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Improving greatness.
Let’s face it, Rayman Legends is now officially available on nearly every platform known to man. When I reviewed the game back in September of last year, I highly recommended everyone check it out. Now, nearly six months later, the new consoles are getting their own versions of the game, so even that excuse is now trivial. For anyone who hasn’t played it yet, stop reading the review, run to the local shop (or order online and come back) and purchase this amazing game. The 2D platformer is alive and well, and Legends is the epitome of what makes it special.
I am not going to go into massive detail about the core game. I did that back in September, and you can read that review right here. Instead I am going to summarize this experience, as well as showcase what is new for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game.
A swift kick in the…
For starters let’s get this out of the way, this game is beautiful. The power of the PS4 and XB1 may not enhance what was already a superb looking product, but now it runs with uncompressed textures at a blazing 60 frames per second, and at 1080p resolution. When in motion it is like a carefully-orchestrated symphony of delight. The animations are perfect, and the level design is sublime. Just watching this game is a delight on a visual level that polygonal endeavors simply cannot match. For anyone who loves 2D games, this is one of the finest around.
There are also zero loading times, so when I jumped into a painting for a level, I was instantly transferred into the action. These are minor upgrades, but ones that make going back to the original game a chore.
The Xbox One version features a host of exclusive timed Achievements that can be earned in addition to the original game’s massive list. It also showcases some exclusive characters based on Far Cry 3 and Splinter Cell franchises.
The PS4 version also gets some exclusive characters from the Assassin’s Creed series as well as a camera mode using the touchpad, and the ability to scratch off lottery tickets earned in the levels with said touchpad. None of the new features are revolutionary or worth double-dipping, but it’s still cool to see Ubisoft adding in some new content.
For those that have yet to play Legends, this new content is only a fraction of what it has to offer. Legends is packed with a ton of content that will keep even the most dedicated fan occupied for a long time. The main game can be run through in about 8-12 hours depending on how dedicated the player is in collecting all the Teensies and Lums. Teensies are what are used to unlock new levels and challenges.
This cannot end well.
Collecting Lums earns medals for each stage, as well as lottery tickets that unlock new characters, gallery items and even bonus levels from the original Rayman Origins. In addition to that, there are also daily challenges that pit players against others in a leader board race for the top time of the day. Of course, the core game also features some epic boss fights, chase levels and everyone’s favorite music levels, which there just never seem to be enough of. I still found myself fighting to unlock each new one, and playing them over and over to master the timing. They are simply that fun.
Rayman Legends is one of the best games that no one played last year. Now is the time to remedy that. We all know these new consoles are starting to collect dust waiting on Titanfall and inFamous, so why not pick up this amazing package to give it something worth playing. For those that have already taken the plunge, there isn’t enough here to warrant a double-dip, although I had a blast playing through it again. Legends is one of the last great 2D platformers, and to think we may never see a sequel simply saddens me. I just hope everyone gets a chance to play it, and now being on every system imaginable, there is no reason why they can’t.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
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