Unpopular opinions on Rayman

[Hunchman801]

Real Unpopular Opinion : Christophe Héral is a better compositer than Rémi Gazèl

Though I prefer Gazel's work, it's not my place to decide who's best, and they're both great composers in their own genre.

One thing I strongly disagreed with however was in that interview about the making of Rayman in the Phantom Show, where Romain Brillaud, the audio director, states that Rayman's musical identity is indissociable from Christophe Héral, who goes on to say that Rayman's "musical palette" is one of "ukuleles, jew's harps, kazoos and whistles". I must disagree with this generalization. While it is true for Héral's take on the series, and more broadly for all of the UbiArt titles, this is absolutely not the case for the musical universes of Rayman 1, 2 and 3, which are just as inherent to the series as that of Origins and Legends.

I feel like I will be ripped apart for this, but I'm not a fan of idea that Magician in Origins suddenly became Mr. Dark's fanboy, even as an UbiArt fan, especially with his previous history with Mr. Dark in older games it just feels out of character and random, especially after all of stuff that Mr. Dark did to him and his friends too.

Is there actually anyone who liked this botched attempt at a plot? I would think your opinion is that of the majority here!

The magician in origins and in R1 are different characters

Well, that's an interesting theory. Though it feels strange to have both characters referred to as the Magician and sharing the same hat, are there actually any elements in Origins that explicity point to them being the same character?

Unpopular opinion: I'm happy Rayman didn't meet Mario.

Same. Most crossovers fail miserably because it's really hard to blend two disctinct universes together into a cohesive whole. With the exception of the UbiArt games, Rayman is all about the atmosphere of the world the games are set in. Blend it with medieval fantasy, and you get Rayman Legends. It already felt weird to have Rayman in the Phantom Show take place in a movie studio, rather in Rayman's world, so I'd rather not think about what a visit to the Mushroom Kingdom could have been like.

And anyway, Rayman was even overshadowed by the Rabbids. Do we want to risk involving him with what is arguably the most famous video game character of all times?

The English dubbing of R3 shames the VO

I also strongly prefer Globox's goofy voice in the French dubbing (provided by Jean-Jacques Nervest). Leguizamo's good, but the high-pitched voice he went for just doesn't fit the character so well to me. It's also way more different from his mumbling in Rayman 2.

But then again, maybe that's just because I grew up with the French voice? I guess we'll never know.

My unpopular opinion today is that the PS1 version of R2 is a good port and better than the N64 version.

It cut some good stuff, and added some good stuff. I think the Nintendo 64 version stuck to the former.

I don't think LOTLD is that pretty!

Blasphemy!

A new sentiment I feel I've developed that might not be so popular - I'm kinda past the point where I care or desire for the series to have one set or singular ideal as to where and what it is. The fact that each Rayman game can stand on its own and be a unique experience without invalidating each other is a refreshing place to be in, the series lends itself to reinvention and yet retain recognisability and I feel that is a trait that suits long running series. It served Mario well and I suspect it could serve Rayman well.

Or maybe I'm just so starved of Rayman that at this point I'll take whatever comes. But there's no denying there are so many different takes now on the series and fans all have their own further subtakes and styles in their own fan works, so why stick with a static style?

While it's true that Rayman 1 and 2 pretty much felt like they were set in different worlds, the developers made much more of an effort towards continuity in Rayman 3 and I enjoyed that.

Does that mean they shouldn't have tried completely new stuff like the did in the UbiArt games? Of course not, but they should at least have had the decency not to shit all over the previous lore by turning previously good characters into evil Teensies, among other blatant inconsistencies. You mentioned not "invalidating each other", and that's pretty much what happened here.

unpopular opinion: rayman 2 revolution is the ACTUAL best version of rayman 2

Blasphemy!!! But like Greengoop said, it's (sadly ) not that unpopular.

So, in summary, I have a lot more to complain with Revolution than ps1, so I like the ps1 version more because of it.

I couldn't agree more! And I'll add that the PlayStation version also comes with its share of additions, all of which are pretty cool, while most of Revolution's range from forgettable to just plain bad. Of course, there's good ones like the zombie pirates and the Biditank, but they're just not good enough to make up for the butchering of the original game.

[DaveRattlehead]

Rayman Revolution would probably be the best version if they did better with the Hub and if they kept most of the stuff from the original game. Most of the added content doesn't make the game better and it would have been great to do some secondary activities in the Hub, to see it alive, but in the end it's simply meh and it isn't better than the Hall of Doors.

Now, here's my unpopular opinion... I find Rayman Raving Rabbids more entertaining than Rayman Origins.

[pompom454]

Unpopular opinion: the Rabbids just want to be friends with Rayman.

[AdmzWarszawy]

So, in summary, I have a lot more to complain with Revolution than ps1, so I like the ps1 version more because of it.

