RAYMAN!
If you create a man with no legs, no arms, no neck, a scarf that stays on despite no neck, and some pretty slick shoes, you get one of the most famous platformer protagonists of all time, 2 3D platformers, a Rayman minigame collection, and 2 new 2D games that are reminiscent of the game's original format: Rayman Legends and Rayman Origins. But today we will be diving in to some of the most colourful video games of all time: Rayman. This is where it all starts, and my second review is here!
Fun Factor
Every game has to be fun, otherwise there's just.. no point in playing it. So does Rayman have the fun factor that you're looking for.
It does to some extent.
This game is full of unique game mechanics, impeccable level design and some of the most interesting characters of all time. I mean, it's a game about a man with no limbs, how could it not be fun?
The first world, named "The Dream Forest" is great for learning the ropes and not being too easy, and the next world "Band Land" is such a unique world where all of the levels are created entirely by things related to music, and the boss battle with the giant saxophone is such a clever way to battle. Now here's the thing.
Obviously you want to complete the game in the easiest way possible, but you want to have some quality gaming. You only have to look from "Blue Mountains" onward to see the issues. Not only do the stages get shorter, each of the singular level's designs start to go down-hill. The penultimate world is full of nasty one-hit kills and is seemingly impossible to do unless you have prior knowledge about whats coming ahead, which if you play for the first time, is not going to happen.
And then, once you've completed every boss apart from the final boss, named.... "Mr. Dark" you're ready to go onto the final world made entirely of candy and..... IT'S NOT UNLOCKED
You see, the whole plot centers around a thing called The Great Protoon which holds the balance and harmony of Rayman's world. But the horribly named villain steals The Great Protoon and the protectors called "electoons" are scattered across the world and trapped in cages. There are 6 cages to get in every stage, including hidden ones. Now, what you have to do, is replay EVERY SINGLE WORLD to unlock every single electoon cage in the game before proceeding onto the final world. Playing all the levels you have completed, if you get to that stage, is horrible and unfair, and it completely obliterates the fun in the game and makes playing Rayman feel like a chore. You really do have to be prepared, whilst it's fun and entertaining when you first play it, that feeling will disappear fairly quickly.
Gameplay
If there's no quality gameplay inside a game, then playing it is pointless, and almost gruelling, and the whole thing is a waste of your money. But don't worry, Rayman's got you covered.
Every little mechanic, every little boss battle, every single level is bursting with new elements of gameplay, and unique playing techniques that can be used to complete each level. Despite the extreme difficulty you'll have to face, especially during "Picture City" using the power ups is always very fun. There are also many different areas to explore and different ways to complete each level that it really feels that every space is used for something that isn't just platforming. The level design, as I've mentioned, does take a turn, mostly in "Picture City" but the levels are still possible to complete. It's really hit and miss, some levels, especially in "Band Land" really hit the mark with the gameplay, but other areas of the game really don't fit the bill. Having to compete with games such as Mario is no easy task, but some issues are to hard to forgive.
Controls
The controls of a game have to be good, otherwise it makes games impossible to beat, slow, or just boring. Unfortunately, Rayman didn't do so well.
The controls are responsive, don't get me wrong, but they are sometimes way too clunky and stiff for what the game requires you to do, especially further on into the game. Punching and ducking is always very hard as the game is extremely glitchy and slow, but even using purple lums is and extremely hard thing to do as the controls on the game are very poor and disappointing. It has some sort of stickiness when playing, which makes the games difficulty rise, especially at the second half of the game. Overall, the controls are responsive, but it doesn't make up for the clunkiness of them.
Graphics
To this day, whilst they might not be too good today, the graphics back in the day for Rayman, and even for me now, are amazing. The cut-scenes might not have a lot to give, but every level is bursting with colour in every pixel that you see on the screen. Every character is rounded off, and none of them look rushed. It has one of the best graphics at hte time for a 2D game. You never mistake something for something else, it's always clear what something is, and I love the graphics. They were mind-blowing at the time, and they still are pretty admirable to this day!
Sound
Rayman has an amazing soundtrack. From beautifully relaxing scores, to funky grooves, to little pieces of impeccable songs, it probably has one of the best PS1 soundtracks of all time. They really add to the gameplay, and you can't help but tap your feet to the beats that this game provides.
Overall, this is a pretty good game. Whilst it may seem easy and fun, don't be fooled. Thanks for reading!