Say what you will about how Disney Epic Mickey ultimately ended up, it was certainly a game that got people's attention. Disney stuff always seems to (unless you're talking about John Carter...*cough*), so it's no surprise that despite not-blockbuster sales of the first game, Disney would be eager to bring about a sequel. And, perhaps, one that exists on more platforms than just the Wii.
Such a sequel hit the rumor mill just yesterday, and was confirmed today by an AP interview with Warren Spector, where the Junction Point studio head announced that Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two was in development, and would be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii.
Two big changes were highlighted in the interview. One is a new co-op mode, which features both Mickey Mouse and Mickey predecessor Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as playable characters. Throughout the game, Oswald will either be controlled via A.I., or another player can simply pick up a controller and jump in at any point.
The other big change is voice acting. Both Mickey and Oswald will be fully-voiced, which is sort of a big deal since Oswald has never had a voice in any of the stuff he's appeared in previously. The voice acting is intended to give the game a bit more personality, as well as the opportunity for characters to just break out into song.
Said Spector:
"I'm such a geek about musicals," said Spector at the recent Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, where he was honored with a lifetime achievement award. "I love the co-op and next-gen stuff, but for me, when a character breaks into song, which they do on a regular basis in this game, it's magic."
The game will feature original songs penned by songwriters Jim Dooley and Mike Himelstein, who wrote the music for the upcoming animated film Dorothy of Oz.
I'm maybe not quite the musical geek that our friend Warren is, but admittedly, Disney stuff without characters breaking out into song just doesn't feel quite right. Am I alone on this? Anyone not particularly thrilled to suddenly have a song in their hearts? Or does this sound like an exciting new direction for this sequel? Comments presented in song form are encouraged.