Platforming games have been making a comeback as of lately as gamers demand more variety and more out of their videogaming machines. The Xbox LIVE Arcade is often a launching pad for such platformers on the Xbox 360, but every now and then we see one arrive in the form of a full length Xbox 360 game on a DVD disk; yet, those few full-length platform games seem to be quickly forgotten.  Enter Ubisoft’s Rayman Origins which has been shaping up to be quite the opposite and has all the potential to stand the test of time. It is charming and one of the most wonderful platforming experiences I have had a chance to sink my teeth into in quite some time. While many games appear to have inspired Rayman Origins creation, it is truly a one of a kind experience and one that will not be forgotten any time soon.
Rayman Origins for the Xbox 360 consists of a campaign story mode only. There is little in the way of extras as there is no online multiplayer, no upgrade system, no customizable options, and no mini-games. On the surface, it is a game that appears to lack some depth and content, yet what Rayman Origins seems to lack, it manages to make up in other departments, and in a big way. Rayman Origins features a highly engaging and delightful campaign mode featuring stunning visuals. After having played a few hours alone and another few hours playing co-op with my daughter, I have to say Rayman Origins is one of the better co-op games I have played on the Xbox 360 to date.
For those of you who have nobody to play with, you will still get plenty from this latest installment in the Rayman franchise. The single player is engaging enough and the challenge along the way will keep you coming back for more. That being said, you will be missing out as the game truly shines in co-op mode; however, your co-op partner will have to play beside you as there is no ability to play online with a buddy over Xbox LIVE.  This was an absolute disappointment for me, but it is certainly not a deal breaker. I envision many people sitting down and playing this game together such as brothers, sisters, and parents alike.
Rayman Origins takes place in the Glades of Dreams. The story starts out with Rayman and his crew of misfits kicking back and having an afternoon nap. The only problem here is that they snore, and snore really loud in a musical-like fashion. This irritates the nightmarish neighbors from the Land of the Livid Dead and their snoring subsequently triggers a war. The hellish creatures who Rayman and crew have annoyed then set off to invade the Glades of Dream and reap havoc on Rayman’s peaceful world. Never one to shy away from these nasty neighbors of the south, Rayman and his band of misfits set off on an adventure to knock these cranky buggers into oblivion. While taking down these nasty foes Rayman saves nymphs and earns new powers as he makes his way across the games massive world.
Overall, Rayman Origins offers up a fairly straightforward plotline. There is nothing incredibly riveting or original when it comes to game’s narrative. There are parts in the game where you wonder if you have made any progress towards the story at all as there are lengthy stretches where nothing seems to be developing. Sure, you are saving nymphs, collecting electoons (the equivalent of coins seen in other platformers), taking down baddies, and earning medallions. Otherwise, you do not see many twists and turns with Rayman Origins’ plot.  At the end of the day the story does take a backseat to the real enjoyment in the game, which is making your way across Rayman’s magical world and soaking in one of the most visually stunning platform games I have seen in recent memory.
What will immediately jump out at you when you fire up Rayman Origins are the game’s wonderfully crafted visuals. Rayman Origins is a bright, colouful title and one of the most visually appealing games I have played in recent memory. You will travel your way through underwater caves, collapsing cliffs, and many other funky and eye-pleasing locales. Micheal Ancel is responsible for creating the artistic world that is Rayman Origins and his vision is truly something special. The animations are wonderful and arguably the best we have seen in a platformer since the Super Mario Brothers days of the NES. Everything from the games quirky characters to the beautifully crafted level designs, Rayman Origins is a game you will not forget any time soon given the way the world just comes to life. Rayman Origins visual quality is on par with that of most, if not all, TV cartoons and the development team needs to give themselves a huge pat on the back as  Rayman Origins 2D visuals are as good as its gets.
