Following the reissue of one of best games 2013 - Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition - knocked on the door of the owners of the new generation of consoles Rayman Legends- a wonderful platformer, which can rightfully be called one of the most worthy representatives of the genre not only last year, but also the last generation of consoles. The stunning success of Rayman Legends and rave reviews from both critics and players simply could not help but inspire the developers to re-release the game, which was supposed to be released on February 20 this year, but for some reason the release date in Europe was postponed to March. Last week, the game, without any announcement, appeared in the Russian PlayStation Store and at the same time did not acquire any now fashionable “Edition” postscript, still being called simply and unpretentiously - Rayman Legends(the main review of the game can be read by clicking on).
Perhaps markedly increased in Lately the tendency to re-release "old" games is a bewilderment for players who are hungry for something new, but you can look at it from the other side. Firstly, no one is forcing anyone to buy the game again if the person himself does not want it, and secondly, this is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the game for those who for some reason have not done it before. In any case, no matter how we treat this phenomenon of the modern gaming industry, any game will always find its buyer. Another thing is the desire of developers to bring some interesting goodies to their offspring in order not only to attract a new audience, but also to re-interest the old one. Starting a conversation about Rayman Legends, at first you can, as usual, talk about the graphic component. Of course, high resolution and more detailed textures are pleasing to the eye, but this is not at all critical here, since the original Rayman Legends already looks amazing, and the difference can hardly be seen without a direct comparison of both versions.
The developers paid the main attention to the social component of the PlayStation 4 and the new technical capabilities of the DualShock 4 controller, rather than to any fundamentally new content of the game itself. Now you can use the "Share" button to take screenshots and record video of the gameplay and then upload them to social media. Perhaps this feature is already rather a free application to each game and in fact cannot be considered as a feature of a particular game in particular. Of course, fans of boasting beautiful landscapes and their successful completion of difficult levels will be satisfied. Just for such players, the developers have come up with one interesting feature. During the passage of the game, a camera icon appears in certain places and when you click on the touch panel, the game goes into the so-called “camera mode”, in which you can admire a beautiful location, choose the most successful view for a photo, zooming in and out of the picture, but nothing more. Probably, this innovation will be of interest to a certain creative part of the players, but for the rest it will most likely be useless.
The developers used the touchpad directly in the gameplay. Lucky Tickets can now be erased by swiping your fingers across the touch screen, instead of using the analog sticks as was the case with the PlayStation 3 version. A distinctive sound is emitted from the DualShock 4's speaker. This is especially funny when the speaker volume is low TV, you start to "shuffle" on the touch panel for the whole apartment, having previously forgotten to reduce the volume of the controller's speaker. I must say, some dubious innovations that do not bring anything fundamentally new to the game. Also, in addition to the already impressive collection of different costumes for the main character, the developers have added a few more: Assassin Ray - the prototype of Edward Kenway from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Funky Ray - a funny character that can be unlocked using earned Uplay points. And finally, Champion Ray is a character that is only available to players who have succeeded in online challenges.
The most important innovation was the Remote Play function, which is simply indispensable for those whose TV is constantly busy with their relatives, but they want to play. With this feature, you can connect to the PlayStation 4 with PlayStation Vita and play on your portable console for your pleasure. Of the subjective features of the improved version of Rayman Legends, it is also worth noting a few. Apparently, the developers have eliminated an unpleasant bug that ruined all game progress for many PlayStation 3 owners, when the system for some reason did not recognize the save file, and the player automatically started a new game. In any case, for dozens of hours spent playing, nothing of the kind was noticed. Level loading speed is minimized, which is very important during the passage of complex tasks, when you have to do it literally dozens of times in a row. The list of trophies is completely identical to the list of trophies in the PlayStation 3 version, so trophy hunters can breathe easy, because the game does not have one of the most difficult trophies, like in the PS Vita version, where you need to get a diamond cup in an online challenge.
