With the release of Rayman origins back in 2011-

(2011? 6 years ago already? I feel old...)

With the release of Rayman Origins in 2011, it looked like Ubisoft was going back to what Rayman once was. But did Origins ever hold a candle to what Rayman once was? Well... I don't think so. And I'm going to explain why.

Now, first things first. This is my opinion. Don't get your knickers in a twist. I love Rayman to death. I just like to voice my opinions. Thank you.

Rayman never was a very serious series, much less character. He's been shown as a silly character ever since his inception. Remember Rayman 1, where he just made silly faces at enemies before learning to throw his fists? First level and he's been established as a very silly, quirky character. Nothing is new there, but the tone of the games overall has... Changed. And I want to discuss why, too. So why not start with the characters?

As I said, Rayman has always been silly, but before the first origins trailer, he was always mature when the time came for it. He's always been willing to help people, not that he doesn't in the current games, and be the hero, someone people can depend on when something goes down. And how do they portray him in this light in the first trailer for Origins?

... By making the first thing he does be as juvenile as blowing Betilla's skirt up. No longer is he the mature yet quirky hero but he's now portrayed as juvenile, nutso, and even lazy, in the final game's intro. He's always very happy-go-lucky throughout the game, always joking around, always smiling- not that that's a bad thing, but it's not like the hero we used to know, who took bad situations appropriately. Rayman 2, he starts off depressed that he can't help anyone. He's not always joking throughout the game and just being dumb. When he finds Globox's kids, he's able to easily calm them down maturely, and without being stupid. Is that something Origins Rayman would do? I don't feel so. He'd just making a stupid face and make them laugh.

As for gameplay in Origins, the same basic principles do remain, but... Weakened. Movement feels sloppy, and everything has ice physics. Fitting for his body, what with being able to slide around since he has no limbs, but you're going for functionality. Not realism. Not in Rayman. In the classic games, platforming was tight, you usually knew where you would land and could easily predict that. I can't tell you how many times I've slid off a platform in Origins, or flat out turned around mid jump to land on it, only to miss it, or how many times I have to spin around mid-jump. The one saving grace there is the Helicopter Hair. Combat does feel better though, I will give them that. T

here's no consequence to dying, no hand over, you have at most 2 hits before you're dead, out became way too easy and relied on being cheap in places to add to play time.

As for the tone of the game in general...

Enemies in the game go fat when they die, none of them are menacing, always being the stupid pawns. The story is lacking in depth and is just... Boring. I don't wanting go at the tone of the game too long, so I'm going to stop here and ask the question we all want to know- Why? Well I'll tell you why.

The Rabbids.

The Rabbids were the antagonists of the Gameboy advance Rayman 3: Racing Rabbids. They were just... Plain stupid. And kids loved it. I mean they LOVED it. One spinoff was all it took for then to realise that the kids were where the money is at, and the kept with the quirky, silly, easily-amusing-to-kids style to draw them in. Why do you think Rayman is so juvenile in the first Origins trailer? Well, that's something that would fit in a teenager's game, would it not? Or, rather, that kids interests are changing. They do HAVE to adapt to new audiences or they will die out, so I won't hold them accountable. Still, it is sad that Rayman isn't the one we once knew.

Will Rayman ever TRULY return to his origins? Only time will tell, but good lord GabeN above I hope he does. I hope he regains his path soon, because his games were a lot of fun back on the GameCube, N64, GBA, and PS1. I never played them as a kid but they were excellent fans and to see them do down the path of solely catering to easily amused kids it's somewhat sad. But we'll see, some day. But that's enough for now, I'M OUTTA HERE! Like communt and soobscrybble or whatever the hecc you kids do now