Rayman Origins

In a blockbuster holiday season of M-rated war games, it’s refreshing to see something so different and special as Rayman Origins. It’s downright gorgeous and a total blast to play alone or with friends. A truly realized vision at the top of its genre, Rayman Origins is an extravaganza with plenty of action to keep it fresh from start to finish and beyond.

As the years passed, I didn’t play as many side-scrolling games mainly due to the drop in their popularity.  Gaming consoles became more advanced and 2D games started to move into the world of 3D gaming. However, some very good side-scrolling games are still being made.  One of those games is Ubisoft’s Rayman Origins which is a fun and surprisingly visually appealing game that reminded me of the pleasures and pains of the side-scrolling games from years past.

Rayman Origins is a delirious platformer packed with delicious visuals and scrumptious level design. The legless protagonist's latest adventure is the perfect antidote to the industry's frustrating obsession with gritty war games, prompting some of the most fun you'll find on PlayStation 3 this year.

Rayman Origins doesn’t come up with a new concept for the platform genre; rather it tries to create something new within that idea. It’s easy to see the love the developers put into every little corner of this game, for the love of the game. Each part is so charming and endearing; it’s almost like living a fairy tale: Not too warm, not too cold; it gets platforming just right. At some point, improvement and challenge starts teetering with frustration, which is a shame, but it also shows the inspiration for all classic parts of gameplay. Rayman is like a home cooked meal. Sure, the recipe is th...

Rayman Origins is the best 2D platformer this year, one of my favourite ever made (it’s up there with Yoshi’s Island), and the one game out in November everyone should play. I don’t care if you’ve got other games to play – this one will make you feel good inside. More fun than shooting Russians, shouting at dragons, stabbing Templars and smacking strippers with dildobats combined. Crazier too.

Rayman Origins is massive. Really massive. That's why it's not an episodic XBLA game as originally intended, but a full-blooded retail disc release instead, with all of the intrinsic value that entails. A result of Ubisoft's remarkable UbiART Framework, Rayman is also a deceptively cute game, which might look all sweet and innocent, yet beneath its gorgeous candy floss exterior lies a challenging platformer that won't fail to tax and entertain in equal measure.