GAMING
Critical Gamer reviews the latest games
Rayman Origins games reviews
* Format: Wii (version reviewed), PS3, 360 * Unleashed: Out Now * Publisher: Ubisoft
* Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
* Site:
http://raymanorigins.uk.ubi.com
The first thing to hit you about this game, long before you even get to take control, is the amount of time and love that has been poured into it. Hand-drawn, sumptu- ously animated and relentlessly detailed, it looks like no other commercial release of the last ten years or more. The sound too stands out for all the right reasons; rather than a looping soundtrack that could be slapped onto the end of any cutesy-look- ing game, this is a title that has been scored. Two orchestras, a wealth of instru- ments, and a range of styles ensure that audio-visual marriage. To an extent, difficulty is dictated by how much content you want to experience in your first run through the game. Like any platformer worth its proverbial salt, there creatures which hang in mid-air (some- time stationery, sometimes not). Grab a king Lum and, for a brief period, all other you go for the highest Lum total you can close encounters with invincible enemies
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you can while making your way safely to the exit as soon as possible? Lums, in turn, unlock Electoons. There are 246 of these in total, though only a rela- tively small number are required to unlock each world; and collecting a total of 200 will allow access to an extra eleven levels. Almost all levels have three Lum target numbers to achieve; the first two will give you one Electoon each, while the third will award you with a medal to look at. Each level is ended by freeing an Electoon from its cage, and there are hidden areas sprin- kled throughout the game hiding extra Lums or cages; and once completed, each level has one last Electoon to surrender as a reward for a speedrun.
Though it works superbly as a singleplayer through simultaneously; and, of course, stop to slap each other about should you feel the need. Extra players can certainly help during the side-scrolling shooter sec- tions (which, incidentally, somehow fit in perfectly). There are extra characters to unlock but, as many are too similar and there is no coherent story within the game tive. much fun and/or concentrating too hard on a particularly tricky section, but also industry references you can spot. There are subtle, never-intrusive nods in the level designs to Mario, Sonic, Angry Birds,
Snake, Super Meat Boy, and doubtless homages go hand-in-hand with the intri- cacy of the graphical detail and the power of the soundtrack to create levels that look, sound, and feel alive. It is, sadly, not an endless parade of posi- tives. Though it took us a respectable ten hours or so to run through the story, it was not necessarily a problem; the fact that the game occasionally leans too heav- oured balancing act of quick reflexes and unexpected circumstances, but the ball is now and again dropped here. Replay value is a thorny issue. Many will happily work for and play the ten exhilarat- ing, peril-laden chase levels that must be completed for the final hidden area; but only the most hardcore platformer freaks (or trophy/achievement addicts) will go through the same levels again and again until they have every last Electoon, medal and speed trophy.
Considering the tidal wave of price cuts due to lack of sales, this last is perhaps not an issue. If you loved the platformers era, perhaps Rayman Origins will make you regret the fact that you missed out.
written by Critical Gamer’s Luke Kemp
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