Disney Interactive Studios and game designer Warren Spector have revealed a sequel to 2010’s Wii-exclusive Epic Mickey.
Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two will be a multiplatform release featuring drop-in drop-out cooperative play, with one player controlling Mickey and the other controlling Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
A lot of emphasis has been placed on Oswald, and especially the fact that he (and all the other characters) will now be supported by voice acting. The original Epic Mickey was modeled after the silent cartoons of yesteryear, but developer Warren Spector regrets not allowing the characters to speak.
The most interesting development is that Epic Mickey 2 will be what Disney claims is the first video game musical. Musical sequences will be provided by Jim Dooley and Mike Himelstein, the composer and lyricist for the upcoming animated film Dorothy of Oz. “I’m such a geek about musicals,” said Spector at this month’s Game Developers Conference, where he was presented 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.”
I’m left wondering if this is still the same guy who originally developed the much darker, much more violent Deus Ex and Thief franchises. It’s always the quiet ones….