Rayman Origins

[El Dango]

We already knew about the underwater areas, guys...

I didn't, since I haven't really been paying attention to everything here. I did know that there would be underwater segments of the game, but I thought those would be individual levels, not part of otherwise non-water themed levels, which I think is quite awesome. Can't come up with many games who have done it like that, unless it was part of the main path.

[spiraldoor]

The game will have like 50 levels divided into 6 major areas.

Wow! That's quite alot for a Rayman game, considering the first two games only had around 18 of them. If they're anywhere near as long as the standard Rayman level, this is easily going to be the longest game in the series.

This is interesting, because I don't think Ancel has ever done a really long game before. Usually it seems like he wants to be sure he can make his games stay interesting all the way through, so maybe he wants to expand on his projects now that he's confident in his ability to do so? In any case, this just got me even more excited.

I expect that the ‘50 levels’ mentioned here are in fact sub-levels. Pink Plant Woods had four sub-levels, Bongo Hills had six etc. One would expect Origins to be shorter than Rayman 1, which had sixty such sub-levels (according to the back of the box), but it’s possible that Origins’s sub-levels will be a bit longer. It’s too early to make any serious estimations. However, I’m very happy to hear that there will be six worlds – it worked very well the last time.

Yes we get it Spiral you're not a wii fan. !

Come on, now you’re just misrepresenting me. Stating that Rayman 4 became a minigame collection because it was designed for the Wii is not an expression of hatred for the console – it’s simply a fact. Michel Ancel said so himself in a recent interview; I think it was the GameInformer one, but unfortunately my prediction that they would take down the digital magazine was perfectly accurate, so I can’t be sure.

Have you guys noticed in the interview that the orange-beared creature equal to Globox was called glute? I think we have a species confirmation.

Yeah, I just noticed it, but it's all but official so far: I'm curious where they got this name from. Not to mention this discussion, which goes well against the possibility of glute being the name of the species. Well, let's wait for more information

I sort of suspect they may have noticed that the online community often referred to Globox as a ‘glute’ and simply adopted the name. The same goes for the Glade of Dreams, which would really be called the Crossroads of Dreams if they were sticking to their original documents (or wherever they wrote down the details on Rayman’s world, if they recorded them at all). As my posts in that thread indicate, I’ve always thought there was a good chance Globox was called a glute; there are some lines in R3 that imply this, and the word ‘Glute’ is on the R3 dossier presse’s list of creatures.

• Music that interacts with the on-screen action

Oh my god this. It sounds almost too good to be true, doesn't it? It's a bit like the tings in Rayman 1, but better! It's as if they're chaining the music and the sound effects together to get you in some kind of trance while playing.
It also means the music is gonna have to be VERY good, because it's an important aspect of the game. Which means they'll do their best. Which means the soundtrack for this will be a win.

Hasn’t it already been confirmed that Christophe Héral will be composing the soundtrack? Of course it will be good.

As concerns the new information, I'm just a little sceptic about the multi-plane gameplay... is that gonna be like the cancelled 2D version of Rayman 2? It was pretty much of a gimmick to me.

Have you played Abe’s Oddysee or Abe’s Exoddus? They feature a two-plane background/foreground system which is exactly the same as the one in the 2D R2 prototype – right down to the teleporters and the enemies in the background who can shoot at you while you’re in the foreground. The system actually works very well in those games, though I imagine it might become tiresome in a traditional platformer. But all of this is moot – the way they describe Origins’s planar system makes it sound not like Oddworld or R2 2D, but like LittleBigPlanet: the character steps into the background when you tap the ‘up’ button twice, and steps into the foreground if you tap the ‘down’ button twice. The background and foreground are only a few feet apart from each other, so there won’t be tiny enemies in the distance firing at you or anything like that. Watch some LittleBigPlanet gameplay videos; the three-plane system actually feels very natural and it’s quite easy to get used to it. If you run a character straight into an obstacle which only blocks one or two planes, they automatically slip around it without instruction.

Other than this, I find all these figures about the architecture of the game rather confusing: 6 major areas, 12 environments, 50 levels...

