Rayman Origins review
Before I began writing about games, it could be said I led a very sheltered life when it came to the titles in my collection. Rayman on my Playstation was one such title that didn’t make it, but I put that down to the restricted budget I had when I was a youngster over me snubbing any particular title. Now I’m a working adult, I find it much easier to wander down to the local game store to pick up the latest release, something I couldn’t do in the late 90’s due to obvious reasons when you’re a teenager. That’s not to say I didn’t play the original Rayman game because I did. And the few times I did manage to borrow it from my friend, well I’d be hooked for hours.
But since those early years in my gaming youth, Rayman has certainly taken a back seat and sadly the wrist-less wonder hasn’t entertained me since. I’ve of course read reviews and opinion on the many games Rayman has featured in over the years, and let’s just says it’s no longer a restrictive budget that has stopped me from purchasing any of them. But that’s not the case with Rayman Origins, because put simply, Origins is fantastic.
I do love a good platform title and Rayman Origins is probably one of the best I have played in many years. In what’s probably a nod towards its title, Origins returns to the root of its success with the original creator of Rayman Michael Ancel returning to head the development team, and Ancel has gone back to the basics that made Rayman so enjoyable the first time around.
The story behind Origins is a simple yet well written one. The Glade of Dreams has been overrun by “nefurrious” Darktoons who threaten to destroy the world Rayman and his friends know and love. To prevent this from happening, the Fairy Council have invoked Rayman to save the day, and alongside his trusty friends, Rayman will traverse the world to save the day and restore piece to the Glade.
OK the story sounds terrible and the least bit interesting if you’re over the age of 12, and in all honesty the story is probably the weakest aspect of the game, but it’s just a small piece in the large puzzle that makes the game so enjoyable. The story isn’t something I concentrated on too much during my playtime. I knew what was happening in the world and what was required, but I was concentrating on levels that were brilliantly designed and developed. The levels are truly challenging and become more difficult as you progress through the game. I lost count the number of times I had sat playing whilst my tongue stuck out, with a furrow of concentration etched across my brow.
But not once did I become frustrated with the game. I may have died for the twentieth time whilst navigating through another tricky section, but I simply put my tongue away and ploughed on. Sure you may cry out in woe, but once you have finally worked your way to the end of the section – well the sense of achievement is something I haven’t felt for such a long time whilst playing a game. And I think this is where the strength of Origins really lies. It takes gaming back to the very basics. It contains and embodies everything that we used to enjoy whilst playing games in those early years. It isn’t about competition – there’s no leaderboards – Rayman Origins is about one thing and one thing only. Having fun.
You can tell the development team had fun whilst creating the game. The artistic design of the levels is breathtaking, whilst the music on most of the levels is extremely catchy. The Sea of Serendipity has to be the standout area in the game, with the underwater levels in particular guaranteed to amaze and delight. The level design is full of colour and quite frankly they look beautiful. Brightly coloured fish will follow you as swim through a brightly coloured ocean. And this is all happening whilst the catchiest piece of music in gaming history plays in the background. I guarantee you will be at least humming the tune as you play along.
Many developers can be accused of being too ambitious, doing things in a game that just don’t need to be done. Look at the way Sonic has gone over the last decade or so. Turning his world into a 3D one was a mistake that should never have been made. The same could be said about the Rayman series. But with Origins, Ancel and his development team have returned to the basics and it’s a better game for it. They have created a game that is not only packed full of content, it is packed full of varied content. No level feels like a rehashed effort of another, they are all unique and vary quite dramatically. One minute you’ll be bounding through a level, defeating enemies and collecting Lums. The next you’re chasing after a chest or riding the back of a mosquito.
Origins is a fascinating, entertaining, beautiful and lovingly crafted game that above all else is thoroughly enjoyable and fun. I honestly cannot think of a better game in the platform genre than Rayman Origins at the moment, and it deserves your attention.