It was 3D, roaming the roster of video game consoles and earning all sorts of awards. He spent his leisure time with crazy rabbits from, only increasing his popularity. A couple of years ago, he returned to the roots, which received the corresponding name -. The prequel shed light on the origin of the elements of the universe and rightfully received high marks from gaming journalism. Michel Ancel found the golden section formula, and by 2013 he brought his main brainchild to the ideal. Meet:!
After saving the Rayman universe, the comrades took up their main occupation - reclining on a snore tree. But while the heroes were resting after hard working days, colorful world managed to infiltrate new nightmares. There is nothing to do: it's time to wake up and restore order in the fabulous lands again. Familiar characters all en masse go to places where Makar did not drive calves, namely to Mexican lands, marshlands and other medieval dragon havens. Along the way, you will have to not only save the little tinshi, but also free various kinds of fighting princesses, who immediately join Rayman in his fun and exciting adventure.
2011 game locations can be unlocked as reward content. Each new liberation campaign is a visit to one of the paintings of a huge gallery. Access to new canvases opens as you progress through the existing ones: advancement in one world is sequential, but the doors to new locations will open long before it is completely completed. Good news for those who spared the money to get to know Rayman Origins- 2011 game locations can be unlocked as prize content thanks to the in-game lottery. But even without a trip to the origins, Rayman Legends have something to offer the player.
The larger the cabinet, the smaller the key falls louder.
Exemplary platform arcade gameplay pushes the boundaries of diversity. The classic runaways remained in place, but now some locations will require even more concentration. The fact is that instead of the standard jump and hit, the third button comes into play - the use of a flying assistant that moves various obstacles in the sprinter's path. On consoles with a touch interface, your finger will act as a flying friend. It sounds much easier than it actually is, because already two buttons were enough to work hard on the passage. Another gameplay refinement that Michel Ancel groped for in some of the previous game's locations is the musical races. Only for them you can safely buy Rayman Legends: a kind of mixture of platforming and Guitar Hero offers a run in which the player performs all actions under the playing soundtrack. Oh yes. The soundtrack of the game is also perfect.
Delicious supplement.
The guys from the project's community are expanding from the once four-person cooperative passage to thousands of people around the world. Of course, the local co-op remained in place. But plus, good servers organize various daily and weekly competitions: who will collect the most lums in the allotted time, who will run a long distance or come to the finish line earlier. The German showed the best result? It's okay, we'll get it on the next try. Want to spar but your ISP is on strike? It doesn’t matter either, because now you have Kung Foot - football on the engine Rayman, where you can score not only a goal, but also your opponents.
Rayman's most tidbit is his visual and technical performance. But the sweetest morsel Rayman– its visual and technical execution. French design - that's what French design is for, to set the bar for quality. Drawing backgrounds, character animation, level design - all these things can safely be used as a standard of game elements in the chamber of weights and measures, which, by a lucky chance, is a fellow countryman of Rayman Legends. Designers approach the project with maniacal pedantry, carefully working out the smallest details, whether it's a split second of a run or a single lume that is not assembled at the level. An interesting move from the artists of the project is a slight touch of three-dimensionality in graphic design. Due to the soft shadows, the characters have added volume, the different dynamics and contrast of the background layers make the picture deeper, and the bosses are made in the form of stylish 3D models. By the way, the heroes are now not just painted in different colors- no, no, but the new skin of the protagonist entails a new animation of his actions.
What did we find in Rayman Legends? Nothing special, it's just the ideal of graphic performance, level design, soundtrack, cooperative get-togethers and multi-age orientation. With all this, the game manages to produce a result greater than the sum of its components. The project, as they say, from soul to soul to soul. And it will be able to displease only those players who do not have this important destination.
A century has passed. For a century they only yawned and snored endlessly. It seems that the heroes of the Meadow of Dreams are in the grip of omnipotent idleness? Or maybe my babies are just really tired? During this time, the Nightmares multiplied. They spread, giving birth to new demons, much more terrible than the previous ones! The meadow of dreams is in danger. Fly! Rather, awaken our great heroes!
