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In terms of years in gaming, 2011 is the one that came closest to beating out 1998 as the best. In 2011 we had such terrific and revolutionary games as Skyward Sword, Skyrim, and Skylanders (there were a lot of “sky” games for some reason...) One underappreciated gem had to be Rayman Origins, Ubisoft's reboot to their Rayman franchise. While the game didn't perform well commercially, the game was a darling among critics who praised its smart platforming, balanced difficulty, and wacky sense of style. But, history has a long list of critically successful games that never saw a sequel because of poor sales. Fortunately, Rayman Origins was not one of them and now we have Rayman Legends to enjoy, praise be to Miyamoto.
Rayman Legends was originally going to be an exclusive released back in February as a Wii U exclusive. We all know how that turned out. Now, the game recently saw a multiplatform release. Speaking as someone who was justifiably outraged at the game's delay back in February, I can safely say that it was well worth the wait. Rayman Legends is a fine sequel to its predecessor and a masterpiece of platforming genius.
In Rayman Legends, you play as one of several denizens of the Glade of Dreams. You can play as Rayman, or his friend Globox, or a teensy, or one of the many princesses you rescue on your journey to rid the Glade of Dreams of the nightmares plaguing it.
As with Origins, the platforming in Legends is simply top notch. The flow is impeccable and the difficulty perfectly balanced. This game is hard, but the forgiving checkpoint system keeps it from being frustrating. The infinite lives mean you won't have to replay failed levels over and over again. Each failure flows into the next attempt until you finally achieve victory. A new type of level introduced in this game are the music segments. In these musical parts of the games, you guide Rayman and Co. through an auto-scrolling level similar to the treasure chest chases in the first game, using audio and visual cues to know when to jump. These are some of the best moments in the game, and each one is a challenge and treat to play.
There are even 8-bit renditions of these courses that can be unlocked later on. However, the gimmick with these levels is that they have a tendency to remove the visual cues using very Eternal Darkness-esque techniques, like hiding the game behind TV static or distorting the screen. These stages are experimental and weird, which I like, but the absence of any checkpoints makes them far more frustrating and ruins the impeccably balanced difficulty we see in the rest of the game.
The level design is wonderfully varied and unique. Each world has its own unique feel and theme. In one world you might be avoiding detection in the subaquatic lair of some evil mastermind in what feels like an homage to stealth games like Splinter Cell. In the next you'll find yourself running away from a rampant luchador and then you're off to fight a giant smog monster in an ancient Greece-inspired locale. This whacky sense of character makes the game feel fresh and unique and I was always eager to see what crazy new thing it will pull off next.
Levels from Rayman Origins are also included in Rayman Legends. Normally, I would criticize the developers for being so lazy and reusing old content instead of focusing on making the new. This still applies, but I must admit that it's hard to grudge them given all the content that's in the game besides and the old levels look really nice in HD and in Legend's new 3D rendering. Yes, Rayman Legends is rendered in 3D, but most of the models are designed to look like they are in 2D. In short, this blend of 2D and 3D looks absolutely beautiful and very animated. Everything pops in a way that it simply didn't in Origins.
Special mention must be made to Kung Foot, a special competitive multiplayer feature. This simple, condensed version of soccer is a complete blast to play with your friends. Blisteringly fast-paced, hitting a soccer ball into the opponent's goal becomes intensely competitive. It keeps the same controls as the main game, so there's no extra learning curve. It's an addicting distraction from the main game, and I commend the genius at Ubisoft who thought it was a good idea to put a mini-FIFA with Rayman Legends, or at least a FIFA that's actually fun (oh snap, burn!)
The Wii U version supports up to five players via the GamePad. The player with GamePad can play as either a traditional character or Murphy, a sprite who has the power to influence objects in the environment and tickle enemies defenseless. He can move platforms, cut ropes, and eat paths through cake frosting. This is easily the best use of the GamePad for a multiplayer Wii U game since Nintendo Land. Having five players onscreen at once does not result in such a clusterfucky experience as in the New Super Mario Bros. games as players are not constantly bouncing off one another. There are still instances of slower players getting killed offscreen, but it's really not that big of an issue if everyone keeps up.
A few levels in the game require Murphy's assistance. Unfortunately, that means if you're playing in single player, you have to play as Murphy instead and guide an AI ally through the course. The AI is competent. It'll get through the level easily enough and won't run headlong into traps too often. But, if you miss a secret it can't be told to go back to fetch it. Rayman Legends is a game best played in multiplayer whenever possible, where you can coordinate your actions among human players.
