16 years after his inception, Rayman is reborn, and whoo-boy - is it for the better!
Talk about a big mistake. In fact, it may have eternally passed my radar if it weren't for our 6 year old daughter, Mariko. She hasn't played too many video games, both due to the vast amount of mature content and the fact that we wanted her to have a healthier balance of literature and the ability to focus on more important things; but as we started letting her play video games, we went to the shop and let her look around and pick a game that caught her eye. She turned her attention to the screen that shows previews, and she was giggling excitedly as the trailer for Rayman Origins played - and she made it known that she wanted it, and considering the game is as offensive as a Teddy Bear we saw no reason why she couldn't have it.
As I watched her start the game, grasp the controls and get the hang of what was going on - suddenly my interest was drawn. Granted I had already cracked a smile at the humorous intro and Michel Ansel's artwork, more beautiful and loveable than ever (It says something when an artists style can make you smile before anything even happens.), but no the game itself actually made me want to pick up the controller too. It looked fast, fluid, and it appeared to have that "flow" that I felt was missing from the original title. I looked at the case and noticed the advertised co-op feature, and soon enough Mariko & I were playing - and it didn't take long for Chie to join in on the fun, and we were having a blast!
It can be said now: Rayman Origins is easily the best 2D Platformer I have played since the days of the Super Nintendo and Sega Megadrive, and is on par with some of their greats. I'll even say it comes close to rivaling my all time favourite 2D Platformer, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles. 16 years after his inception, Rayman is reborn, and whoo-boy - is it for the better!
The gameplay is at face value your standard 2D platforming fare, but what makes Rayman Origins so spectacular is its sense of flow and speed. With games such as Prince of Persia and Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft has shown a keen interest and keen knowledge of the art of parkour - and it has applied the feel of parkour to a traditional 2D plane, when you get into the groove of Rayman Origins, you are gracefully gliding, sliding, swinging and leaping from walls, platforms, ropes and various other handholds and it feels wonderous. It helps that the levels are all designed brilliantly, that the visuals are so beautifully animated and charming (Seriously, if you don't crack a smile at least once at this games colourful antics - you have no soul.), and that the controls are so silky smooth. Everything that makes a great platformer is here, and then some. It also provides a great challenge, yet never feels frustrating due to silky smooth controls and the fact that Ubisoft has wisely bucked the lives system that is so unnecessary these days. Don't get me wrong, the game is hard - quite hard - at times, but the lack of a lives system means there is less pressure when you die, meaning less frustration and yet the game's challenge is still firm enough to give you incentive to put your all into it and get better so you can finally get that damn Death's tooth or make it out of a tricky level.
It should also be said that it does co-op spectacularly. It is a surprising step above other attempts at real-time 2D platforming co-op, rather than the often frustrating chaos of New Super Mario Bros. Wii - Rayman Origins co-op is far smoother and while you'll still end up slapping your partner or laughing as they slam into a wall and their character hangs by the ledge by their teeth, twitching in cartoonish pain - you will never feel frustrated or annoyed by their presence. It all flows smoothly, single player and multiplayer and it is arguably even better with a friend. It is one of the best times I have ever had with my wife while playing a video game together, and it was made all the more fun and endearing that we were also enjoying it with our daughter.
It really is hard to say anything bad about this game. It's beautiful, it controls well, it's fun, it's challenging, it is everything you want a game to be. Can I complain? Well, some of the underwater levels got on my nerves and admittedly, I feel the game could have been a little longer and had a larger variety of levels and boss types. The levels are all quite varied and themed well based on their worlds and said worlds don't overstay their welcome, but they all end with a token Mosquito segment and freerun to grab lums. There are very few bosses that you fight without flying on the aforementioned Mosquito and a few more gameplay tricks and gimmicks might have been nice.
But really, that's all I can complain about. That's all I can subtract. Rayman Origins is one of those games that is pure, undiluted fun and it is a game you can return to over and over, not to mention it is a wonderful alternative if you are tired of dull, brown colours, guns, and space marines. I pray that Ubisoft and Michel Ansel realize that what they have her is one hell of a gem, no, a diamond - and continue in the direction started by Rayman Origins. Maybe then I could understand why this character has endured for so long.