Who Says You Can't Buy Fun?
When the disruptively loud snoring of Bubble Dreamer, Rayman, Globox and a couple of teensies enrages an old lady('hag' would've been a better word) in the Land of the Livid Dead into sending a hoard of vile creatures and darktoons to the Glade of Dreams, it falls on Rayman and his friends to free the imprisoned Electoons and Nymphs, restore Bubble Dreamer's sanity and ultimately order to the Glade of Dreams.
The jaw-dropping visuals will no-doubt be the first thing you notice as you embark on your adventure through the Glade. The power of the Ubiart Framework is brought to bear with crisp, fluid animations backed by wonderful character and level design. This lays the foundation for the exceptional platforming with dazzling jumps and slides. Shrinking and running along walls are among other perks you unlock as you free the Nymphs and Electoons.
The levels are segmented and pretty straight-forward with little to no puzzle elements and though this might not make the game too challenging for older and more refined gamers ,it makes for very fluid , free-flowing and fun gameplay. The segmentation of the levels is a very intuitive touch in my opinion; releasing players from the chore of saving intermittently and also doubling as a very effective checkpoint system.
There are, however, some fast-paced levels that do require a fair amount of concentration and quick, well-timed button presses and mosquito-riding(yes mosquito), sine mora-like levels that require some timing and button-mashing. Boss levels are formulaic(as with most platformers) and make up for their relative ease with fun and creative combat patterns.
Ubisoft barely put a foot wrong in what proves to be an excellent experience for gamers of all ages. Rayman Origins is an artistic novelty that doesn't surrender gameplay, story-telling or the fun-factor to entreat you to a gorgeous world. It's fluidity will keep you prancing along the Glade of Dreams but will most-likely be unable to offer any real challenge to fringe gamers.
The platforming is outstanding but can get a bit boring after a while in some sections. Nevertheless, Rayman Origins delivers more than enough humour, beauty and plain,old fun to blot out these rare dull moments.