Rayman Legends Retold Preview: Bizarre priorities but a charming game

For most people, hearing "Rayman remake" sets off some pretty specific trains of thought. Perhaps Ubisoft will go right back to the beginning and re-establish the franchise's core values? It could even be Rayman 2: The Great Escape, which cemented the character's status as a 3D platformer?

I don't know about you, but my instinct certainly isn't pointing towards a remake of Rayman Legends, a game that's "only" 13 years old, is playable on modern platforms right now, and which, thanks to the UbiArt Framework graphics, looks just as crisp and gorgeous today as it did in 2013. But that's exactly what we're getting...

Meet Rayman Legends Retold, a full-blooded remake of Rayman Legends, arriving at a lower price of €39.99 on October 1 on all major platforms, and with which I recently spent a good three hours playing.

Yes, it's the bizarre context surrounding this project that perhaps does the game a disservice, for it doesn't take a particularly inquisitive or critical mind to ask oneself - and others - the question: "why Legends"? The developers at Ubisoft Montpellier and Ubisoft Milan didn't really manage to answer that, but if you can look past the awkward allocation of limited resources whilst Ubisoft attempts a market strategy U-turn, there is good news here after all.

First and foremost; this is Rayman Legends, and that means it's an endlessly charming, tight, and gorgeous 2D platformer with the option for 4-player local co-op, oozing with creative energy and pure, unadulterated joy of play. All those qualities are still here, and if you're looking for an excuse to revisit an absolute classic, this is exactly what you need.

So what has changed? Well, first and foremost, this game is not developed in UbiArt, but rather in Snowdrop, yes, Massive's graphics engine used for The Division and Star Wars Outlaws. This means that the hand-drawn, distinctive style here is replaced with 3D modelling and a more animated film-like look. Think of Illumination's films, and you're well on your way. It sounds cynical, but fortunately the stylised aesthetic is retained, so the game doesn't lose its spark or its unique character in that sense. In other words, this game is quite beautiful to look at, and that's despite the fact that this 3D treatment via Snowdrop could easily be considered somewhat unnecessary, given that the original version was so beautiful to begin with.

So, credit for the transition to 3D. No doubt about it. The backgrounds in particular have more depth, and it's clear that this allows Ubisoft to flex its graphical muscles a little more. But the visual overhaul also involves what is likely to be, to put it mildly, a controversial redesign of Rayman himself. No, it's not quite as bad as the first version of the film-style Sonic, but Ubisoft has clearly tried to make Rayman "cooler", even though his actual character model is slightly silly to look at. The result is... mixed, and it only gets more bizarre because the game now features full voice acting. So yes, these truly wacky characters now talk to each other, and whilst I don't scoff at the possibility of characters developing or expressing themselves further, it's debatable whether full voice acting is the right "fit" here.

There are new levels, including, among other things, incredibly beautiful and spectacular dragons that carry you from world-to-world, further contributing to the game's versatility in terms of progression, and as I said; the rest of the game feels "tight as a drum". This isn't meant to serve as some sort of excuse for Legends Retold, but let's just say that this game is still... well, itself, and that means it feels absolutely brilliant to play right through to the end.

That's why I enjoyed my time with Rayman Legends Retold, even though I'm not entirely convinced that all of this is strictly necessary. The 3D conversion is quite beautiful; everything ran smoothly and responsively, and has retained its colours, creativity, and spectacular pace. Rayman's new design, and his voice, will probably divide fans but I'll be playing this with my partner in October all the same.