………………………………………………….

Rayman Origins Review

Rayman Origins is a 2011 platform video game developed by Ubisoft. It is the fourth installment in the Rayman series and one of the best platformers of the 2010s.

The gameplay in Rayman Origins is simply excellent and I had no complaints whatsoever. It is a great example of an excellent modern side-scrolling platformer that harkens back to all of those great 2D platformers of the 80s and 90s but still containing a lot of original and new ideas. The critics pinpoint the lack of more ideas and that it is repetitive at times, but I disagree as the film is very large in terms of its number of levels and it never bored me for an instance and it was always hugely entertaining and diverse to play.

………………………………………………….

………………………………………………….

What separates this game from a vast majority of other platformers is the fact that it’s so damn replayable. The replay factor is huge here which is evidenced by the presence of a lot of different gameplay aspects and varieties. You can race to get skull teeth in order to unlock The Land of the Livid Dead, you can race with the clock to finish all of the levels in a given time goal and of course you can try to collect all of the yellow lums to entirely finish off the level.

That made the game very difficult. It is actually pretty easy to finish without all of those additional goals, but with those goals added, it becomes a pretty demanding experience and I loved every second of it. The boss levels were a bit too easy, but still very well conceived and the level design is mostly superb here with a few weaker instances from time to time. But for the most part, they made the levels just hard enough to make it difficult and that you can finish it in an orderly manner when racing or win just enough lums to complete it.

………………………………………………….

………………………………………………….

The Snoring Tree did not present that many possibilities as those different playable characters just weren’t Rayman when it comes to their abilities, but the worlds themselves are all pretty superb. Let’s go through them quickly. Jibberish Jungle is a solid first world which is way too easy, but visually appealing and immensely charming. Land of the Livid Dead is so incredibly difficult and Ticklish Temples is very different and moody.

Sea of Serendipity was not my favorite as it was too difficult and the level design, though strong, was not as well constructed and some levels were just not as well revised or clear as the rest are. But the visuals and the music are so great here. Grumbling Grottos and Desert of Dijiridoos were interesting but again not as clear in design and Mystical Pique is intriguing in its look. Angsty Abyss is one of the most difficult worlds here and Moody Clouds is the most different and original when it comes to its gameplay. Luscious Lakes is a lot of fun and Gourmand Land is probably my favorite of them all as the score is so catchy and the cooking theme is put to such a wonderful use here.

………………………………………………….

………………………………………………….

Rayman Origins has very good difficulty level, but is not structured as well. Some level design was great, but some levels were not all that well conceived. The game’s plot is cute, but too difficult to follow and thoroughly unexplained which was annoying. But those flaws did not affect this game too much as it is still pretty great, though not as vast or as superb as its successor.

The character design is amazing and all of these crazy creatures look so cute and weird in a good way. The game is original in its look and wonderfully cartoony. I love these cartoon video games as a big fan of animation and it’s such a shame that not as many platformers employ this approach visually as it always yields charming results. The graphics is stellar, modern and beautiful and the colors are so pleasing to the eye and the worlds are beautifully conceived and diverse owing to excellent attention to detail and strong world building.

………………………………………………….

………………………………………………….

The score is simply phenomenal and one of the strongest aspects in a technically accomplished game as a whole. Catchy and always a lot of fun, it definitely added a lot of enjoyment to the game which also benefits from a strong sense of childlike humor. The controls are the best and easiest to get used to as they can possibly be and all of the different A.I.’s were excellent, interesting, diverse and memorable.

All in all, Rayman Origins isn’t a perfect game, but it comes pretty close as one of the best platformers of the decade. The visuals are mesmerizing, the score is fantastic, the game is funny and charming, it is always hugely entertaining and it has an amazing replay value owing to diverse worlds, mostly excellent level design and many different goals presented. It is certainly one of my favorites.

My Rating – 4.8

………………………………………………….