I couldn't agree more! And I'll add that the PlayStation version also comes with its share of additions, all of which are pretty cool, while most of Revolution's range from forgettable to just plain bad. Of course, there's good ones like the zombie pirates and the Biditank, but they're just not good enough to make up for the butchering of the original game.

Finally someone who agrees! The people who say that it's the best version are probably blinded by nostalgia, which I don't really blame them for, but oh well.

To add to my well of things that might get people angry, uhh nostalgia. I do not have really any nostalgia for the Rayman series, I would only have it for legends since it's the first one I played, but replayed it assured me in that it's not very good. My nostalgia is mostly for LittleBigPlanet, but this is a Rayman forum, so I won't be mentioning that again. I just view those games through the most objective lens possible, so that my opinions are informed and backed up by true experiences, not from when I was a little toddler. So, where am I going with this? Uh, yeah, The Tower of Leptys kinda sucks in areas, mostly at the end. As a finale, it kinda falls flats in being one, you don't see the hoodlums really destroying anything, so theere's really no urgency to go up to the top and fight reflux and andre. Also the final boss is too long, sometimes the platforming feels clunky, and in summary it's not that great.

[DaveRattlehead]

Finally someone who agrees! The people who say that it's the best version are probably blinded by nostalgia, which I don't really blame them for, but oh well.

To add to my well of things that might get people angry, uhh nostalgia. I do not have really any nostalgia for the Rayman series, I would only have it for legends since it's the first one I played, but replayed it assured me in that it's not very good. My nostalgia is mostly for LittleBigPlanet, but this is a Rayman forum, so I won't be mentioning that again. I just view those games through the most objective lens possible, so that my opinions are informed and backed up by true experiences, not from when I was a little toddler. So, where am I going with this? Uh, yeah, The Tower of Leptys kinda sucks in areas, mostly at the end. As a finale, it kinda falls flats in being one, you don't see the hoodlums really destroying anything, so theere's really no urgency to go up to the top and fight reflux and andre. Also the final boss is too long, sometimes the platforming feels clunky, and in summary it's not that great.

I'm not going to say too much because I don't want to go off-topic, but I also have a lot of nostalgia for LittleBigPlanet

I also expected The Tower of Leptys kinda harder, just like the initial section... Well, it isn't really that hard, but I expected to see everything infested of Hoodlums trying to stop a badass Rayman. But maybe that would have been too much for kids... Wait, doesn't Rayman 1 exist?

[The Jonster]

I don't think LOTLD is that pretty!

Blasphemy!

Oh no, she's absolutely right, Clearleaf Forest and the Bog of Murk are much prettier!

Finally someone who agrees! The people who say that it's the best version are probably blinded by nostalgia, which I don't really blame them for, but oh well.

Yeah I don't agree with that idea either. I prefer to play the PC version or the Dreamcast version. The Dreamcast version in my opinion is definitely one of the best versions of Rayman 2.

Finally someone who agrees! The people who say that it's the best version are probably blinded by nostalgia, which I don't really blame them for, but oh well.

To add to my well of things that might get people angry, uhh nostalgia. I do not have really any nostalgia for the Rayman series, I would only have it for legends since it's the first one I played, but replayed it assured me in that it's not very good. My nostalgia is mostly for LittleBigPlanet, but this is a Rayman forum, so I won't be mentioning that again. I just view those games through the most objective lens possible, so that my opinions are informed and backed up by true experiences, not from when I was a little toddler. So, where am I going with this? Uh, yeah, The Tower of Leptys kinda sucks in areas, mostly at the end. As a finale, it kinda falls flats in being one, you don't see the hoodlums really destroying anything, so theere's really no urgency to go up to the top and fight reflux and andre. Also the final boss is too long, sometimes the platforming feels clunky, and in summary it's not that great.

See, I love Rayman 3. But I agree that Tower of Leptys was just...not done very well. You have one section where the developers suddenly decided to throw hordes of hoodlums at you and then have the remaining phases not nearly be as battle-centric. You have another section where they throw you into an armaguiddon right before the final stage. Speaking of the final boss, they force you in the final fight in the sky to use the vehicle which you literally only used once a few moments ago. The final boss fight itself is long and boring for me. Honestly that third phase against Reflux 2 was unnecessary and I think that the developers must really just have been high to been, like, placing a bunch of random yellow cans around everywhere (yeah I'm talking to you TLOTLD2 and TOTL2). Music's good though, I'll give them that.

.....

On a sidenote, I'm pretty sure there's probably some subject down in the off-topic forum that covers LittleBigPlanet.

[PluMGMK]

Well, in case it makes anyone feel any better, TOTL2's development was a bit of an eff-up, as mentioned by Cut here and here…

you don't see the hoodlums really destroying anything, so theere's really no urgency to go up to the top and fight reflux and andre.

