It’s almost impossible not to smile while playing Rayman Legends. Whether you’re leaping, floating and slapping your way through Michel Ancel’s sumptuous 2D platformer in single-player or co-op, there’s a kind of madcap, anarchic and joyful exuberance to it that’s undeniable. It’ll make you grin from ear to ear.
This was also true of Legends’ predecessor, Rayman Origins, but Legends isn’t just a rehash of old ground. It’s bursting with ideas and quirky invention; a sprightly, chirpy antidote to the game industry’s ongoing obsession with post-apocalyptic dread and dreariness. What I mean to say is it’s really bloody fun. And now it's available for your shiny new next-gen console, resplendent in its pin-sharp resolution, every bit as beautiful as it's always been, only ever so slightly more so.
There’s a story here, of sorts. The Bubble Dreamer’s increasingly twisted nightmares have flooded the Glade of Dreams and imprisoned hundreds of little blue Teensies. It’s up to Rayman and his chums to free the Teensies and sort out the Bubble Dreamer once and for all. It’s all an excuse to give the developers free reign to let their imaginations run riot.
Introducing Xbox One's Vaas Rayman and Globox.
Which is exactly what they do. Spread across Legends’ six themed worlds are around 60 levels each introducing new mechanics and sporting an infectiously unhinged vision that’s as bright and varied as it is beautiful, each background and frame of animation painstakingly and intricately hand drawn using Ubisoft’s UbiArt Framework engine. On Xbox One the game's visuals get a chance to shine even more, although you'll be hard pushed to notice the difference.
These worlds are brilliantly realised, drawing upon other games and mediums in a feverish mix of influences. So, for example, in 10,000 Lums Under the Sea, players are faced with sneaking their way through a set of dark, occasionally submerged levels that are part James Bond, part James Pond and quite a lot Splinter Cell, with a Her Majesty’s Secret Service twang to the soundtrack and enemies that emit a night vision goggled “Bweeeeeeep” as they're alerted.
It’s an approach taken throughout the game, as you journey through Mexican-themed feverscapes, up fantastical mountains, through the Living Dead Party and beyond. There’s a great amount of creative variety.
Within each level you’ll come across imprisoned Teensies. More than just collectible clutter, these little blighters are the key to progression. Simply charging from the beginning to the end of each level won’t get you very far at all. It’s collecting Teensies that opens up new levels, worlds and features. To get them all you’re going to have to work pretty hard.
Chase dem Lums!
To this end each standard level features two hidden areas each containing a further, vital Teensy, the discovery of which is heralded by an infectious chorus of “Oooooh”. Within these areas are small puzzles, asking you to employ one or more of the current worlds’ new mechanics - in order to reach your goal. They’re brilliant little contained diversions.
Chuck in the boss battles and the brilliantly executed music levels - which see you charging through fantastically choreographed areas to slightly bonkers cover versions of well known tunes - and Rayman Legends never gives you the opportunity to get bored, throwing idea after idea after idea at you. It’s hugely refreshing.
One of Rayman Legends’ few shortcomings is the execution of some of the Murfy levels, which see the friendly flying frog thing assist you in manipulating the environment to cut ropes and move platforms and such, allowing you to progress. You get Murphy to do his thing by pressing B when he’s in position, something you’ll often have to do while mid-jump with timing being key. When it works it works well, demanding a pleasing amount of dexterity, but as the levels get more demanding it gets a touch fiddly, tying your fingers in knots. It’s a minor complaint.
It looks the same, right? It kinda is.
Even what could have easily been a throwaway multiplayer mini-game is great fun. It’s an utterly chaotic take on football that sees you slapping and kicking a ball into a goal within a small, single-screen arena. It had Dan and I screaming at the TV and fighting it out in some brilliantly fun couch co-op sessions. It's even more nuts when you play with the maximum 2 versus 2.
The achievements are mostly designed to reward progression and act as a breadcrumb trail to ensure you engage with all the game’s various modes and extras. It may not be the most creative list, but with so much going on - including online Challenges, Cup ranking rewards, Teensie rescues, creature unlocks, the ability to play through 40 Rayman Origins levels, scratch cards and all the other stuff we’ve discussed, it’s welcome.
