even the final look of the game. I'm sure there will be more "spit & polish" on the final version too.

I really do hope so. I've seen such differences happen with other games.

[Garfieldo]

Originally Posted by Mr. Bungle

True enough, I wonder if it'll get more twisted looking. I mean, it still looks nice, but it looks like Kingdom Hearts. I wish it was more in the direction of something like American McGee's Alice, but that probably would push too far past what's acceptable interpretations of the Disney characters.

Apparently, the further you get into the a level, the darker it will get.

Originally Posted by Game Informer

However, the deeper into a level one progresses, the more things grow off kilter.

Okay, so me and a couple of guys on another forum did a little detective work, and here's what we've found:

Originally Posted by Game Informer

Junction Point has developed a brand new antagonist to fit into Disney lore. The beetleworx are built by the Mad Doctor, and they act as a maintenance crew to the game world. Unlike many potential enemies in the game, they can’t be fully erased by Mickey’s magic paintbrush, so the art team had an interesting challenge to overcome: shape a potential enemy formed of both sharp, inert objects and marshmallowy cartoon shapes. Their solution lay in pulling together elements from across the familiar Disney theme park landscape and combining them on top of a metallic framework. Careful viewers will see elements from across Disney fiction combined together on this figure.

Mickey's Car




+ Lasers from Lilo & Stitch




+ Hades





= Beetleworx

[Mr. Bungle]

Ok, now that's cool.

[Karalora]

It's looking to me like the finished product will not be nightmarishly dark...for adults. But Warren Spector has gone on record in the Game Informer article saying that he wants to "scare kids a little," and to set up players to expect something familiar before "pull[ing] the rug out from under them." So I think there's still a lot to look forward to in terms of putting a new and twisted perspective on all that "saccharine" Disney stuff.

Presumably, too, the Hades-car-spider thing is not the only model of Beetleworx that will appear. The concept of robots made of a conglomeration of characters and items from different Disney works, even if they're not as gruesome as some of the concept art, is way too cool to waste on only one example.

[ZeekSlider]

Originally Posted by gurgi

I'm curious about the "darker" areas now.

Okay, you just made me excited for the Haunted Mansion level without even knowing it.

[gurgi]

Even the character models, although maybe not as extreme as the concept art, have something unsettling about them. Like Pete in the "Dutch girl" Small World doll's clothes...that Donald AA...with the exposed parts. They do have an "edge" to them, even if they are somewhat softer because of the limitations of the hardware.

[Zero28]

The concept art looks amazing but I wasn't too impressed with the in game screen shots I saw a few days ago. Either way, I would still buy this game lol.

[Mr. Bungle]

Ok, so the magazine came in the mail today. After looking at the screenshots and all in person, it clicked in my head that the design of this game reminds me in a way of Psychonauts, which is a good thing. I now officially am excited all over again for this game after the surprise of what the graphics look like.

[AE_Fan]

Myself I love the concept, however I will admit I'm not too impressed with the in game shots. I look forward to seeing what the really darker sections look like, though there's somthing bugging me. I'm just getting a feeling it's going to be toned down and not as dark as the various concept art we've seen. (The country bear scorpion and goofy model is serious nightmare fuel I would love to see)

Like others have said, so far it's looking like Kingdom Hearts more then anything.

[gurgi]

There are actually some photos of in-game areas mixed in with the concept art. They do look darker than the Small World section. The one I recall was the Mad Doctor's lab...it was pretty crazy looking, with purple & black. Also, you guys have to remember that those shots are from a work in progress. The final product will no doubt look much better. Even the Mickey model looks kind of plastic...I would guess he might even look better in the finished game.

[Mr. Bungle]

Originally Posted by gurgi

There are actually some photos of in-game areas mixed in with the concept art. They do look darker than the Small World section. The one I recall was the Mad Doctor's lab...it was pretty crazy looking, with purple & black. Also, you guys have to remember that those shots are from a work in progress. The final product will no doubt look much better. Even the Mickey model looks kind of plastic...I would guess he might even look better in the finished game.

Sometimes the work-in-progress graphics are the final look too. Or it even ends up worse...

[ZeekSlider]

Originally Posted by Mr. Bungle

Sometimes the work-in-progress graphics are the final look too. Or it even ends up worse...

Examples of the second? Because I've seen games that are examples of the first so many times I've lost count.

[sir clinksalot]

Got the new Game Informer today ... HUGE cover article about it.

I have to say, the game-play graphics do not even come close to the concept art graphics. I just don't think the Wii can support what they are selling as far as the concept art. At least not where game-play is concerned. Cut scene animation, probably.

[ZeekSlider]

You've seen Deamon Blade, right? Oh, wait, that's a 2D side scroller, not a 3D game... nevermind...