Rayman Legends Retold, hands-on with Rayman’s “almost new” adventure

It’s been a while since Rayman made an appearance. Aside from mobile spin-offs, ports, and random cameos, it’s been since 2013 that the Ubisoft mascot debuted a new chapter, with Rayman Legends conceived for Wii U and then released more or less everywhere. That’s why we find it quite bizarre that the first project to inaugurate this generation is precisely a remake of the latter. Retold, however, boasts a lot of new features, and could represent a new launching pad for the series. It has been delayed by a couple of months, but we managed to get an early hands-on with a rather recent build, which reminded us of the potential of a magnificent 2D platformer already in its original incarnation. Perhaps it’s even improved.

The hands-on setup wasn’t exactly optimal: streaming, with a maximum resolution of 1080p. Controls and presentation weren’t top-notch, but I still managed to get through all the suggested content, plus some additional challenges. In the approximately two hours granted, I had access to the entire third world, Fiesta de los Muertos, three levels of the fourth, 20,000 Lums Under the Sea, and two of the sixth world, Land of the Livid Dead, introduced for the occasion. There was also an opportunity to visit the new central hub and watch some cutscenes, complete with dialogue, which show the greater emphasis on the narrative component. Nothing epic, but it’s nice that the characters now talk to each other a little.

The first aspect that strikes you about Rayman Legends Retold is undoubtedly the new graphic style. The title abandons the splendid UbiArt Framework in favor of the more recent Snowdrop. The magic may have been lost a bit and some designs have been retouched, but the visual impact and the fairytale atmospheres have not suffered at all, quite the opposite. Every scenario is a riot of colors and special effects, and every sequence tells a small story, given the amount of elements on screen, all detailed with great care. Sometimes it seemed to me there was too much “noise” in the most frantic sequences, between rapid camera changes and objects competing for attention between the foreground, background, and directly in the player’s face. A rare phenomenon, however, and not very impactful. Loading times were short and performance seemed more than good, but I’m waiting for a definitive version on my machine to draw conclusions.

With controller in hand, it’s Rayman Legends: creative like few others, dynamic, challenging (but always fair) and full of surprises. The levels offer that mix of constant challenge and secrets everywhere that make the experience a real pleasure; the formula hasn’t aged a day and the new embellishments have only enhanced it. There are also Invasions, for those who want to test themselves; the spectacular musical levels, which have increased in number and boast new tracks from the original composer, Christophe Héral, and even Grant Kirkhope; and unprecedented dragon-riding shooter sections, which alternate between vertical-scrolling phases and rail shooter style ones. The only moments that still don’t convince me are those with Murphy, who does his best to replace the Wii U Gamepad’s touch screen to interact with the environment. They’re not as intuitive, but you get used to them, and I doubt there are better solutions without completely overhauling the level design.

I don’t think there’s anything else to add: at the time, Rayman Legends was one of the benchmarks of the platformer genre, and Retold only builds on its rock-solid foundation, with many new activities, including a revamped Kung Foot, which unfortunately I couldn’t try. An unmissable opportunity if you haven’t played the original, also because it costs next to nothing, especially by modern AAA standards, and includes Rayman Origins Enhanced. Speaking of which...

The last half hour of the hands-on event was dedicated to this updated version of the fourth chapter of the saga. A less ambitious remaster, which “merely” brings the title to next-gen (it had never been re-released before) in 4K at 60fps, with new quality of life features, an in-game gallery, and collectibles taken from the Vita port. More frantic and nervous than Legends, here speed and precision are fundamental requirements to reach the finish line, let alone collect all the extras along the way. Here too, an excellent package that doesn’t feel the weight of its years.

I don’t know the reason for the delay (too busy a calendar?), but if it can help further optimize the experience, then so be it. Was this remake necessary? Who knows; I don’t mind it, considering the premises. Let’s just hope Ubisoft takes advantage of it to revive the franchise. Rayman still has a lot to say.