Indeed Rayman Legends itself is hugely welcome, a recommended addition to your game collection. One of the greatest platformers of the generation, it’s proof that even 30 years after the conception of the genre and 20 years since the formula was arguably perfected, there’s still room for new ideas and new approaches.
If you're purchasing Rayman Legends for the first time on your next-gen platform of choice, you'll be treated to one of the most lustrous and beautiful games we've played in recent years. If you've already bought and played it to death on your previous-gen console, then there's nothing new here that warrants getting the game again, beyond a couple of platform specific skins. PS4 players get the Assassin Ray skin, while Xbox One folks get Far Cry 3-inspired Vaas skins for Rayman and Globox.
Nonetheless, Rayman Legends is just so joyful and an essential purchase if you failed to snap it up the first time around. Zero loading times and bonus skins are just the icing on an already utterly irresistible cake. Like we said in the intro, it’s impossible to play Rayman Legends without a huge smile on your face.
Rayman Legends draws on a wealth of popular references to create a set of audio effects and a soundtrack that remains very much its own, exuding the same sense of fun and playfulness you’ll find in the gameplay. Fantastic.
Hand-drawn, insanely colourful, beautifully animated and gorgeously detailed, 2D art simply doesn’t get any better than this. And although I’m not convinced by some of the character designs, it’s a sumptuous game that's even more delectable on Xbox One.
Despite existing within a genre that was defined and arguably perfected 20 years ago, Rayman still feels like no other platformer. Legends arrives with a ton of inventive ideas and rarely feels anything but joyful.
With around 60 levels spread across six worlds, loads of secret areas, co-op, a great little local multiplayer game, challenges and tons of stuff unlock - including a large portion of Rayman Origins - Legends offers a great package.
It’s a decent list, designed to steer you through and master the game’s huge variety of modes, level types, challenges and unlocks. With space for a couple of creative additions which will have you engaging with levels in new ways, it’s solid.
A gorgeous, joy-filled, characterful platformer. Aside from a few minor niggles, Rayman Legends deserves a place alongside the very best examples of the genre. It looks ever-so slightly prettier on Xbox One, but that's about it. Nonetheless, Rayman Legends is still highly recommended.
February 18, 2014
It’s almost impossible not to smile while playing Rayman Legends. Whether you’re leaping, floating and slapping your way through Michel Ancel’s sumptuous 2D platformer in single-player or co-op, there’s a kind of madcap, anarchic and joyful exuberance to it that’s undeniable. It’ll make you grin from ear to ear.
This was also true of Legends’ predecessor, Rayman Origins, but Legends isn’t just a rehash of old ground. It’s bursting with ideas and quirky invention; a sprightly, chirpy antidote to the game industry’s ongoing obsession with post-apocalyptic dread and dreariness. What I mean to say is it’s really bloody fun. And now it's available for your shiny new next-gen console, resplendent in its pin-sharp resolution, every bit as beautiful as it's always been, only ever so slightly more so.
There’s a story here, of sorts. The Bubble Dreamer’s increasingly twisted nightmares have flooded the Glade of Dreams and imprisoned hundreds of little blue Teensies. It’s up to Rayman and his chums to free the Teensies and sort out the Bubble Dreamer once and for all. It’s all an excuse to give the developers free reign to let their imaginations run riot.
Introducing Xbox One's Vaas Rayman and Globox.
Which is exactly what they do. Spread across Legends’ six themed worlds are around 60 levels each introducing new mechanics and sporting an infectiously unhinged vision that’s as bright and varied as it is beautiful, each background and frame of animation painstakingly and intricately hand drawn using Ubisoft’s UbiArt Framework engine. On Xbox One the game's visuals get a chance to shine even more, although you'll be hard pushed to notice the difference.
These worlds are brilliantly realised, drawing upon other games and mediums in a feverish mix of influences. So, for example, in 10,000 Lums Under the Sea, players are faced with sneaking their way through a set of dark, occasionally submerged levels that are part James Bond, part James Pond and quite a lot Splinter Cell, with a Her Majesty’s Secret Service twang to the soundtrack and enemies that emit a night vision goggled “Bweeeeeeep” as they're alerted.
It’s an approach taken throughout the game, as you journey through Mexican-themed feverscapes, up fantastical mountains, through the Living Dead Party and beyond. There’s a great amount of creative variety.