At Rayman Origins there was every chance of failure. The budget was small, the development team consisted of only 6 employees. Moreover, since the release of Rayman 3, the last part of the series at that time, 8 years have passed, and it was not entirely clear for what purpose Ubisoft I decided to revive my old franchise. Nevertheless, the project took off. A low barrier to entry, but an ever-increasing level of difficulty, excellent game design, excellent work of artists and the ability to play the game with four people allowed the new Rayman to become one of the best platformers of our time. So it was nice to know that Ubisoft Montpellier, the developer of Origins, was given a large enough budget and resources to create a sequel - Rayman Legends. The main goals that the developers set themselves and voiced in various interviews are to do the same, only bigger and better. Did it work? Now we'll find out.
Let's start with the plot component. As in the last part, the plot is by and large limited to the plot. Since the last part, the main characters have been in a very deep hibernation, being in a bubble. In the literal sense of the word. In addition to them, at the same time, Evil grew in various bubbles, which eventually broke out and kidnapped the babies - the local population of the world. It is at this moment that our heroes are awakened so that they once again save this Magic world. This is where the story basically ends. Immediately after a short introduction, we are immersed in the gameplay. No boring and primitive tutorial levels, no boring cutscenes that can not be missed. This game focuses exclusively on the gameplay - that part of the game for which we actually play them.
The game captivates from the first seconds.
The gameplay basis remains the same - we save the little ones, along the way we collect lumens, destroying opponents and bypassing dangerous obstacles. The game has a large selection of characters - here you have Rayman, and Globox, his faithful friend, and two babies from Origins and about a dozen different princesses, but they all have the same abilities. The levels can be conditionally divided into two types - those where you need to save 10 babies, and those where only 3 babies are imprisoned. Levels with 10 babies are a classic level in which we just get from the beginning of the level to the end, collecting everything we can along the way. Levels with 3 babies are more diverse in terms of concept. In some you will have to fight the boss, in some you will have to run away from the cataclysm pursuing you, like a storm, lava, sand. As in the previous part, there are two types of collectible items in the game - babies and lumens. It is important to collect both babies and lumens. It is thanks to the little ones that you open new levels, for the lumens the player gets access to new costumes. Moreover, by collecting a certain number of lumens at the level, you can get a lucky ticket - a local lottery, thanks to which you can win a baby, classic levels from Origins, a certain number of lumens and monsters that will periodically generate ... Even more lumens. Why do you need so many lumens? More on this later.
At the end of the level, you will be shown all the rescued babies.
The dynamics of the game remained exactly the same balanced. Somewhere you have to rush at full speed, somewhere carefully jump over obstacles so as not to hurt anything. As a result, the theme of the game is not boring and offers a challenge that requires a different approach to the situation. The controls are quite simple - move buttons, hit, jump, run. There is nothing else, so you don’t even need to get used to the controls. This allows you to focus directly on the management of the hero - various creatures, thorns, abysses and other dangers will stand on the way to salvation. And you should be careful, since one hit is a restart from the checkpoint, unless, of course, you pick up an additional heart that absorbs damage, but only once. However, the character reacts to any movement instantly, so the success of passing the level is focused solely on how skillfully the player plays, and not on the miscalculations of the game designer.
As the game progresses, modes will open for a while. As such, they cause difficulties, with the exception of a couple of stages.