Interesting point… The threat of the Hoodlums is mostly conveyed through people talking about how bad it would be, and occasionally by collapsing masonry (in the Fairy Council and arguably in the Armaguiddon section) indicating that the world is tearing itself apart as André closes in on his goal. But without André to direct them, the individual Hoodlums are just too dumb to create or destroy anything (I recall a theory from somewhere that they just occupied old Pirate bastions instead of building new ones, which makes sense when you think about it).

So yeah, you've made me think about it… How could they have better conveyed that sense of urgency?

[Master]

Real Unpopular Opinion : Christophe Héral is a better compositer than Rémi Gazèl

Though I prefer Gazel's work, it's not my place to decide who's best, and they're both great composers in their own genre.

One thing I strongly disagreed with however was in that interview about the making of Rayman in the Phantom Show, where Romain Brillaud, the audio director, states that Rayman's musical identity is indissociable from Christophe Héral, who goes on to say that Rayman's "musical palette" is one of "ukuleles, jew's harps, kazoos and whistles". I must disagree with this generalization. While it is true for Héral's take on the series, and more broadly for all of the UbiArt titles, this is absolutely not the case for the musical universes of Rayman 1, 2 and 3, which are just as inherent to the series as that of Origins and Legends.

While Héral's work fits the UbiArt titles, I don't think they'd work as well with the classic games. Though I wouldn't mind him taking a punt at making a soundtrack for a more classic Rayman game, he did the OST for Beyond Good and Evil after all which is a significantly different game tonally, so he has it in him. Regardless, I'd very much like a different style to the UbiArt OSTs if we ever did get a more classic-style Rayman game, I just don't think the UbiArt sound works as well there.

A new sentiment I feel I've developed that might not be so popular - I'm kinda past the point where I care or desire for the series to have one set or singular ideal as to where and what it is. The fact that each Rayman game can stand on its own and be a unique experience without invalidating each other is a refreshing place to be in, the series lends itself to reinvention and yet retain recognisability and I feel that is a trait that suits long running series. It served Mario well and I suspect it could serve Rayman well.

Or maybe I'm just so starved of Rayman that at this point I'll take whatever comes. But there's no denying there are so many different takes now on the series and fans all have their own further subtakes and styles in their own fan works, so why stick with a static style?

While it's true that Rayman 1 and 2 pretty much felt like they were set in different worlds, the developers made much more of an effort towards continuity in Rayman 3 and I enjoyed that.

Does that mean they shouldn't have tried completely new stuff like the did in the UbiArt games? Of course not, but they should at least have had the decency not to shit all over the previous lore by turning previously good characters into evil Teensies, among other blatant inconsistencies. You mentioned not "invalidating each other", and that's pretty much what happened here.

Ahh ok that's a good point, I'll concede that plotwise the retcons from the UbiArt games aren't very well done, but I was moreso thinking from a tonal and stylistic standpoint than plot or lore - those aspects are kinda a lost cause to me at this point and as far as "official canon" goes I take the same sorta viewpoint as I would Mario games now, where lore only really matters on an individual basis and there's no guarantee or expectation of continuity. As the cop-out goes, it's all a (bubble) dream.

(That's not to say I don't still have my own headcanons and ideas, moreso that I accept we probably put way more weight on it than the creatives do)

[Maz]

Oh no, she's absolutely right, Clearleaf Forest and the Bog of Murk are much prettier!

I'm sorry, what?

I'll give you CF, but BOM??? That's not just an unpopular opinion, that's blasphemy against LOTLD!

Edit: Razoff does have a nice manor though

[StrangeSolo]

I feel like I will be ripped apart for this, but I'm not a fan of idea that Magician in Origins suddenly became Mr. Dark's fanboy, even as an UbiArt fan, especially with his previous history with Mr. Dark in older games it just feels out of character and random, especially after all of stuff that Mr. Dark did to him and his friends too.

Is there actually anyone who liked this botched attempt at a plot? I would think your opinion is that of the majority here!

Majority here? Oh!
I just personally saw it in other places that people see him like that more due to Origins and I really not a fan of that idea of him being Mr Dark's fanboy. Not only due to his previous history with him, but also because Magician already have his own reasons, so it kinda felt weird to make it connected to Mr Dark once again in my opinion

[mikemoron]

unpopular opinion: rayman 2 revolution is the ACTUAL best version of rayman 2

Blasphemy!!! But like Greengoop said, it's (sadly ) not that unpopular.

thank you for knowing that i exist, hunchman801 from www.raymanpc.com (known in israel as ruboton902)

[Hunchman801]

That's not to say I don't still have my own headcanons and ideas, moreso that I accept we probably put way more weight on it than the creatives do

That's for sure! And while we can't ask them to stop being creative for the sake of pleasing fans, I feel that there might be a middle ground to be found between that and introducing gross inconsistencies like they did in Origins. With such a large fanbase, there will always be people to try and make sense of the universe the game is set it, and little effort on the developers' part would certainly go a long way!

