Released on November 11th, 2011, Rayman Origins sees a return to the series's 2D platforming roots while also being the first game released by Ubisoft to make use of their new UbiArt Framework, a graphics engine which more seamlessly translates and incorporates their 2D illustrations into easy to use game assets. The result of this new engine is nothing short of what feels like being inside and interacting with a Saturday morning cartoon. The art and animation in this game is so delightfully whimsical and exaggerated, it perfectly pairs with the slapstick nature of literally slapping enemies and watching them inflate to balloon proportions before giving a satisfying pop. The nonsensical nature of the game is only furthered by what is a very loose and silly plot, which entails our obnoxiously loud snoring clad of heroes awakening the land of the dead, who then captures all the Teensies, Electoons, and Nymphs across the various lands of the Glade. As such, our heroes are tasked to travel through thick jungles, musical deserts, delicious tundras and more to restore peace to these outlandish lands.
Throughout your adventure, each of the Nymphs you rescue unlock new abilities, from slapping to hovering to wall-running and more. As these abilities stack up, the flow in which players dash through these incredibly creative levels always feels so smooth and so masterful to tackle with the ever growing challenges. And scattered about every level are loads upon loads of secrets to discover. Add on top of that, fun musical chases in which players pursue wary sentient treasure chests, fly and shoot levels where players soar on mosquitoes accompanied by the majestic kazoo, many a variety of wacky bosses and more, this is a game that never lets up on fresh, original fun. This is only further amplified by the superbly playful and quirky soundtrack that accompanies these exuberant exploits. Composed by the brilliant Christophe Heral, he set off to create scores for this game in the most unique means so as to sound like something the player would have never heard before. Incorporating the likes of kazoos to didgeridoos to even silverware, the sounds of this game are somehow both beautifully organic and perfectly fitting to cartoon-like thrills to be found here.
Two years later saw the release of a sequel, Rayman Legends, which not only featured all new levels and characters to be enjoyed, but also included every level from Rayman Origins. So while you certainly get more bang for your buck with this sequel, my heart still resides with the original here. It's the small details to be found, the way the world map develops and has players returning to regions, the nonsensical narrative that loosely ties it all together; Rayman Origins feels like a more cohesive experience that is perfectly put together to hold one of the most memorable and pleasantly absurd platforming adventures you're likely to find this generation.
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| Rayman Origins concept art featuring other playable character, Globox. This game gets a hearty slap of approval. |
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