Within each level you’ll come across imprisoned Teensies. More than just collectible clutter, these little blighters are the key to progression. Simply charging from the beginning to the end of each level won’t get you very far at all. It’s collecting Teensies that opens up new levels, worlds and features. To get them all you’re going to have to work pretty hard.
Chase dem Lums!
To this end each standard level features two hidden areas each containing a further, vital Teensy, the discovery of which is heralded by an infectious chorus of “Oooooh”. Within these areas are small puzzles, asking you to employ one or more of the current worlds’ new mechanics - in order to reach your goal. They’re brilliant little contained diversions.
Chuck in the boss battles and the brilliantly executed music levels - which see you charging through fantastically choreographed areas to slightly bonkers cover versions of well known tunes - and Rayman Legends never gives you the opportunity to get bored, throwing idea after idea after idea at you. It’s hugely refreshing.
One of Rayman Legends’ few shortcomings is the execution of some of the Murfy levels, which see the friendly flying frog thing assist you in manipulating the environment to cut ropes and move platforms and such, allowing you to progress. You get Murphy to do his thing by pressing B when he’s in position, something you’ll often have to do while mid-jump with timing being key. When it works it works well, demanding a pleasing amount of dexterity, but as the levels get more demanding it gets a touch fiddly, tying your fingers in knots. It’s a minor complaint.
It looks the same, right? It kinda is.
Even what could have easily been a throwaway multiplayer mini-game is great fun. It’s an utterly chaotic take on football that sees you slapping and kicking a ball into a goal within a small, single-screen arena. It had Dan and I screaming at the TV and fighting it out in some brilliantly fun couch co-op sessions. It's even more nuts when you play with the maximum 2 versus 2.
The achievements are mostly designed to reward progression and act as a breadcrumb trail to ensure you engage with all the game’s various modes and extras. It may not be the most creative list, but with so much going on - including online Challenges, Cup ranking rewards, Teensie rescues, creature unlocks, the ability to play through 40 Rayman Origins levels, scratch cards and all the other stuff we’ve discussed, it’s welcome.
Indeed Rayman Legends itself is hugely welcome, a recommended addition to your game collection. One of the greatest platformers of the generation, it’s proof that even 30 years after the conception of the genre and 20 years since the formula was arguably perfected, there’s still room for new ideas and new approaches.
If you're purchasing Rayman Legends for the first time on your next-gen platform of choice, you'll be treated to one of the most lustrous and beautiful games we've played in recent years. If you've already bought and played it to death on your previous-gen console, then there's nothing new here that warrants getting the game again, beyond a couple of platform specific skins. PS4 players get the Assassin Ray skin, while Xbox One folks get Far Cry 3-inspired Vaas skins for Rayman and Globox.
Nonetheless, Rayman Legends is just so joyful and an essential purchase if you failed to snap it up the first time around. Zero loading times and bonus skins are just the icing on an already utterly irresistible cake. Like we said in the intro, it’s impossible to play Rayman Legends without a huge smile on your face.
Rayman Legends draws on a wealth of popular references to create a set of audio effects and a soundtrack that remains very much its own, exuding the same sense of fun and playfulness you’ll find in the gameplay. Fantastic.
Hand-drawn, insanely colourful, beautifully animated and gorgeously detailed, 2D art simply doesn’t get any better than this. And although I’m not convinced by some of the character designs, it’s a sumptuous game that's even more delectable on Xbox One.
Despite existing within a genre that was defined and arguably perfected 20 years ago, Rayman still feels like no other platformer. Legends arrives with a ton of inventive ideas and rarely feels anything but joyful.
With around 60 levels spread across six worlds, loads of secret areas, co-op, a great little local multiplayer game, challenges and tons of stuff unlock - including a large portion of Rayman Origins - Legends offers a great package.
It’s a decent list, designed to steer you through and master the game’s huge variety of modes, level types, challenges and unlocks. With space for a couple of creative additions which will have you engaging with levels in new ways, it’s solid.
A gorgeous, joy-filled, characterful platformer. Aside from a few minor niggles, Rayman Legends deserves a place alongside the very best examples of the genre. It looks ever-so slightly prettier on Xbox One, but that's about it. Nonetheless, Rayman Legends is still highly recommended.