Loading ...Rayman: Origins Review
Rayman returns in this whimsical platformer.
It's just another day for Rayman and the gang. The Bubble Dreamer, creator of this world, is lazily blowing away on his pipe, Rayman is sleep eating, while Globox and the Teensies snore away. While everyone seems to be having a good time hanging out in the Snoring Tree there is an old granny down below in the Land of the Livid Dead that isn't enjoying the symphony of sounds. Completely fed up she throws her husbands head up through the vacuum and along with it goes an army of evil creatures and Darktoons that take over their world. Working with up to four local players travel through five worlds saving the Electoons, the Nymphs and getting the Glade of Dreams back to it's original, peaceful, status.
There's a surprisingly large amount to do in this ambitious 2D, side scrolling platformer. The main storyline is, using the character of your choice, saving the Electoons and bringing sanity back to the Bubble Dreamers world. Each of the levels has up to three Electoon cages to find, some hidden more obviously then others, but if you listen carefully you'll hear their cries for help. In order to free that cages you have to destroy all the evil creatures attached to it. Once they are all gone just smash up the cage and keep moving through the level. For every cage you release you'll get an Electoon that will help you unlock other levels and other character and outfits. Collecting high levels of Lums, starting at 150, will also grant you up to three additional Electoons. The easiest way to achieve this is to watch for the King Lums because once you catch him it will temporarily double the value of all the other Lums in the area. Each of the worlds also has a Nymph that watches over it and once you save them they will award you with a new power to help you on your way.
Once you have enough Electoons you'll unlock what could be considered a bonus level. The treasure chest chases are similar to the Nymph rescue sections of the normal levels but you have to keep up with the chest as it runs away from you. The level will constantly be changing around you as you race to keep up with the chest and stay ahead of the camera as it constantly moves forward. These levels can be some of the most frustrating as there are no check points for you to restart from if you misstep or die but they're also some of the most fun and take more skill then the normal levels. There is a definite rhythm to all the levels but these levels more then most. You have to pay close attention to where the treasure chest is stepping but if you listen to the music there are hints to when you should be jumping. Once you finish the five worlds, or even before if you've collected all the ruby teeth for the Guardian of the Dead Door, you can head down to the Land of the Livid dead. While it's technically a continuation of the main plot it feels more like a subplot as it's not something you need to beat to complete the game, though it is highly suggested if you can figure out the final four treasure chest chases.
The final way to earn Electoons is the time trials. Once you've completed a level reentering it will show you a time limit to beat in order to get the new record. Some levels have times as low as 50 seconds so it will take everything you've learned throughout the levels and most likely all the powers you earn in order to pull these speedy times off. To get the time trial to start just whack the clock that shows up and it will start the timer, showing you how much time you have left and when you have to finish it in order to earn Electoons.
Mulitplayer is available throughout the entire game and people can pop in and out as you need or want them too. Unfortunately it's local players only, no online options, and only player one will earn the achievements or have the progress recorded. For many of the levels it is easier to have a friend along. Not only does it mean you don't have to start from the nearest checkpoint if you die but it also, usually, means you're going to be able to collect more Lums. As you get further through the game though having a second person can make things more difficult. Sometimes you just need to power through a level and if you have someone tagging along it can slow you down. It also seems like you're more likely to hit your co-op partners over the enemies which usually leads to someone or everyones death (usually based on how badly your friends want revenge).
The soundtrack for this game is a lot of fun and for all the darkness and evil lurking its surprisingly upbeat. With the music playing such a big part in the levels each melody is specific to certain parts of certain levels. Sadly this means if your struggling with something you could be listening to the same 30 seconds of music on repeat but each world and level has its own sound to be experienced and in the Desert of Dijiridoos, a musically inspired world, just running along the path will allow you to add in your own bit of music. The composers did a really good job of setting the tone of the levels without giving too much away about whats coming up.
Visually, this game is absolutely stunning. From the Jibberish Jungle, through the Desert of Didgeridoos, Gourmand Land, across the Sea of Serendipity and all the way up to the steam punk theme of Mystical Pique every piece of this game was hand drawn. In a world where nearly everything is computer generated to have a game that is entirely hand drawn is amazing. There is just a quality to it that goes beyond what we've clearly become accustomed to as gamers. The bright colours and cartoonish nature of Rayman and friends make the earlier levels of this game fun for the whole family. While it does get darker, and the creatures more frightening as you go further into the game the creatures and level design work together wonderfully to make the game functional without making anything too easy.
A simple style of game requires only a simple control system and Rayman Origins is as precise in it's controls as any of todays top pick games. Using only four buttons and a joy stick you can run, jump, smack and float your way through these levels with ease. The best part of the controls for this game is that because you have to earn abilities you essentially have an entire world of levels to get used to and perfect using the new ability before being taught something new. Its quick to just pick up and start playing, even if you haven't had a lot of time to get used to new abilities, so you're not about to see anyone rage quitting because they don't understand; though rage quitting may not be completely out of the question for other reasons.
Ubisoft really got it right with this game. Going back to gaming basics with a 2D side scroller but jazzing it up with some incredible hand drawn artwork and a story that is open enough for people new to the franchise makes it a great pick for the whole family. The difficulty level is a slow increase so you're never going to be suddenly stuck in a situation you won't be able to figure out and it doesn't take any time at all to figure out the basic controls. The ending does feel a bit abrupt and anyone who hasn't played a Rayman game before might be confused about parts but it doesn't ruin the experience up to that point. Save for that minor complaint, Rayman: Origins is the finest adventure our limbless hero has ever graced, and a testament as to why platformers still deserve a place on current-gen consoles.
| Rayman: Origins | |
|---|---|
| Gameplay |   |
| A great story that doesn't completely alienate people that don't know the original franchise. | |
| Sound |  |
| Uniformly fun and upbeat music, but it can become somewhat annoying if you're stuck getting through any part of a level. | |
| Graphics | |
| One of the most gorgeous looking platformers of this, or any console generation, all running at a smooth 60 frames per second. | |
| Controls | |
| Simplistic controls with little to no learning curve required. | |
| Overall | |
| Rayman: Origins is a game that is as fun to play as it is beautiful. 60+ levels of platforming goodness, with replay value in spades. | |
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