Rayman 1 - Full Review (MS-DOS and PS1 game)

The original Rayman game is a devilishly tricky but wonderfully clever little game with bucket loads of likability factor in its colourful and comical world that will have you engaged for hours. This side scrolling platformer was released in 1995 and was also one of the first games to be released for the PlayStation though it also came out on the PC and Atari Jaguar too. The game was an instant hit, becoming the most sold game on the PS1 of all time, and it’s easy to see why; gloriously detailed levels, hours upon hours of content all set an idyllic fantasy land that is both memorable and imaginative. Challenging, quirky and deeply immersive you’ll soon appreciate why this is the game that set off an incredibly successful series enjoyed by generations of gamers.

Gameplay and plot

The game follows Rayman, our lazy and limbless hero, as he tries to restore balance and harmony to the land after a certain ‘Mr Dark’ has stolen the Great Protoon. Without it, chaos has beset the usually peaceful land causing Electoons to be scattered and nasty, unnatural creatures to appear everywhere.  Rayman must rescue the Electoons and defeat Mr Dark to restore order and tranquillity to the land. If you’re familiar with ‘Rayman Origins’ and ‘Rayman Legends’ you’ll instantly recognize certain features like the style of the map, the inclusion of Electoons and of course Rayman but you’ll likely be surprised at how much slower and how much more difficult it is. 

Gameplay consists of navigating through the side scrolling levels to reach a signpost with an “!” on it which completes that level.  The levels tend to consist of lots of platforms and parts of the environment that you can interact with to gain access to otherwise out of reach areas such as bouncing purple fruit that can be used as a makeshift boat. Depending on the level they’ll be different obstacles and environments so it’s not all walking and jumping and quite often you’ll be sliding at top speed, hovering precariously or bouncing off and between objects. Each level is littered with enemies and also the poor, crying caged Electoons which you must release by smashing open their cages open with your fists. There are six caged Electoons on each level and you have to free all of them if you wish to complete the game as only then will you be able to reach and confront Mr Dark in the epic finale. This sounds easy enough, after all you can revisit the levels from the world map, but the Electoons tend to be tricky to find and even more tricky to access. With limited lives, you’re going to have your work cut out for you.

To help you through the game you gain additional abilities from Betilla the Fairy as you progress. The very first abilities you learn allow you to hang from ledges and to throw your fists which is your primary means of killing enemies. The other abilities are all generally very standard and nothing particularly unusual, except one, the helicopter ability. This power utilizes Rayman’s hair as a means of flying and this allows you to travel short distances or to save yourself from what would be otherwise fatal falls. Without the bolstered speed and agility from the more recent Rayman instalments like 'Rayman Origins' and 'Rayman Legends' you’re going to find yourself having to rely on your own accuracy and luck to get through this classic, making these abilities are utterly crucial to your success. 

Beneath its cute and colourful exterior lies a game that is punishingly difficult and infinitely frustrating. It really does make me wonder who this game is aimed at; children or adults as though on the surface it clearly looks like a children’s game it is just too incredibly challenging for that to be so. You’re probably wondering what could be so damn hard about this game that I keep mentioning how challenging it is, well, lots of things make it difficult. To begin with, you have a very limited amount of lives and acquiring additional lives is a huge challenge as it requires you to collect 100 blue orbs called Tings. When you die, you lose all your Tings collected so far which can leave you in a never ending loop of dying, being unable to get another life, and dying again. To make matters worse the chances to save the game are few and far between. Once you’ve started a level you have to complete it to be able to save again, there is no saving from the menu and there is no auto save feature. I can genuinely guarantee that, even with the one checkpoint they kindly throw in your general direction, you’ll be replaying certain parts of this game over and over until you want to crush the controller between your palms. 

