Customer Reviews

Rayman Origins

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When my friend told me about this game, I was a bit confused as to why a 2D platformer was not a downloadable XBLA title. But he was raving about the game so much that I just HAD to pick up a copy.

Needless to say, I am EXTREMELY impressed with this game. I could go on forever about it, but I won't. Instead, I will just break it down into a few components:

Gameplay: 5/5

Smooth controls, some of the best platforming I've seen in a while. Truly great level design.

Multiplayer: 4.9/5

The only reason this isn't a 5 is that it doesn't have online multiplayer. However, the experience of sitting with a couple of friends on your couch and playing together makes for a great experience. There is little-to-no frustration involved in multiplayer (unlike some other recent multiplayer platformers).

Presentation: 6/5

They get a billion thumbs WAY up! The art is phenomenal, everything is charming, and it is extremely obvious that they put a lot of time into the details that really makes the game come to life.

I recommend this game to anyone of any age. It's silly, charming and just straight up fun.

I had heard nearly nothing about this game upon its release. Amazing word of mouth eventually made its way to me, but I didn't really know anything about Rayman (other than Rabbids). I finally found the tid-bit of info that immediately had me on my way to the game store: co-op in the fashion of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

The co-op system used here is actually better than the one used in the Mario helmed game. At any time during the game a buddy can join in on your game. If they die, they become a bubble. It's then up to you to pop them so that they can continue playing. It improves the Mario system by making the joining of a game seamless (no menu to go to, you can do it anytime), and giving you direct control over your bubble so you can be popped more quickly (no waggling to get it to move in another player's general direction). It also does away with lives. Paired with the bubble system, not having lives makes this game great to play with someone of a disparate skill level. You can tackle harder levels together and never leave them sitting idly because they died one too many times. I was thrown off, but came to love the removal of a lives system, and welcomed improvements to the already stellar co-op and bubbling ideas. Playing through the game with a friend is an absolute blast and you're missing out on a ton of camaraderie-fueled shenanigans if you don't. I plowed through the game with my girlfriend in a matter of a few days (having to do all that I could not to play ahead without her) and we both loved every second of it.

This system is also great because it allows me to play with my young nieces (who are understandably terrible) without it losing their attention because they've died and have nothing to do. I think in time it might be to them what the original Super Mario Bros. was to me, and if that doesn't let you in on the regards I have for this game I don't know what will. That said, while they can play the first few levels with me, that's about it at the moment.

The difficulty of the main levels has a nice curve, and as others have mentioned the new abilities you get are introduced and expanded upon nicely without any need for explanation. The game cleverly pits you in areas in which you have to use your new powers to escape before you can move on, then later rewards you for using them in new ways. The game is full of clever little things like this.

And there are plenty of levels for you to tackle. I feared an extremely short game, but midway through another set of levels opens up that expands on the themes already present (forest, desert, ice/fire, sea, mechanical). On top of all that you have the fiendish treasure chest races, and the secret, brutal final level to give you more to do and a jump in difficulty. I've spent nearly a week now with the game and I'm still working to collect everything there is; you'll give up before the supply of challenges does.

I'll leave it to you to experience the gorgeous scenery and infectious melodies. I find myself gawking and constantly commenting about how pretty something in the environment looks. I'm personally not a fan of the character design though. Has a very 90s vibe to it (which is understandable), but if this were a brand new property I feel like the characters would gel more with the levels and look stunning. And good luck trying to get the music out of your brain. I constantly find myself whistling the tunes and hearing the chipmunkesque vocals in my head. You might not dig 'em at first, but they will overcome any resistance you may have.

Anyway, I can't tell you to buy this game with enough fervor (and that's coming from someone who rents the majority of the games he plays) because not only is it worth every penny and more, but it's one of those games you pick up with no expectations and then start grabbing random people in the street yelling at them to buy the game so that this work of art is appreciated and not seen as a failed experiment because it was released the same month as bunch of triple A blockbuster type games. Also, while you're buying this grab Tomba too.

I seriously can not believe this game only has 1 other review besides mine??? This has to be one of the best 2D side-scrolling games I've ever played...

Few games ever bring me back to that boyhood feeling I got when I first opened up Super Mario World on Christmas Day. It was magic. I didn't want to bother with the countless other presents under the tree. This was it! The one! I remember my parents calling me back into the room to "finish opening gifts." Never had this felt so agonizing. I wanted to play! When I finally placed that cartridge in the SNES, it was as though I could understand all the constellations... like I developed a 5 type of taste... :) I literally played until my thumbs blistered. But I didn't stop there. My friends and I would then put band-aids on them so we could continue. It was a magical game with imaginative levels, creative game play mechanics, and, at the time, awesome graphics. There was a great deal of depth of play throughout its "96" levels and I enjoyed every one.

In approximately 20 years of gaming since that day, I have not encountered a 2D platformer that could hold a candle to it. Until now. Rayman Origins is extraordinary. While it doesn't introduce much (if any) new ideas or game play to the genre, it takes what it borrowed and perfects it. It is beautifully rendered, has significant depth, surprising replayability, and a very good difficulty curve that will at once be fun for new comers, but still significantly challenge even the most avid gamers. After a week of play my thumbs began to hurt- a feeling I haven't had in ages.

