Rayman Origins

"Oh my word, you have to come and see this!" I cried to the missus, as a toothy grin launched itself on my face. "That's so pretty," she replied, as she sat down next to me. "Are you sure this is a game? It looks like a cartoon." And that's the exact same reaction I had when I first started playing Ubisoft Montpellier's latest game, Rayman Origins.

I'll admit, I was sceptical. My last experience with Rayman left me questioning my sanity and whether the franchise would ever recover. It's true that platform gaming is a guilty pleasure of mine, but there's nothing quite like a mediocre game to leave you a cynical gamer (filled to the brim with bile). It's possible that the last game forced me to don my trademark monocle, but let me tell you a little secret: the latest game may just get me to pack the monocle away and brave the world by flashing my pearly whites.

There's no other way to say this: Rayman Origins is stunning. It's a beautiful game, with striking 2D visuals. In fact, if there was ever a game that makes you wonder whether the current gaming industry's obsession with photo-realistic 3D graphics is not a gesture of otiose grabbing at straws, it would be Rayman Origins. Instead of going the 3D route, Ubisoft has thrown down the gauntlet and decided to take the lesser-walked unapologetic, old-school 2D platformer path. And, I couldn't be happier. I'm also instantly aware that I might have experienced that scene in Ratatouille where the food critic gets transported back to his youth, but that's exactly it. I played these kind of games as a young child. I grew up on a constant diet of Megaman, Mario and Sonic.

Don't let the colourful graphics fool you, because it slowly cranks up the difficulty over the course of 60 incredibly designed levels. It might not give you the same joyous frustration as Dark Souls, but it certainly throws the book at you. In other words, expect to redo sections a few times. Don't worry, there are checkpoints galore and even the harder levels can be overcome through memorization, perseverance and patience (just like the old days). Not to mention, the levels are mercifully short. Having said that, you never get the feeling that the game will throw a particularly cheap and exceedingly difficult section at you (just to annoy you). I consider that a clear indication that the level design for Rayman is top notch. It's difficult (and some of the boss fights require you to use your noggin), but not impossible.

The individual levels are tied together through themed worlds, which can be visited by navigating through the Glade of Dreams. Think of the Glade of Dreams as a map screen. The levels range from the almost clichéd platformer fare of desert, sea, ice and fire themes, however, each themed world features vibrant colours, stylised backdrops and an impressive platformer soundtrack. One level in particular had me humming along with its hilarious big-band/swing inspired beats (and now, for the life of me, I can't get the silly tune out of my head). The sheer variety is staggering. You'll find an array of backgrounds and items, from swaying tropical plants, to giant didgeridoos and bouncing drum skins to icebergs and death-dealing forks. It may sound random or even strange, but how it's all presented is positively magical.

An aspect of the game that took me by surprise was how extremely responsive the controls are. New abilities are gained quickly, and with each addition to the repertoire, from gliding, to diving or even running up a wall, Rayman and his quirky pals (Globox and the teensies) become a joy to handle. At times I even had glimpses of a younger me playing Sonic - back when Sonic games meant something, other than tedious money grabs.

"But what's the point of the game?" I hear you mumble. "It's a side-scrolling platformer, what do you mean what's the point," I quickly retort. But if you really need a reason, it's about saving captured Electoons and collecting Lums (the series' trademark collectibles) from the Darktoons. The more Electoons you save the more character skins you unlock for Rayman and his buddies. As you progress further into the game you'll need specific numbers of Electoons to unlock the later levels, so it helps to redo levels and attempt the speed runs. There are even levels where you have to chase a treasure chest in what can be best described as a frantic time trial, that requires split-second timing. Then there's bridging levels, that pays homage to the side-scrolling shooters of yesteryear, where Rayman and his buddies get to fly on the backs of mosquitoes. In a nutshell, Rayman Origins is a "collect them all" kind of platformer, and one that should keep you busy for a while.

The real joy with Rayman lies in the multiplayer. This is where you invite three of your mates over to your house for face-to-face 4-player cooperative play. How you proceed from there depends greatly on whether you want to play competitively (in other words, see who gets the most Lums or minion kills), cooperatively (to catch as many Lums as possible) or just for laughs as you slap and kick each other, until you're rolling on the floor with laughter.

Rayman Origins is without a doubt one of the most colourful and enjoyable platformers of the last 5 years, and while I'm still pining for a level editor like in Little Big Planet, the simple truth is that Rayman delivers on all its promises. I'll even go as far as to say, that it "out-marios" Mario.

Hail to the Platformer, baby!

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