Oh no, she's absolutely right, Clearleaf Forest and the Bog of Murk are much prettier!

I'm sorry, what?

I'll give you CF, but BOM??? That's not just an unpopular opinion, that's blasphemy against LOTLD!

Edit: Razoff does have a nice manor though

Actually, I think I might prefer the Bog of Murk over Clearleaf Forest. Are we all blasphemers to each other now?

[SilverLum]

I'm with Hunch on this one. There is something so serene about that boat ride to the secret gem location in the Bog of Murk. The moonlight casting in the foggy sky is just so pretty.

[dr_st]

There's also something amazingly pretty with the Stumblebooms crashing into the swamp. And the feces-covered surfaces.

[AdmzWarszawy]

I'm with Hunch on this one. There is something so serene about that boat ride to the secret gem location in the Bog of Murk. The moonlight casting in the foggy sky is just so pretty.

The human urge to be on a boat being surrounded by nothing by natural beauty, reminds me of "The Akkerman Steppe" by Adam Mickiewicz.

Aaaaanyway, an another unpopular opinion about Rayman 2 again, since I have the most to say about this game (you can tell it's my favourite ). The Precipice is my favourite level in the game, and also I think that the worst levels are still for most of their playthroughs fun (yes even the second sanctuary). The Precipice is a platforming gauntlet, where you cannot stop except for small breaks, which I think adds to the tension of the level, since you have to scale this mountain range while being chased and having your walkway destroyed. And it's fun as hell, good god.

About the worst levels being good, I don't know I just find all of the levels at least somewhat fun, I think my least favorite are the walks, since they don't have much substance in them and just feel like lum dumps so that the game would have 1000 instead of 900. I've included my REALLY scuffed Rayman 2 level tierlist that I made almost a year ago, and I still agree with all of those placements. You can see how much I like this game, since the worst levels are "good" . I put the Prison Ship in Really Great since I really love how the whole level looks tbh, also I don't like the final boss that much, the first phase should've been longer.

[dr_st]

Yes, to say that the Precipice is a great level is really an unpopular opinion. From the first walkthrough I read on the game:

Ok, this level gets my vote for the worst level in the game! It's just runnig on falling bridges for about 5 minutes!

TBH, I liked all the levels. And the Precipice is challenging for sure, without getting overly annoying. Still annoying because it's easy to mispredict when a cannonball will hit and screw up the jump. The slow glide down to the final fight is my favorite part.

You may want to fix the text color on that tier list. On some levels it's too dark to read.

The Sanctuary of Stone and Fire is easily the best level of the game, IMO. You can see how much they ran out of steam after it, and everything became rushed and linear.

[Master]

Wait The Precipice is an unpopular level? That's genuinely a surprise to me, it's one of my favourites due to the spectacle and premise.

Also hard disagree that SoSaF represents an endpoint for the game's energy. It's followed by what I feel are some of the most fun levels in the game, Echoing Caves has the more open-ended Switch segment followed by the barrel flying segments. Precipice, see above. Top of the World's flying chair (I'll admit it's finicky but I'd argue it's still a very unique and interesting level gimmick). Then capped off with Rock and Lava with the Super Helico and the Foutch boss (who I contend is probably the best guardian fight in the OG Rayman 2 - not saying much considering the fights in general are quite bland but still...)

[Dumbo TV]

Unpopular Opinion : Lotld Origins IS more beautiful than the R3 version

[The Jonster]

That's a beautiful opinion. RO's LOTLD certainly has a more colorful personality than R3's LOTLD!

Oh no, she's absolutely right, Clearleaf Forest and the Bog of Murk are much prettier!

I'm sorry, what?

I'll give you CF, but BOM??? That's not just an unpopular opinion, that's blasphemy against LOTLD!

Edit: Razoff does have a nice manor though

Actually, I think I might prefer the Bog of Murk over Clearleaf Forest. Are we all blasphemers to each other now?

BLASPHEMY!

Hahahaha, I was joking about the Bog of Murk being prettier, but not about Clearleaf Forest. Would I like to live in Clearleaf Forest? Yes!

I do think Bog of Murk is cooler than Land of the Livid Dead though.

[Greengoop]

I do think Bog of Murk is cooler than Land of the Livid Dead though.

Correct opinion

Unpopular Opinion : Lotld Origins IS more beautiful than the R3 version

Incorrect opinion

Here’s mine: Begoniax was funner than razoff