Rayman Origins Review
After being pushed to the side by the Raving Rabbids for the past few years, Rayman is back with an all new game that combines side-scrolling action and a goofy sense of humor to create a uniquely wacky platformer. Rayman Origins allows up to four players to run, jump, and occasionally fly through a variety of themed worlds in what can only be described as classic platforming. With outstanding visuals and a top notch soundtrack, Rayman Origins is another great title for the platformer enthusiast.
There isn’t much of a story to speak of, but what little there is carries a goofy tone that clearly doesn’t take itself too seriously. Outside of the opening and closing cutscenes, the light-hearted plot of the game takes a backseat to the action-packed gameplay. Platforming fans should feel right at home here, and even novice players will have an easy time of learning the simple concepts that the gameplay is based around. Rayman Origins clearly takes its cues from old-school platformers where a few simple actions such as running, punching, and sprinting up walls can open the way to a myriad of unique challenges.
One hit deaths means you have to keep your reflexes sharp and dodge obstacles.
Possibly the key feature that makes Rayman Origins stand out is the fact that there are no lives; you can retry an area indefinitely, the only penalty is restarting at the last checkpoint such as the last door you stepped through. This may seem a little lax initially, but with no health bar and plenty of tricky traps, you’ll be restarting checkpoints a lot more often than you might initially assume. Whether it was the infinite retries or the devilish traps that came first, the end result is the same: a whole heaping mess of perilous paths and oftentimes cheap deaths. This isn’t to say that this set-up is bad–the game challenges you to truly master your reflexes and more often than not anticipate dangers based on simple cues, which can be a lot of fun to master. Just be aware that dying is a relatively minor penalty but quite common as you brave crazy and cruel stages over and over.
Side-scrolling might seem like it would grow stale after a while, but Rayman Origins varies the gameplay with flying levels similar to side-scrolling shooters where you ride a mosquito and shoot down enemies out of the sky. It’s an appropriately bizarre concept that fits right in with Rayman, while the stages themselves are a ton of fun and a nice diversion from the main platforming. Furthermore, each world includes a bonus level that has you chasing down a treasure chest. These levels are true tests of reflexes–and sometimes trial and error as you learn the best way to proceed–and are a real treat to finish. Completing tricky levels is always satisfying, and Rayman Origins has plenty for you to sink your teeth into.
Mosquito stages mimic classic shooters, though significantly weirder.
Up to four players can get in on the platforming action to create an even crazier, more hectic experience. Playing with friends is always a blast, but in Rayman Origins it almost makes the game unplayable. The camera already has a tendency to zoom out so that your character is relatively tiny on the screen, and having multiple characters only makes the situation worse. Landing tricky jumps or dodging hazards can be a complete headache with more than one player. Stages that require speed or carefully timed jumps are nigh impossible on multi-player, not least because it’s possible to hit other players to stun them slightly. It certainly adds to the wacky hijinks that this game loves, but it can also be a frustrating interruption. Granted, the infinite amount of lives and retries eases the weight of failure, but if you’re really trying to finish a level well, it’s best to stick to single player.
Rayman Origins has several control options on Wii, though one stands far above the others. The Wii remote alone benefits from its simple form, but holding down B in order to run–which you’ll be doing near constantly–isn’t all that comfortable. Adding a nunchuk gives you better button mapping, but the control stick pales significantly in comparison to the D-pad as a method of movement. As such, the Classic Controller is the best bet–if you don’t have one you’ll be stuck with somewhat awkward controls throughout the whole game. One constant no matter what controller you use, though, is how floaty Rayman feels as you run and jump. His movements feel a little too loose; running and jumping aren’t quite perfectly precise, leading you to skid and sway, often into harm’s way. It’s not enough of a problem as to ruin the entire gameplay, but it’s a noticeable annoyance throughout the game that may well lead to slippery deaths.
The artwork is both stylish and detailed; it's tempting to stop playing just to appreciate the scenery.
The developers have done a truly amazing job with the 2d art design. The characters and enemies are filled with charm and personality while the backgrounds feature absolutely gorgeous views whether on land, under the sea, or in the sky. The detail is exquisite and the entire game maintains the goofy attitude that makes it so endearing. The animation is wonderfully done as well–Rayman doesn’t need arms or legs to show off smooth movements, again packed with comical charm. The one glaring problem here though is that the game seems much more focused on the scenery than on the actual gameplay. The camera is generally so far zoomed out that your character is practically a speck on the screen. This problem is significantly worse in multiplayer but even when playing solo it’s a noticeable obstacle to precise platformer play. On a lighter note, the soundtrack is top notch, featuring funky tunes and catchy beats to pull you into the game experience. Much of the music has an almost theme park-like feel to it, one that exudes frivolity and fun into the atmosphere.
Rayman Origins offers a solid game length with plenty of extra material to keep you coming back for more. Just finishing the main game would last a good ten hours or so, but there is a lot more to do here. Each level includes extra objectives to increase the challenge and reward you with more Electoons which in turn allow you to access bonus levels and bonus characters. The characters are a purely cosmetic change but the bonus treasure chest levels are a blast, and completing all of them unlocks yet more content. Additionally, you can replay levels in time trial mode to test your speed. All told, it takes a lot to finish everything the game offers, and all of it is fun to play.
Rayman Origins melds classic platformer gameplay concepts with beautifully designed 2D artwork, resulting in a wonderfully modern side-scrolling game. Despite some strange zoom issues and a less than stellar multi-player mode, the gameplay is both clever and challenging while the game as a whole is charming. For limbless platformer heroes, you can’t beat Rayman.
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