Much like the games visuals, Rayman Origins’ audio package is full of surprises. Every level and every bounce seems to induce a fresh set of sounds for you to enjoy. In many ways, Rayman Origins is musical game in that you never know what you are going to get with every step, jump, or leap you make in the game. Jumping on a ledge may generate a quick strum of a guitar while another leap may generate the sound of a bongo drum. It is almost as if the development team had fun generating all the sounds that come out the Rayman Origins world and it is truly something special.  Even the characters incoherent pig latin ramblings are highly entertaining. If there is any negative in this area, I would have preferred some more voiceover work that could have replaced the at times endless streams of text that surface when you start a level by bounding on a top hat; regardless, the sounds you do get in the game are great.
Rayman Origins features all the things that make great platformers so great. Jumping, punching, gliding, and flying are all actions that lead you from one level to the next and the core platforming actions are done very well. The game runs silky smooth and the controls are very easy to master. Every movement of your character feels incredibly natural and there is nothing clunky or awkward about the game’s controls.
One of Rayman’s main focuses in each level is saving the Electoons. As the world is taken over by creatures of the south, more Electoons become victim and are held captive in heavily chained crates. To save the Electoons, Rayman needs to stop the nightmares and ultimately progress along each of the games many levels while finding these crates located inside hidden rooms and at the end of the each level. Each level displays a medallion that tracks your progress in collecting Electoons. There are also a variety of challenges you will need to complete in order to fill a medallion.
In addition to saving Electoons, collecting lums, which is best described as being the equivalent of collecting coins in any Mario world, is a key component to the game, yet unlike many other platformers, Rayman Origins introduces a number of ways in terms of how you collect them and it is incredibly challenging. One way is by simply bouncing on floating ledges. Likewise, taking down nastys can also produce lums. There are large coins located throughout the game where you can earn large chunks of lums as well. The lum collecting is not as easy it seems though and you will indeed be challenged to collect a large sum of lums. At the end of each level the lums you collect are tallied up and you are then awarded a number of Electoons based on the amount of lums you collect. In order to collect all the lums in the level you will need to be creative as it is incredibly difficult to collect all of them.
Rayman Origins is a challenging game and was a little too difficult for my 9-year old daughter unless she was playing with me in co-op mode. By herself she managed to float through a few levels, but once she started to accumulate some additional powers, such as gliding or sliding, the game did become a little too much for her. As a matter of fact, there are some levels that will be difficult for anyone. Some took me several attempts before I could progress and I am sure they will challenge some of you out there as well. Yet when you play with someone else the game becomes far more forgiving. For starters, when one of you dies, the game does not stop as the character who met their untimely demise becomes gobbled up by a floating bubble that travels across the screen until one of the other Rayman characters grabs the bubble, and just like that all of you are back in the game without skipping a beat. Needless to say, I was impressed with the way the co-op mechanics play out in the game.
Rayman Origins features five worlds, and as you progress along in the game you are slowly introduced to new abilities.  Initially you are only given the ability to jump but soon after you are given the ability to attack. Eventually you get the ability to do slides, glides, and wall runs. It is a clever way of keeping the game fresh and is nice way of introducing you to the game’s controls. That said, some more advanced type of moves, or an upgrade system, could have gone a long ways towards giving the game some more replay value.
Rayman Origins does offer up a great deal of variety besides your typical jumping and attacking platforming sequences.  There are chase sequences and timed sequences mixed throughout. There are also highly enjoyable parts in the game where you will be flying on the back of a mosquito. Needless to say, the gameplay is varied and, much to my surprise, it becomes quite the challenge as you progress along deeper into the game. I anticipated that any game with Rayman in the title would be more suited for younger gamers and that the difficulty would be much easier. This is not the case at all as Rayman Origins will punish you at times. Yet it is this type of challenge that should appeal to more mature gamers as well as those looking to relive some of those golden platforming days.
Overall, Rayman Origins is arguably the best platform game on the Xbox 360 to date. The charming and stunning TV cartoon-like visuals are simply a treat while the varied gameplay is incredibly addictive and quite the challenge to boot. The game’s co-op mode is where Rayman Origins excels and is worth the price of admission alone. This holiday season, if you are looking for a platforming game that will challenge you and entertain you like no other before, then look no further than Rayman Origins.
