Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Genre: Platformer
Release date: 15th November 2011
Platforms: Windows, OS X, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita
ESRB: E - Everyone
The great thing about Rayman Origins is that brings back all the original fun of the old PS1 games but with incredibly charming, hand drawn graphics and enough new content to not make it feel like a remake. It’s such an engaging game that’s simple and fun to play yet with enough of a challenge to not make it feel like a child’s game. The simple controls are especially appealing though as it means you can have all generations of people get the hang of it and it’s just suitable for everybody; provided they can keep up of course.
Gameplay and storyline
If you’re familiar with Rayman then you’re most likely familiar with the Glade of Dreams. In Rayman Origins we return to the Glade of Dreams, a usually idyllic universe, only Rayman and his buddies accidentally ticked off their next door neighbour; the Land of the Livid Dead, by snoring too loudly. You’ll have to traverse through this magical world and beat back the incarnations of the Bubble Dreamer’s (creator of the Glade) nightmares which are some pretty nasty beasts in order to save the Glade of Dreams from being taken over by these creatures. Along the way you’ll save the Nymphs who have been captured by the nightmarish creatures, rescue the electoons and earn back some essential powers like hovering and shrinking.
The game itself is a side scrolling platforming game, just like the original, with over 60 levels for you to play through. As you progress through the game you’ll fight enemies, locate and rescue caged electoons, collect lums and earn new abilities. The game is separated into themed areas such as musical, polar or jungle and each of these areas further have a breakdown of several separate levels. Each level has a certain number of challenge/objective type goals that will earn you additional electoons which are required for progressing through the game. Each level has one cage at the end of it that you need to break in order to end that level and this cage counts for one objective. Other challenges include finding the other hidden cages in the level which are usually concealed by things that appear to be a part of the landscape but which actually fade upon approaching. Each level also has a Time Trial challenge which requires you to race through the level at top speed and to reach a checkpoint within very harsh time constraints. If you slip more than a couple of times then you’ve almost certainly failed it and will have to try again. Completing the time trial can earn you a Speed Trophy if you’re fast enough.
For a slower, more relaxed approach to the level there’s also the lum challenge which will require you to go through the level very carefully since you require a whopping 350 lums to earn that level’s medallion. Some levels only require 200 or so because they’re shorter, more laid back levels. This usually means popping every single enemy bubble and finding every additional little lum that’s out there to be grabbed before they float away out of reach and there’s nothing more frustrating to find you’ve missed the medalion by only a couple of lums. By earning all these electoons you can unlock additional levels that require you to chase down a runaway treasure chest. By catching it you can get a special ‘Skull tooth’ and by collecting all these teeth you unlock an extremely challenging level that’s set in the Land of the Livid Dead itself. All in all, there’s a lot to keep you busy in the levels and you’ll likely sink many hours into the game trying to complete everything.
Rayman Origins is one of the few games out there that is a local co-op game. It has a great local co-op system that allows you to play with up to four characters with no split screen so you can still see the beautifully drawn backgrounds in all their glory. The only downside of trying to play this game in co-op is the tendency to get frustrated with one another if someone’s not being fast enough. Co-op has the great addition of not dying immediately upon being bubbilized; if your co-op partner whacks your bloated bubble body then you’ll be returned to the game, ready to keep on playing. I can guarantee though that you will drive yourself partway to insanity trying to complete all of the challenges in the game, and the timed trials in particular are the cause of numerous arguments between me and my girlfriend. I think it’s safe to say that you should only play this game with someone you’d also play Monopoly with. Since the game supports multiplayer you’ll be glad to know there’s a lot of characters you can pick from, though they are just different versions of the three friends, and you can unlock more as you earn more electoons, so if you are unhappy with Rayman’s default look you can always try him out in his blue version and see if you like that better.
Finally, there are the bosses that are encountered at the end of each area. These bosses were originally the Kings of each Land in the Glade but have unfortunately fallen under the influence of the nightmarish forces that have taken over Rayman’s usually idyllic universe. In order to bring them back to their senses you must defeat them and, truthfully, these boss battles are the highlight of the entire game. each boss looks fantastic, often quite terrifying yet playfully charming at the same time. You’ll need to employ a recently taught skill to defeat them and it will involve a lot of quick thinking and, if playing in co-op, teamwork and coordination if you’re to bring down these maddened beasties. Trust me when I say that these are boss battles worth fighting and each one of them is original and fascinating to look upon. They are most certainly not some rehash of an old enemy that’s been made a little stronger or a little bigger that some games are guilty of trotting out.
I remember the original PS1 Rayman game as being really frustrating because you needed to have such control over where you were moving and jumping to and that’s not a bad thing. Games that are challenging are infinitely more rewarding and enjoyable than their simplistic counterparts and what’s great about Rayman Origins is it brings back that feeling of infuriation then of great relief when you finally get past the bit you’re stuck at. I love that this version of Rayman is almost in fast forward as you’re able to sprint and jump in a very Mario-esque manner so you feel so cool and slick when completing the speed run levels.
