Title: Rayman Origins
Developed By: Ubisoft Montpellier
Published By: Ubisoft
Based on: The Rayman series of Games
Console: Playstation 3 / XBox360 /Wii
Release Date: 24th November 2011
Genre: Side-scrolling Platformer
Audio: English
Subtitles: English
Region: This review was conducted on the Playstation 3 version of the title. This was based on the Australian version of the game however no difference should be present between regions or consoles.
Special Thanks: Ubisoft Australia, for providing me with a review sample.
When I originally began playing the Rayman series, it was Rayman 2: The Great Escape (One of the special editions with the bonus VHS to boot!) and it always stood out in my head as being a game that took itself seriously, but also had a lot of fun in doing so from riding kegs with legs to a certain airship mini-game where you had to rescue the baby Globox’s…. … … and honestly the time I spent trying to do that they could have been left there for all I cared in the end. Rayman 3: Hoodlum in turn took itself even further with a more light hearted and comical storyline and the funky LSD-inspired mini-games. However, the game has returned to its original roots as a side-scrolling platformer and I won’t deny that upon hearing this I felt disappointed that we were not getting Rayman 4 and that this wasn’t even going to be a 3D Platformer. But you know what…. my concerns drifted away mere moments after playing this game at the EB Games Expo, and having finished the game I look back and wonder what my concerns were about. How did the game play? Read on to find out in my review of Rayman Origins!
To me, a storyline is usually the second most important element behind the actual gameplay systems for a game. However, there are times when I suppose I must take an exception as there isn’t really much of a storyline at all in this game – perhaps remenisant of the old side-scrolling platformers which generally focused more on gameplay and delivering plot. Anyway, Rayman, Globox and the two Teensies are sleeping in the Glade of Dreams however some old lady from the underworld finds their loud snoring annoying, so like any good neighbour does she sends out an army of netherworld creatures and Darktoons around the world while kidnapping Electoons, Nymphs and Lums and hiding them around various different regions. The obvious role of the four main characters is to traverse the world and rescue them else the world could be in chaos. The storyline is what it is – nothing all that special but does leave the creativity of other departments to pick up the slack.
The one thing that stood out most in this game was the design quality, to the point where I would consider it to be the most imaginative and well implemented design of any game this year, if not for this entire generation of gaming. Sure there was no 3D character models of realistic environments to be seen, however in terms of getting their intended style across as well as for originality, the game deserves full marks. Looking at the character designs, they are meant to be comical renditions of Rayman, Globox and two Teensies and come out brilliantly by not only having the 2D detail but also something you can laugh at with a group of mates while playing this games four player mode – for example in the games mosquito flying stages, Rayman and the Teensies ride the mosquito, the mosquito rides Globox which might seem like small aesthetic changes but it is rare for a designer to express comedy purely based on design, but Ubisoft have indeed pulled it off.
But wait… THERE’S MORE! The environment designs even surpass the character design quality, with some of the most colourful and imaginative designs I have seen in a 2D platformer before. Most of the environment is very active, so if you are not trying to avoid some creatively designed enemies then you are most likely avoiding cannonballs dropping from the sky, moving to and from collapsing pillars or in the more likely scenario, looking to stop at a detail and then find your character as a bubble – as you do not just die in this game… just get bubblefied. While there is a limitation that they don’t have as many actual levels as I would have liked (Which would have expanded on the design potential), this is what I was expecting from a side-scrolling game of this generation and I hope future games of this genre will use this game as an example of how to do it RIGHT.
If you thought the design was quirky, then this soundtrack will most probably be even quirkier. The soundtrack has a nice set of songs even if you may consider some of them repetitive at points, but despite this they are suited to the design and pacing perfectly. As an example, at one point in the game once you learn how to dive you are sent into a level filled with harmless fish, but they have a soundtrack that has cute little noises that makes the fish look like they are singing. In terms of voice talent, most of the characters voices were replaced by babbling, similar to that of Rayman 2: The Great Escape, which does get annoying considering how few little speech there is – but it is only a minor qualm as there isn’t all that much of it in the first place.
First of all, before I go into details about the gameplay I would like to make it perfectly clear that this game is a multiplayer game, and that while you can get through the game and enjoy it a lot going solo, I found it much more fun having my brother as Player 2, going through the levels and heck… even having the spontaneous slap wars such as the one pictured above. In terms of local multiplayer, as the games main gameplay draw it does a good job in giving you benefits – such as an extra set of hands to collect lums of defeat enemies with and to de-bubblefy you, however also has some drawbacks including the second players evil streak in knocking you off the stage with a good ol’ slap (As “friendly-fire” is activated). It is however something a family could enjoy and I can certainly say mine did!
The core gameplay is what you would expect of any side-scroller, you travel from left to right, defeating enemies and surviving through the tricks and traps the game provides you. Of course, this in itself would only get the game a C Grade as best for gameplay…. Rayman Origins takes the genre much further. It might be a shock to begin with but Rayman and his friends do not start with any of the characteristic Rayman moves such as the ability to fly – but every set of stages you receive one from the nymphs which allows the game to present you new tactics every level without seeming repetitive. This also allows you to revisit the previous stages and unlock new secrets giving the game a much greater replay value for those who are completionists.
Even more rewarding are where they ditch the normal formula altogether and have you flying on the back of a mosquito attacking and sucking in enemies, chasing after cages and chests that prefer to run away than let you break them, speed runs and levels that are difficult enough to make you repeat multiple times but have you finding new secrets every time. When it comes to replayability, if you just want to get from A to B in every level and complete the game that way, you are looking at very little and will miss out on much of what this game has to offer. For those who like me do enjoy straying away from the track, finding hidden stages, playing the game with groups of friends and even unlocking many alternate costumes/skins for characters than you are looking at many more hours of enjoyment that might even encourage the less hardcore games to consider Platinuming/1000G’ing it.
All in all, this might not be the game for the hardcore gamer who enjoys their First Person Shooters or the more serious games, however this game in my opinion would appeal to anyone who has found even the slightest bit of enjoyment in similar games in the past. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and while I would still much rather prefer Rayman 4 to finally make it to release, it was much better than what I was expecting it to be. Now….. we just need more people to ditch Team Edward and Team Jacob and consider joining the winning team…. TEAM GLOBOX!
Final Score
Storyline/Character Development: C
Design: A
Music/Voice Acting: A
Gameplay: A
Replayability: A-
Personal Opinion: A
Overall Score: S
(S-Rank is the highest score possible on this site. This game is a strong contender for my Game of the Year 2011)
