Rayman Arena is a lazy excuse for a multiplayer focused game.
Rayman Arena offers you two modes to play: Racing and fighting. That's it. No surprises of unlockable modes, no really special characters to unlock, no nothing. Well, at least the modes can be fun at times when you've got some good competition. Both modes can be quite intense when this is the case. Otherwise, you'll probably be stuck with the bore that is playing the game's AI, which is poor, predictable, and cheap at higher difficulties. This applies to both modes unfortunately.
Another issue is the fact that these two modes lack variety. The fighting suffers from a lack of interesting power-ups (with the exception of the glue bomb), and the racing is repetitive all around. There are maps you can unlock by performing well in the single player, but the maps are not very interesting most of the time.
At least the game is nice to look at. The game has some pretty good graphics with good looking character models with mostly fluid animations. Sound wise however, the game has nothing but repetitive sounds all around, including some annoying voice overs from the characters.
In the end, Rayman Arena is a big hit or miss. You'll enjoy it if you have some competition around with actual friends. But even if you have that benefit, you should either rent Rayman Arena, or pass on it completely.
Pros: Decent Graphics. Gameplay can be lots of fun if you have some good competition.
Cons: Only 2 modes of gameplay with poorly designed maps. Predictable AI that is cheap at higher difficulty levels.
Recommendable for: Rent it if you have a multitap so you can play with several friends. If you really like it, then go ahead and buy it. Otherwise, this game can't be recommended.