Rayman is synonymous with awesome platforming fun, and throughout it’s long life, the franchise got better and better, with the latest installments being the best in the series by far. Rayman Origins brought back the charisma and charm of the character in a retro platformer setting, paying homage to the series’ roots, and it was simply a fantastic game to play. With Rayman Legends, Ubisoft aimed at using the same elements from Origins, but jam packing it with more features, and even awesomer environments. Legends was originally developed to launch exclusively for the WiiU, but due to the failure of the platform, Ubisoft opted to release it on all platforms. I tried out the Playstation 4 version, and boy was I in for a whole lot of fun.
Audio and Video
The game looks insanely good; the vivid colors, the amazing level design, and the gorgeous environments are simply a work of art. The character design is just awesome and the sheer level of detail is great, given that the game is set in a 2.5D environment Simply put this game is an interactive work of art. The audio aspect of the game is as fantastic as the visuals. The surround effects are detailed and crisp, and the SFX are simply great and pristine in their detail. But perhaps the best aspect of the game, is the amazing sound track which is charming and beautiful at the same time. In certain levels, the tracks are reminiscent of early 2000s JRPGs and in others they simply put a smile on your face for no reason. The sound track is composed so well that when combined with the unique visual characteristics of the game, they deliver an unmatched experience that will instantly cheer up any one playing the game, even Cthulhu.
Gameplay
Just like it’s predecessor, Legends is set in a 2.5D environment where you need to fight enemies to save Teensies and collect Lums. Saving Teensies from the enemies will unlock new levels and worlds and will require fighting enemies, or finding the tons of hidden passages that give way to great puzzles to solve. The controls are intuitive and so is level design, with the latter giving a broad variety, not to make the game repetitive or stagnant. The puzzles are really fun and challenging, and the time attack missions are simply amazing in the design and execution. The game play never seizes to get boring, and the pacing of each and every level is consistent with the premise. All the different Legends (or character) feel different and give levels a different perspective and feel when going through them a second time for the collectibles. The Playstation 4 version features a manipulative camera feature, allowing users to stop game play at any instance, zoom and move the camera about before taking a screen shot and sharing it, awesome right?
Personal Experience
I really am a sucker for a good platformer title, and Rayman Legends really is the pinnacle of achievement in the genre. It manages to entertain all ages and all types of gamers, from beginners to experts, and never gets repetitive or boring. From the amazing visuals, down to the fantastic and charming sound track, Rayman Legends delivers an unmatched experience in a genre deemed childish by some. Yet again the unique charm and charisma of the series, simply gets better with time.
Overall Rating: 9.5/10