For those of us who don’t mind a bit of gaming masochism, or employing cheat codes, there’s a staggering 70 levels to shoulder through that are either beautifully designed or, in the very least, pretty to play through. There are six different worlds that are divided into two categories, ‘natural’ and ‘imaginary’. The natural worlds take place in a forest, mountains and caves whereas the imaginary levels are set in worlds that are significantly more dreamlike and unusual. There’s a fair bit of freedom regarding which order you play through the levels in but, since the difficulty scales across the worlds, it’s a lot easier to play the game in the intended way.  At the end of each level you’ll have to defeat a boss enemy and the bosses are pretty interesting creatures, which is much appreciated since up until that point you’ve only been fighting one or two variations of enemy. Fighting enemies is purely to get them out the way so you don’t die and there’s no reward for killing them. To make things harder not all enemies are immediately visible. Instead, enemies tend to pop into existence once you’ve stepped foot in their little ‘area’ of the map such as some narrow platforms above dangerous water. What this usually results in is you being knocked back and taking away some life, knocked into some form of trap such as the water or surviving and still being unable to kill them due to the tiny platform you’re teetering on. Rayman can only take three hits before he dies so you need to be extremely careful when traversing the levels as danger can quite literally appear out of nowhere.

Graphics and audio

This game truly does push the PS1 console to its full capabilities as environmentally the game looks fantastic and it has genuinely aged extremely well, even if everything is 2D. I remember playing through Rayman 3 which was in full on 3D graphics and quite frankly, it looked absolutely dire. I probably enjoyed the game because I was extremely young and very forgiving when it came to games but Rayman feels very much like Oddworld in that, despite being 2D, that’s the best thing for it as it allows much more detail and much better graphics. The music of the game is quite lovely, very satisfying and exists as a great background addition that draws you fully into Rayman’s adventure. The soundtrack is a bit quirky but has a strong retro feel that manages to bring you right back to the 90s in an instant. For me, it was an instant reminder of all the times I’d played this game when I was a kid and I absolutely loved it. 

Although everything is quite cartoony ‘Rayman’ has a very clear identity that sets it apart from typical animated games so, rather than it coming across as childlike, it instead manages to portray itself as a mature, yet fun, platforming game. The levels are incredibly varied and though the distinct worlds mean that some levels have the same theme there is a clear difference in the way you get through the level. Rayman is incredibly animated as well and the humour really does make itself quite pronounced through his animation and his own audio. Sit away from the controller for five goddamn seconds and he’s coughing, trying to get your attention to make him move. I genuinely miss that in games and it was quite a common feature to have your character get a little pissed off if you ignored them for a bit, but Rayman does do it so politely. Apart from his impatience he has a wide range of facial expressions, utter terror being the most hilarious of course. Rayman will quite physically chew on his knuckles at the sight of a monstrous enemy and will appear, genuinely, to have his life flashing before his eyes as he teeters over a ledge. All in all, he’s designed and animated very well and he’s incredibly likable whilst his idle animations and emotions really do bring him to life.

Overall

Rayman is an incredibly memorable experience for me and really is the best 2D game that is on the PS1. As a platformer it’s of incredibly good standard whilst the levels are fun and inventive with plenty in them to maintain your interest. It’s very difficult to get back into due to how punishing it is but, and I’m ashamed to admit it, an infinite lives cheat really does ease the way into the game if you just want to play the thing without murdering everybody around you. The controls are so easy and simple to get used to though the lack of analog sticks is a bit of a pain. Though the game does feel much slower and clunkier than the latest instalments it’s still great fun and a whole different game to the Mario inspired 'Rayman Origins' and 'Rayman Legends' you’ll see today, though they are fantastic too.

Score: 9/10

Rayman Origins - Full Review (PC, PS3, Vita, 3DS, Xbox 360 and Wii game)

I very rarely try out demos as I usually know what kind of game I will or won’t enjoy but this one threw me a little; I’d played the old Rayman games and I didn’t want the image spoiled which is very common with remakes of original classics. I played through that one level of the demo with my girlfriend and we were both so impressed we bought it there and then on Amazon with next day delivery so we could keep on playing. That weekend, we barely left the sofa never mind the house. 

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

The Bad:

• Sometimes a little too challenging
• Often frustrating

The Score: 9/10


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."