Rayman: Origins is not only one of the finest side-scrollers I have ever played in years, its also one of the most refreshing video games I've played in recent times.
The game gets just about everything right—the level design is superb, the controls and gameplay mechanics are refined and well thought out, the difficulty level is just right, the harder parts of the game rely just as much on skill as trial and error, the boss fights are creative and paced just right, etc. I really cannot find anything truly at fault with this game short of resorting to nitpicks. It takes the original side-scrolling gameplay of the original Rayman and updated it perfectly with breakneck pacing and crazy jumps and sprints, and all without resorting to nostalgia-banking techniques. And the replay value for this game is enormous with all the Electoon Medals and Tricky Treasure gems to collect!
And that's not even counting the splendid hand-drawn art, and the plethora of catchy music ("Lums of the Water" is a particular standout)! The story is very paper thin compared to previous Rayman games, but that's no big deal when everything else is so great.
All in all, one of the best games I've played in years, and its already got me anticipating its sequel, Rayman: Legends. Overall, highly recommended.
Welcome back, Rayman.
Rayman: Origins is not only one of the finest side-scrollers I have ever played in years, its also one of the most refreshing video games I've played in recent times.
The game gets just about everything right—the level design is superb, the controls and gameplay mechanics are refined and well thought out, the difficulty level is just right, the harder parts of the game rely just as much on skill as trial and error, the boss fights are creative and paced just right, etc. I really cannot find anything truly at fault with this game short of resorting to nitpicks. It takes the original side-scrolling gameplay of the original Rayman and updated it perfectly with breakneck pacing and crazy jumps and sprints, and all without resorting to nostalgia-banking techniques. And the replay value for this game is enormous with all the Electoon Medals and Tricky Treasure gems to collect!
And that's not even counting the splendid hand-drawn art, and the plethora of catchy music ("Lums of the Water" is a particular standout)! The story is very paper thin compared to previous Rayman games, but that's no big deal when everything else is so great.
All in all, one of the best games I've played in years, and its already got me anticipating its sequel, Rayman: Legends. Overall, highly recommended.
10/10