Last week, we were invited by Ubisoft to attend a remote event for Rayman Legends Retold with a hands-on preview of the game. As we all know, Rayman Legends has rightfully earned a place in the top platformers ever created with some crazy level design, beautiful 2D backgrounds, and one of the most memorable couch co-op experiences with up to 4 players.
Remaking such an iconic video game is hard when it comes to what aspects of the game should be reshaped and what additions can be made in order not to change the essence of the game but add just enough for people to fall in love once again. From my short time with the game, I can say Ubisoft might have outdone themselves with this one.
Story – A Whole New Chapter Awaits
Rayman Legends Retold features a whole new chapter in a brand new biome called Land Of The Livid Dead. This is where we meet the mysterious new villain, who seems eager to destroy Rayman with his dark magic. With the help of Betilla’s magic, Rayman faces new enemies and dark paths to put an end to this madness.
That is not the only addition to the story. In each biome, there are new chapters added, called dragon levels, that transform the game temporarily into a 3D game in which you control a dragon and have to fly and shoot the enemies at the same time. Those levels were enjoyable to play.
Graphics – A Beautiful Game With Eye-Catching Visuals
The graphics sector in Rayman Legends Retold exceeded every expectation I had with this game. Each level is recreated with this 3D background filled with colors, textures, and animations, making it feel real and crazy at the same time. Ubisoft is known for creating addictive worlds, even in their indie games such as The Rogue Prince of Persia, but Rayman Legends Retold is an entirely different level.
Another Example where you can see the detail in the graphics is the cutscenes. Even though there aren’t a lot, as they are mostly before a boss fight, they are still impressive, with a lot of detail and thought put behind them. All these changes in the graphics sector at first scared me because I did not want to lose the feeling that I am still playing Rayman Legends, but Ubisoft was careful and kept everything that made Rayman Legends unique the same in Retold and just improved around it.
Gameplay – The King Of Platformers Returns Fresh
I have played hundreds of platformers, with Rayman Origins as the holy grail, and now Rayman Origins Retold is coming to dethrone them all. Each biome’s structure is designed to keep the player feeling rested, not frustrated. After a normal level, there is normally a time attack level.
These levels are hard and are designed to test your skills to the maximum and will have you dying a lot. If the player is not up to it at the moment, though, they can skip it and move to the next normal level and return to it whenever they want. If a player keeps dying a lot on a level, a gold heart will first appear, giving you an extra chance if you get hit.
After a few more deaths, the fairy will appear asking if you need any help, and if you accept, an ”easy” mode will start, inserting a bubble around the character to protect him from getting hit. You can disable the bubble by pressing a single button. I will admit that it is a tiny bit annoying that the help appears even though I did not ask for it, but this most likely will be a setting that you can turn off when the game finally releases.
Adding Some Freshness To The Gameplay
Another mechanic I loved in the gameplay is chicken levels. Grand Minimus turns you into a chicken at the start of the game, but Murfy is there to save the day once again. You can use Murfy in set positions to make him do things such as temporarily block a security camera or a lava flow, or create a passage by eating through a cake or spilling nacho dip. The creativity of the team shows in those levels, and I can’t wait to see how Murfy will be of use in the other biomes.
Rayman Legends Retold is a smooth experience because of the simple controls it has. The layout is so simple that people of all ages will find it easy to control. The game also has a fair amount of checkpoints during a level that return the player to when he loses in the level. All of the above combine to make a relatively easy experience for newcomers but also a challenging experience for those who want something harder.
Music – What Makes Rayman Legends Retold Click
We talked about how every other aspect of Rayman Legends Retold is exceeding our expectations here at BGeek, but nothing would feel great if it were not for the great soundtrack the game features. The pace and the speed of each level are carefully designed around the soundtrack to make you feel one with the game.
Each song is themed to the level; For example, in the Iron Shell biome, there was a level in which Rayman sneaks into an underwater base, and the music behind it fits Rayman’s actions perfectly, making the player feel immersed in this world. Another example is the musical levels of each biome.
The musical levels of Rayman Legends Retold are the thing I was looking forward to when I entered a new biome. They have taken all these classic songs and reshaped them in a way that fits the game’s personality and makes the player focus in order to listen to the whole song without dying and breaking the rhythm. The background also shapes around you, with characters and enemies rhythmically moving around you, making you feel like you are in a Disney film
Cosmetics – A Collector’s Dream
If you collect enough in-game currency in Rayman Legends Retold, you can unlock new outfits for your character that disguise them. A lot of them were really cool and acted as a portal to Ubisoft’s past games. For completionists, you will have a blast collecting all of them, as it will require a lot of playtime, and they will probably add even more at launch. I changed costumes a few times myself, and they are actually very charming and detailed.
Rayman Legends Retold – Final impressions
Rayman Legends Retold seems like a formula made to succeed. It improves the game in every aspect: gameplay, visuals, content, and without ruining or altering the original structure of the game. Rayman Legends Retold is shaping up to be a very well-made remake of the original, and I cannot wait until December 3rd to play the full game. Until then, pre-orders are open for everyone who wants to acquire it now. The game has officially gone gold, so you have nothing to be afraid of.
A big thanks to Ubisoft for inviting us to a preview session of the game.