Game Review: Rayman Legends

Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier

Publisher: Ubisoft

Genre: Platformer

Formats: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, PC, PS Vita

Age Rating: 3+ (PEGI)

Deep within the ancient mountains of gaming, stood upon it’s tallest peak, stands a legend among legends: The plumber called Mario. Throughout his long years, he has been on many adventures, defeated many foes and fended off many rivals.

They may have speed. They may have technical prowess. They may have talkative companions. But they still can’t stand up to Mario’s charm, challenge and ability to adapt to the ever shifting paradigm of gaming.

Yet one remained determined and steadfast. A French rival with a cult following from the days of the Playstation and Saturn who possessed no limbs yet inexplicably still had hands and feet. He too possessed the ability to adapt to change, yet he also had the ability to see flaws in his opponent, see where they were weak and capitalise.

It has taken so long, but Mario, master of the platformer, has been defeated.

The 2D, side scrolling platform genre has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance in recent years. Debatably starting with the Nintendo DS release of New Super Mario Bros, games such as Super Meat Boy, ‘Splosion Man, Little Big Planet, Mega Man 9 and Sonic Generations (though I thought the Sonic Rush games on the DS were better) have continued to remind us why we loved these games before.

However, for all his quality, Mario has been sat on his laurels ever since. The New Super Mario Bros series has remained challenging but still full of flaws that could easily be removed as a problem, as Rayman Origins showed.

It’s difficult to discuss Rayman Legends without discussing its prequel Origins as the two are largely the same. Both feature highly challenging, imaginative platform gaming that push your reactions to the limit, yet they also temper their sometimes insane challenge with fairness by putting you straight back into the game should you fail. Miss that jump? Barely three seconds later, you’re back at the last checkpoint, which are plentiful without ever becoming too numerous and you can keep trying over and over again until you get it right. Contrast that with New Super Mario Bros. U (on Wii U, as the naming conventions for the series make little sense) where whenever you die you have to watch Mario thrown into the air, listen to the music, see your number of lives count down, return to the over world map, reselect the level and only then can you continue again from either the start of the level or the mid-way checkpoint if you reached it.

Mario remains largely dictated by his past in terms of gameplay, his floaty style of momentum based jumping pretty much exactly as it was since the NES, with a few tweaks here and there. Rayman, while retaining his precision jump needs, has upped his pace considerably making these games more race like in some cases. In conjunction with the quick turnaround after death, it makes the game’s challenges easier to bare unlike in Mario where after you’ve re-tread a huge chunk of the level you’ll probably make the same mistake again.

There’s barely any story. Basically, baddies have invaded and you have to sort them out. Oh, and while you’re at it, you may as well save the blue Teenises as well. Scattered throughout each level are ten of the critters, two of which are hidden in short challenge rooms. They’re usually not hidden far off the beaten path, but finding them all can be more of a challenge then it first appears. Rescuing them also opens up additional levels to play across the game’s core five worlds. There’s also ten playable princesses to ‘rescue’, though really it’s closer to ‘complete this level we’ve specially set aside and then you’ll unlock her’ then an actual rescue.

Since Little Big Planet, all big name disc based 2D platform releases have had to feature four player local co-operative multiplayer for reasons only the green fairies likely know. New Super Mario Bros. Wii and U utilized the concept in a manner that's more frustrating than anything else with players bouncing off each other in a manner akin to cricket balls in a tumble drier, making some of the more difficult platforming challenges infuriating beyond belief.

Rayman, in contrast, allows players to happily jump through each other as if they’re not there, though they can punch and slap each other at will, as well as form towers by standing on each other’s shoulders and form ropes by hanging from each other’s arms. Unless you have the Wii U version of the game, there aren’t any challenges specifically designed around multiple players on screen however, so it’s mostly there purely as a challenge to see who can get the most points, or lums, in a given level (collecting lums allows you to unlock additional characters to play). There’s no online mode for the co-operative play, but it does work better when all the players are in the same room.

Speaking of utilizing existing ideas better, Rayman Legends on the Wii U also uses a similar idea to New Super Mario Bros. U with the Wii U’s Gamepad. Whoever has the gamepad can take on the role of green frog fairy thing Murfy in order to manipulate the environment and tickle enemies. Even when playing on your own, there are levels where you have to take the role of Murfy with the character on screen controlled by largely robust but occasionally stupid AI who you have to help through the obstacle filled world, but the idea works at its best with friends, making this version five players as supposed to four on the other systems. As Rayman Legends was originally developed as a Wii U exclusive, other platforms had to relegate this feature to contextual button presses, though you at least don’t need to deal with the AI completely ignoring a Teensie or jumping straight over the platform you just placed for them to their deaths.

Along with the main set of levels, there’s also rejigged ‘invasion’ levels based on levels you’ve completed, which act as time trials, along with music based levels where your every jump and attack need to be in rhythm with the bizarre renditions of classical and rock music in order to succeed (Eye of the Tiger played partially on a kazoo along with a Mariachi band is brilliant). Along with that, there’s recreations of levels from Rayman Origins, a football game and an online Challenge mode which randomly sets players daily and weekly challenges on speed and distance runs. The trophies are based on whatever the best score or time currently is, so it’s entirely possible to go from a platinum trophy at the beginning of the challenge to a bronze one when it ends.

So, Rayman Legends has its gameplay, but what it also has is zany charm beyond belief thanks to its art style and music. There’s no better way to describe it then saying it’s like a cartoon come to life with each of the sprites wonderfully animated and packed with detail. There are 3D characters as well, most noticeably in large scale boss battles and they too have the same detail and craziness, never looking out of place among the 2D art.

The music and sounds are epic, impactful and crazy with orchestral music mixed with things like the fore mentioned Mariachi band rendition of Eye of the Tiger. It adds a lot to things like chasing or running from boss enemies to swimming around in a serene ocean.

Rayman’s been up and down in the past. His first adventure was a charming romp that hid a punishing difficulty. His first 3D adventure was pretty good for the time but it’s been remade on pretty much everything electronic while the third game seems to have been forgotten. After being upstaged by the Raving Rabbids, it’s good to see Rayman return to platforming in such a way. With Michel Ancel continuing to be at the helm, I’d simply advise you to stop reading and buy this game. Right now (preferably on Wii U as it was originally designed with the thing in mind).

Verdict: BUY NOW!!!