Like it's predecessor, Rayman Legends is a fantastic platformer that any fan of the genre shouldn't miss. The terrific sense of style paired with thrilling level design makes for an entirely enjoyable experience.
Rayman Legends was originally going to be an exclusive released back in February as a Wii U exclusive. We all know how that turned out. Now, the game recently saw a multiplatform release. Speaking as someone who was justifiably outraged at the game's delay back in February, I can safely say that it was well worth the wait. Rayman Legends is a fine sequel to its predecessor and a masterpiece of platforming genius.
In Rayman Legends, you play as one of several denizens of the Glade of Dreams. You can play as Rayman, or his friend Globox, or a teensy, or one of the many princesses you rescue on your journey to rid the Glade of Dreams of the nightmares plaguing it.
As with Origins, the platforming in Legends is simply top notch. The flow is impeccable and the difficulty perfectly balanced. This game is hard, but the forgiving checkpoint system keeps it from being frustrating. The infinite lives mean you won't have to replay failed levels over and over again. Each failure flows into the next attempt until you finally achieve victory. A new type of level introduced in this game are the music segments. In these musical parts of the games, you guide Rayman and Co. through an auto-scrolling level similar to the treasure chest chases in the first game, using audio and visual cues to know when to jump. These are some of the best moments in the game, and each one is a challenge and treat to play.
There are even 8-bit renditions of these courses that can be unlocked later on. However, the gimmick with these levels is that they have a tendency to remove the visual cues using very Eternal Darkness-esque techniques, like hiding the game behind TV static or distorting the screen. These stages are experimental and weird, which I like, but the absence of any checkpoints makes them far more frustrating and ruins the impeccably balanced difficulty we see in the rest of the game.
The level design is wonderfully varied and unique. Each world has its own unique feel and theme. In one world you might be avoiding detection in the subaquatic lair of some evil mastermind in what feels like an homage to stealth games like Splinter Cell. In the next you'll find yourself running away from a rampant luchador and then you're off to fight a giant smog monster in an ancient Greece-inspired locale. This whacky sense of character makes the game feel fresh and unique and I was always eager to see what crazy new thing it will pull off next.
Levels from Rayman Origins are also included in Rayman Legends. Normally, I would criticize the developers for being so lazy and reusing old content instead of focusing on making the new. This still applies, but I must admit that it's hard to grudge them given all the content that's in the game besides and the old levels look really nice in HD and in Legend's new 3D rendering. Yes, Rayman Legends is rendered in 3D, but most of the models are designed to look like they are in 2D. In short, this blend of 2D and 3D looks absolutely beautiful and very animated. Everything pops in a way that it simply didn't in Origins.
Special mention must be made to Kung Foot, a special competitive multiplayer feature. This simple, condensed version of soccer is a complete blast to play with your friends. Blisteringly fast-paced, hitting a soccer ball into the opponent's goal becomes intensely competitive. It keeps the same controls as the main game, so there's no extra learning curve. It's an addicting distraction from the main game, and I commend the genius at Ubisoft who thought it was a good idea to put a mini-FIFA with Rayman Legends, or at least a FIFA that's actually fun (oh snap, burn!)
The Wii U version supports up to five players via the GamePad. The player with GamePad can play as either a traditional character or Murphy, a sprite who has the power to influence objects in the environment and tickle enemies defenseless. He can move platforms, cut ropes, and eat paths through cake frosting. This is easily the best use of the GamePad for a multiplayer Wii U game since Nintendo Land. Having five players onscreen at once does not result in such a clusterfucky experience as in the New Super Mario Bros. games as players are not constantly bouncing off one another. There are still instances of slower players getting killed offscreen, but it's really not that big of an issue if everyone keeps up.
A few levels in the game require Murphy's assistance. Unfortunately, that means if you're playing in single player, you have to play as Murphy instead and guide an AI ally through the course. The AI is competent. It'll get through the level easily enough and won't run headlong into traps too often. But, if you miss a secret it can't be told to go back to fetch it. Rayman Legends is a game best played in multiplayer whenever possible, where you can coordinate your actions among human players.
Like it's predecessor, Rayman Legends is a fantastic platformer that any fan of the genre shouldn't miss. The terrific sense of style paired with thrilling level design makes for an entirely enjoyable experience.
I know, it's Pokemonth and I said I'd be writing a lot of Pokemon-related content, but I never said I would only post Pokemon content. Don't worry, the Pokemon Content is coming soon (and just as a heads up, I'll probably be doing a review for Wonderful 101 during Pokemonth as well).
© 2013 - 2024 Bladefinger
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