As already mentioned, the developers have focused on diversifying the gameplay. All levels are divided into different zones, each of which offers unique mechanics. Somewhere you will have to constantly be in motion, since the level will go under the sand, you will have to stealth in the water levels, otherwise the cameras will detect you and quickly destroy you, somewhere you will have to constantly levitate above the ground, since the floor is simply missing. Moreover, at the end of each zone there is a “musical” level - a certain well-known composition is remade to match the mood of the game, and you overcome obstacles and break barriers to the beat of the music, and after collecting 400 lumens a whole world opens up in which you need to replay these levels with certain difficulties, for example, with an inverted image. Moreover, there are moments in the game where you will control the character with artificial intelligence, you will destroy obstacles, move platforms while the hero is moving towards the goal. Fortunately, the player does not make thoughtless movements - if he sees an abyss that he himself cannot cross, the hero will wait until you yourself move it. If this is not enough for you - welcome to the levels from Origins. Did you complete them too? Then you can take on competitive mode in which you fight other players and break records in various challenges. As a result, the game can drag you out for a very long time, because some levels are updated daily, some - weekly, and the challenge is still there - players still compete to this day to get the best, platinum, cup to get ... Even more lumens. As a result, there is more content and it is more diverse.
If you are tired of all the other modes - you can go play football. With a group of friends, of course.
It becomes even more surprising that the locations do not disappoint at all - they do not visually repeat the last part in any way. You will visit the classic forest, and under water, even on Olympus, and the landscapes will not become boring until you pass the entire zone. And all thanks to designers and animators - something is constantly happening in the background, all characters, including opponents, have small animations so that the player feels this magical world. The game has also improved from a technical point of view. Origins was developed on UbiArt Frameworks, a developer toolkit that allows you to focus directly on level and world design without worrying about game optimization. The developers have improved this system, so now the game has moved lighting, better quality shaders, and although the game is still 2D, the characters have become 3D. The difference is felt only when the bosses appear, which usually fly from the background to the foreground, but the visual style of the game did not suffer from this. And the musical accompaniment perfectly complements the picture of this cozy world.
Unfortunately, the game has some problems. Not large, but it would be a sin not to mention them. The biggest one is the lack of an online co-op. Players can now play either on the same console or locally. Yes, co-op is still more of an archaic fun than a real way to get through the game normally with friends, but cutting out such an element is a little surprising. Remember I mentioned that there are many ways to get lumens, but in the end they are automatically spent solely on suits? So, if you, like me, want to complete the game in 100%, then you will have to open the costumes. The last costume unlocks at one million lumens, while at best, beating the whole game, rescuing all the babies, and getting all the monsters will only give you half a million at best. As a result, the complete passage of the game can take not just months, but also a year of constant play, so the test mode is nothing more than an artificial stretching of the game, I can not call it.
Fortunately, the tests are quite diverse - there are 5 variations.
If Rayman Origins was once called one of the best platform games of our time, then Rayman Legends can be safely considered one of the best platform games in the history of video games. The main claims of Origins were just the same in the absence of variety and short duration. The developers were able to roam here to the fullest and give an unforgettable experience that should not be missed by anyone. If you're a platform game fan, you've beaten the game a long time ago and might still be playing Challenge Mode. If you are not a fan of platformers - feel free to take it. The game is friendly to beginners and does not overload you with unnecessary gameplay mechanics. Considering that nothing better has come out since then, I strongly recommend buying it.
pros: low entry threshold; enough content for a long passage; the levels are excellently implemented in terms of game design; great work by the artists.
Minuses: lack of online multiplayer; challenge mode artificially stretches the passage of the game by 100%.
Raymen saves the colorful world from the forces of darkness again in one of the best platformers of the year. The best platform games on current generation consoles. The best platformers of the new generation of consoles. The best platformers ever. Basically.
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The scribbler in gaming journalism is the type of person who doesn't like everything. This is a boring, snobby personality, which you don’t feed with bread, but give something to criticize. Fortunately, the gaming industry in its current format is a real storehouse for those who like to grumble. Gray, monotonous and almost meaningless projects flooded the market - I don’t want to grumble. But here it drives into a stupor.
At one time, it gained considerable popularity among fans of classic and vibrant platformers, but this was clearly not what they expected in Ubisoft. That is why the bigwigs of the digital entertainment industry decided to give players another chance. The game was not only able to repeat the success of Origins, but also surpass it in many ways.
