I think that all of you who followed this year’s E3 press conferences can agree with one thing; they were mostly pretty uninteresting, all of them. Each may have had a sparkling moment or two, but by and large they were all pretty humdrum affairs. In fact, the single game that left a huge grin on my jaded face was the brand new Rayman Origins from Ubisoft.
After getting a bunch of hands-on with the game, I can happily attest that that grin is still there.
I have a soft spot in my heart for 2D platformers, and this one – with all its zany old-school charm is set to nestle itself in the spot. For the first time in a long time, Rayman is the star of his own game again, ditching the Rabbids that have become so ubiquitous this generation. No, our oddly designed character with his disembodies head and limbs is the star again in something that brings the traditional 2D platformer back to life. Rayman Origins has a unique visual style that makes it one of this year’s best looking games – and Like Kirby’s Epic Yarn last year, it’s all down to incredible art direction instead of technical graphical prowess.
That’s not to say it isn’t technically impressive though, its beautiful hand-drawn visuals run at 60fps in glorious 1080p, and it’s one of the most visually arresting games at the show. even better though is that it plays like a dream – and supports 4 player drop-in drop out co-op.
Rayman Origins will be out, making the rest of you grin, on PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii later this year.
Last Updated: June 8, 2011