Graphics and environment
Rayman origins features a type of stylized environment that is difficult to find in side scrolling platform games. The maps are flawlessly crafted with exquisite attention to detail that truly makes this game feel as though it’s been crafted with passion and love. You only need take a look at the screenshots to see how gorgeous the game looks with its stunning cell shaded animation and incredibly bold colours. Every single level is something to behold and you will not get bored of how fantastic everything looks as it’s all so incredibly varied and diverse. Though levels are themed they do not feel repetitive just because two levels are set in a jungle which is such a relief as platformers can sometimes feel monotonous simply due to the rehashing of backgrounds and environmental features. All in all, everything feels innovative and fresh from the moment you begin to the moment you finish.
There are over 60 levels but, not only are they numerous, they’re also incredibly interactive. You’ll find yourself sprinting and jumping through lava filled caverns, up icy slopes and through lush jungles to name only a few places. You’re not just restricted to the ground however as you’ll often be soaring through the air on giant wasps or swimming in deep oceans. Levels like these are particularly memorable, especially the ominous, underwater ones. Here, you must swim in almost total darkness, lit only by a small light on your body, whilst the twisted, elongated arms from an unseen creature reach out from rocks or the abyss below to drag you from safety.
It’s impossible to describe all the little bits of detail that the game developers have included because everything has been thought of and everything is beautifully done. There are levels dedicated to being in a kind of giant, boiling hot kitchen that has faintly visible stacks of wobbling plates in the background, zipwires with tiny red hot chillis dangling all down them and bottles of squeezy hot sauce you can jump on to boil a pot; sending its lid shooting into the air on a billow of steam for you to reach new heights. In the cold, icy areas it’s like being inside a giant freezer with lemon slices on gossiping forks and slices of lime to bounce off of. Cans of frozen food drop precariously as you slam through layers of ice cubes and, if caught under one, you’ll be instantaneously bubbelized. Each area has such neat little features like this it’s impossible to deny that this game has been very carefully thought through and planned so that players can get the best experience possible out of it.
Music and audio
Just to top off this game, along with everything else, the audio and music is flawless. The music has many faces depending on which level you’re on and can change between dreamy violin music to fast, intensive jazz style music. Some audio tracks are quite simply someone whistling with some lazy ukulele playing in the background. There are some great musical features like furious kazoo playing and the ragged chimes of super high pitched lums singing every time you grab one of the lum king bubbles. It sounds as though this ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ style singing would drive you crazy but it’s so cutesy and happy-go-lucky you can’t help but love it, that and it’s really catchy.
What I love about the soundtrack of this game is the sheer variety of instruments you don’t often hear from. Ukuleles, kazoos, dijiridoos, the piano, the violin, drums and the Jew’s harp all have a place in the musical tracks and it’s great to hear such a unique combination of instruments that all work so perfectly for the environment. The dijiridoos played in the warm sands of the musical levels fit so perfectly with the environment that it adds a lot to the gameplay experience, without it the level would certainly not have the same feel to it. My personal favourite is the ethereal, haunting melodies that are found within the deep sea exploration levels. That partial silence coupled with the near-by threat of a lurking creature does wonders for the atmosphere and it’s as addictive as the exhilarating surface levels. I don’t know how he managed it, but the composer has managed perfectly to make the music of Rayman Origins playful but not cheap or silly sounding, which is impressive given that he appears to have employed a plastic kazoo as a core part of the instrumentals.
Overall
This game just drips in simplicity yet sophistication and is an essential part of any gamer’s collection provided they can appreciate fantastic artwork, great music and a good chunk of playful humour to go with it. Fans of the original Rayman should not hold back from playing Rayman Origins as it only enhances what made the original Rayman so brilliant. It’s a rare thing to see a 90s game pulled into the modern gaming world and for it to fit in so nicely as something traditional yet upgraded. This is a humorous, light hearted game that can be enjoyed by the entire family from the comfort of your own sofa. Not only that, but it provides a damn good challenge and enough content for you to get many enjoyable hours out of it.
The Good:
- Brilliant co-op intergration
- Looks incredible
- Fantastic, varied, light hearted music
- Very fun boss battles, each one is different
- Good range of non-generic enemies
- Extremely challenging
- Lots of re-playability
- Huge variety of themed levels
- Very easy to get into
- Fast paced or slow paced, depending on which challenges
- Holds great respect for the original Rayman games
- Sometimes a little too challenging
- Often frustrating
Final Thoughts: "This game does my bloody head in trying to be a completionist in it, but it's just so flawless in every aspect that I can forgive it."
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