The way of 2D games has kind of been relinquished to DLC over PSN or XBLA. While there are some great ones out there, they do not have the same depth, beauty, and sheer amount of content. Rayman Origins is well worth the money. It is not only one of the best platformers of all time, but it is also, perhaps, one of the best I've played on any of this generations consoles. You would be remiss to pass on this.

From start to finish, Rayman origins is a masterpiece. I completed every level and every bonus level, scored 32 of 36 achievements for 725 gamerscore and got almost every electoon. Graphics are excellent, gameplay is perfect and levels are all wonderfully designed. Took me about 20 hours to beat and I wish there was more because it was such a blast. If you like platformers, get this. I don't even like platformers, but this was just amazing. One of the best games I have played this year.

9.3/10

The graphics and animation are awesome. It certainly looks really nice. But I enjoyed the first Rayman title much better (I'm comparing it to that title because Rayman Origins obviously tried to go back to the gameplay of Rayman 1 instead of the newer ones). Perhaps it was the age I was when I played Rayman 1, perhaps the whole concept was newer then, I don't know what it is, but I didn't like Rayman Origins nearly as much as I expected. It's still a nice game though.

I've played a lot of Skyrim since the holidays. Quite a bit of Arkham City, as well. Prior to that was a lot of Fallout, Streetfighter, Braid, and Limbo.

This, hands down, is the most fun I've had with a game in years.

It's hard to know where to start with Rayman: Origins. It is a challenging, technically genius, artistically gorgeous 2-D platformer. A crazy Francophile Mario, if you will. The game requires quite a bit of skill but it eases you into the mechanics very gracefully. If you are in any way a fan of this genre, then this game is an absolute must have.

2-D games are few and far between these days, especially on this scale. While games like Braid and Limbo, just to name two, have reinvigorated the genre recently (and they are both magical, brilliant games in their own right) I would be hard pressed to name another full-fledged, AAA title on the current generation of consoles besides Rayman. There are over 60 levels, and while you could blast through many of them in only a few minutes, in order to actually conquer them you will need to invest much more dedication. This will in turn allow you to unlock even more levels.

As a gamer who still remembers spending hours playing Super Mario Bros., this game was a really nice nostalgia trip for me, but make no mistake, it makes good use of the current generation's processing power. The graphics are incredible, like playing a cartoon in real time, with crisp HD sprites literally filling up the screen. Mechanics are intuitive and can be used in combination to achieve your goals in many different ways. There is a nice variety in the level design, including some great throwback 2-D shooter levels.

Multi-player is also a big draw. It can make some levels slightly easier, and others slightly harder, but it always multiplies the fun factor exponentially. This is the only video game that my girlfriend will play with me, and sometimes she'll even play it by herself.

There really is no excuse to not at least try this game. It is a refreshing change of pace from the majority of console games available. Give it a try and you will most definitely not be disappointed.

Rayman Origins isn't just a pretty copy of the New Super Mario Bros. it is so much more! Huge levels, bosses and tons to explore makes Rayman a comlete blast to play... or frustration as all get out depending on who you are playing with and how much they decide to work against you. Up to four players run, punch and knock each other around the level as the camera zooms in and out eventually all while collecting items and finding hidden areas. The game is forgiving and uses the same death = bubble trick from Mario that allows you to rescue a disabled player or leave them to anguish as you careen through the faster chase levels. The controls are dead on and the game holds your hand as you learn new moves that will be required to masterfully get through the later levels.

The only gripe I have about the game is that the characters are not vibrant or varied enough in their appearance as they could be leading to many "who or where the hell am I?" moments that ultimately lead to a full party wipe.

The only gripe the Mrs. has is the rather... large, buoyant and jiggly jubblies on the faeries that you rescue.

Overall a great party game... great family game is no one minds the jubblies.

This came up on my radar after many of the online press gave it amazing reviews. Purchased it about a month ago and want to report that it may be of the best games I have ever played. Im a casual gamer now and anyone looking for a really fun game that is easy to pick up and get started, this is it.

After that though you realize how deep the game is, that everything was designed near perfectly, making you truly want to come back and play it.

Beautiful doesn't do the game, with its Graphic's and Style, justice.

Multiplayer is a blast!

At its current price ($29 on amazon), its a game that shouldn't be missed, and sadly it may end up being the forgotten gem of this generation of systems.

In a market full of post-apocalyptic worlds and modern warfares, this is such a breath of fresh air. The game oozes fun and a whimsical charm. It's infectious! the controls are tight and the platforming is extremely well handled. The game starts out extremely easy but soon becomes pretty challenging, but you always feel rewarded for beating a level. Although you may die millions of times, its seriously impossible to stay mad at this game because of how light-hearted and charming it is. This seriously blows Little Big Planet out of the water as the best platformer of this generation.