While Raymen and his comrades were sleeping, nightmares again began to smash the cities of Babies, beat ordinary citizens, and generally behave indecently. What to do, Raymen - you need to save the world again. And don't forget your friends.
In total, the comical hero will have to visit more than a hundred levels. Here's Rayman running from a goofy Mexican giant wrestler, trying not to get bogged down in a thick layer of various nacho additives, and a few minutes later he dives under the water, trying not to run into sea urchins and not become a dinner for some worms. Obstacles follow each other like in a kaleidoscope, while remaining challenging, but exciting. Even though the gameplay is focused on the need to run and jump in time, Legends does not get bored for a second. She just does not have time to bother, because everything in the game happens extremely quickly.
Each level is made in the same amazing cartoon style. The 2D foreground and 3D backs capture the atmosphere of each location. Mariachi skeletons, sand and cacti are Mexico. Castles, dragons, siege weapons and orcs with shields - this is the Middle Ages. Mechanical dragons, lasers and toads with machine guns in their hands and with night vision devices - this is an underwater laboratory that you need to penetrate unnoticed, like Sam Fisher.
The atmosphere is also conveyed by the chic musical accompaniment, which is just perfect for each level.
Moreover, the actions of the characters at some levels are closely related to the musical accompaniment. No, not like in the same one, which mixed colors and musical chords, allowing players not only to color the levels, but also personally write music for them. In Legends, music plays in the background, it's just that the level is built in such a way that the player's mandatory actions (whether it's jumping or riding a tightrope) seem to use one or another instrument.
As in many games of this genre, all the actions of the heroes are limited to simple jumps, rolls and the ability to soar in the air for a short time. However, the developers have found a way to dilute this simple combination. In certain places on the levels, a moth toad named Murphy can suddenly appear, which will help the heroes overcome certain difficulties. His assistance often involves simply moving platforms and cutting ropes, but Murphy can sometimes tickle an enemy to drop his shield and become more vulnerable to attacks.
Bright design, comical characters, addictive gameplay and just an indecent amount of various additional materials. Rayman Legends is perfect. No, really, that's the way it is.
Game tested onPC
Making a sequel to a great game isn't easy - and Rayman Origins was no doubt great game. Michel Ancel not only resurrected the series, but also raised it to a new stage of development, proving in practice that a two-dimensional platformer can be beautiful, modern and complex at the same time. It's no surprise, then, that the Legends anticipation has been tempered with a fair amount of angst, especially in light of the repeated rescheduling of the release date.
The excitement of the fans was in vain. Rayman Legends not only did not drop the bar set by its predecessor, but also easily overcame it. In a good way, strange, eccentric, incredibly charming and fascinating - in general, again the best platformer of the year.
⇡ One and a half
Despite its drowsy name, the Meadow of Dreams is often the center of unsettling events. While Rayman and his friends were basking in a hundred-year-old sleep, the dark babies loosened their belts and turned everything upside down. Luckily, Murphy the frog managed to wake up the couch potatoes and raise them to fight the mischievous villains.
Murphy is a real old-timer of the series, for some reason did not fit in Origins. His return is also the first gameplay innovation in Legends that you pay attention to. With the help of this flying amphibian, we overcome obstacles that we would not be able to overcome alone. Murphy, who never stops smiling broadly, pulls platforms in the right direction, shifts levers, cuts ropes, tickles giant monsters, and in other ways helps Rayman rush forward.
The green Zipper moves independently, but the first player controls the operations with the environment, which spurs the pace of the already dynamic gameplay. The intensity of passions reaches its peak in episodes of speed, when you have to monitor the position of your character and at the same time have time to press / cut / switch everything that Murphy's paws reach. Sometimes the hyperactive frog still calms down and assists in the passage of relatively calm "spatial" episodes, rotating the location so that Rayman can overcome obstacles that seem impregnable at first glance.
⇡ Like the notes
Tempo was a key principle in Origins. The idea of smooth, continuous movement was evident throughout, intertwining the arrangement of locations with sound design and polished controls. The sequel follows the same path, beating the beats of the gameplay with the accuracy of a metronome. The logical (and brilliantly executed!) development of this idea is the levels that complete each chapter of our adventures.
What happens in them is Rayman squared, the absolute peak of the idea of musical gameplay, subordinating everything that happens to the chosen rhythm. These levels are so chic that the first time you should tie your jaw. Believe me, a reckless run through a medieval castle under Black Betty will cause a real storm of emotions. Personally, I liked these episodes so much that I would gladly buy another pack in the form of DLC - and despite the fact that I am usually against such a scheme for withdrawing money from players.
As you can see, Ubisoft Montpellier is great at taking their ideas and solutions to new heights. The visual component is no exception - it seems that after Origins it is impossible to draw something better, but, apparently, the studio's artists are used to doing the impossible. The worlds into which our heroes are thrown are fascinating. Phantasmagoric landscapes are so juicy and rich in details that it seems that they are about to spill out of the screen into our world. The backgrounds and scenery are well drawn and animated, the characters are funny and colorful. From dark forests to steampunk-style underwater strongholds, the Rayman Legends artist's wild fantasy voyage will be imprinted on the retina with a series of bright slides that you want to remember forever.
⇡ Gallery of vivid fantasies
Along with the graphic style, the gameplay changes from picture to picture, bringing a pleasant variety to our adventures. During a fun Mexican Day of the Dead-style cucaracha (this colorful aesthetic hasn't been seen in games since the unforgettable Grim Fandango), we'll gnaw our way through sweets, and in 20,000 Lums Underwater we'll play a hilarious stealth action game with detectors, lasers, spy music and everything.
Thanks to this variability, the game does not get bored, despite the fact that the core gameplay remains unchanged. Like its predecessor, Legends has a smooth learning curve, ascending from mastering the basics of platforming to performing unimaginable combinations of jumps, slides, hover and sprints. There is, however, one nuance - sometimes the developers seem to flirt themselves, forgetting about the complexity. As a result, you occasionally stumble upon episodes that go through with gnashing of teeth for the tenth or twentieth time - and all because of some trifle like an ill-conceived location of a control point or a ledge, which you never reach by a damn two millimeters.
Otherwise, Rayman Legends is hard to blame for something - it is brighter, more effective, more incendiary and more than its predecessor. The latter is by no means unfounded. Just to go through the story and see the credits (one of the best in the history of video games, by the way), it will take about ten hours. But there is also a bonus chapter that opens after rescuing a certain number of babies, daily and weekly online tests with leaderboards and shadows of the closest competitors, a whole series of levels in the style of the Origins worlds, time runs ... It turned out to be a notable adventure, which is not recommended for all connoisseurs to miss great games.
Advantages:
- impressive detailing and first-class artistic design of everything and everyone;
- a large number of different locations and tests;
- musical levels are something;
- chaotic and fun multiplayer.
Flaws:
- the overall fluidity of the gameplay sometimes bucks in sections of increased difficulty.
| Graphic arts | Any of the enthusiastic epithets will fit the description appearance legends. Or even two epithets. Or ten, ten is better. One of the most beautiful platform arcade games the world has ever seen. | 10 |
| Sound | Harmoniously complements the graphics and gameplay, combining everything into one whole - exemplary work. | 9 |
| Single player game | When friends are not making noise and grabbing gamepads from each other, it becomes possible to properly enjoy the gameplay. In general, going through Legends solo is a little more difficult, but no less interesting than in the company. | 9 |
| Collective game | Some episodes are easier to complete alone, others are faster to conquer in a joint game, but the fact remains that the local multiplayer for four is very hectic, fun and wildly addictive. | 9 |
| General impression | When there are few flaws, they are even more annoying. So Rayman Legends has one of these, preventing it from being called the perfect platformer. But still, only people with an acute allergy to beauty can resist the charm of the game. | 9 |
Rayman Legends
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