It’s actually quite simple if you envision it in the context of the original game. The ‘major areas’ are worlds like the Dream Forest and Band Land; the ‘environments’ are multi-part levels like Pink Plant Woods and Bongo Hills; and the ‘levels’ are the individual maps which comprise them. At least I think that’s how it will be... the only flaw I can see in my interpretation is that it would mean each world contains only two different areas, which I imagine would leave each one feeling rather brief and unsatisfying.

Then I'd rather have waited till the release! I just hope Mr Dark won't be given a ridiculous look and personality.

Yes, Mr Dark is one character who needs to be presented in a dignified and mysterious manner. This would make him stand out distinctly in the chaotic cartoon world of Rayman Origins, but I think this unique quality could be used to the developers’ advantage. According to GameSpot, ‘We also caught a brief glimpse of Mr Dark, Origins’s principal villain, but because he was shrouded in a veil of dark mist, we couldn't see his face.’ This certainly makes it sound like they’re treating the character with the respect he requires. I think the scene GameSpot is describing is actually the one I discussed earlier; I found some strong evidence that one of the images in the GameInformer article actually depicts Mr Dark in silhouette, and the image itself does indeed seem to show him shrouded in a veil of dark mist which hides his face.

We already knew about the underwater areas, guys...

I didn't, since I haven't really been paying attention to everything here. I did know that there would be underwater segments of the game, but I thought those would be individual levels, not part of otherwise non-water themed levels, which I think is quite awesome. Can't come up with many games who have done it like that, unless it was part of the main path.

Underwater segments in regular levels isn’t that exciting; Rayman 2 did it twelve years ago.

[Cairnie]

I know it's a fact, I'm just tired of people still slagging the wii off because of the whole casual gamers thing, when there are good games on it. Not that I've been playing on it much lately anyway but still.

[Haruka]

What I find funny is Sony at first teasing Nintendo's bet with Wii and then what it happens? Abrakadabra: PlayStation Move! And Microsoft didn't got behind either.

[Rulez]

You're right Haruka.
I started to hate Sony for PSMove, but I think Kinect may be interesting... I never had it or will have it, but if anyone played it, could they tell me if it's good? Just interested...

[El Dango]

Hasn’t it already been confirmed that Christophe Héral will be composing the soundtrack? Of course it will be good.

True, a high quality soundtrack is guaranteed from Héral.

Underwater segments in regular levels isn’t that exciting; Rayman 2 did it twelve years ago.

Yeah, but those weren't particularly large. It would seem like this game expands on the concept, considering the attention it's given. I also really like the description of the swimming mechanics:

Aside from leaping around platforms, Rayman and his companions can now swim in underwater areas, performing dives and leaping out of the water like dolphins.

This, as well as the images, makes it seem like swimming is going to be really fast paced and incredibly fun. The Rayman series always did swimming controls fairly well imo, but this looks better than ever before.

[Haruka]

You're right Haruka.
I started to hate Sony for PSMove, but I think Kinect may be interesting... I never had it or will have it, but if anyone played it, could they tell me if it's good? Just interested...

Even like that I would like to try PlayStation Move just for the laugh. Now Kinect I feel more curious about it: playing without controllers.

[Acarr]

I know it's a fact, I'm just tired of people still slagging the wii off because of the whole casual gamers thing, when there are good games on it. Not that I've been playing on it much lately anyway but still.

Nintendo are just great at appealing to all audiences.

You're right Haruka.
I started to hate Sony for PSMove, but I think Kinect may be interesting... I never had it or will have it, but if anyone played it, could they tell me if it's good? Just interested...

Even like that I would like to try PlayStation Move just for the laugh. Now Kinect I feel more curious about it: playing without controllers.

Playstation Move, from what I've heard, is not very responsive and requires you to callibrate it everytime to play a game (and doesn't it just look weird?). As for Kinect, well without any buttons its gonna run out of ideas in no time. Great ideas but I've been there, done that...


@ El Dango: I hope they make dolphin noises when they leap out the water, for the lols :L

[Rulez]

@ El Dango: I hope they make dolphin noises when they leap out the water, for the lols :L

*snicker* that would be hilarious xFF
Also is it me or on the screens/scans Rayman's getting more serious with ''later'' (as we can guess) levels? It MOST PROBABLY is just me, but with the concept of the game, well...

[El Dango]

@ El Dango: I hope they make dolphin noises when they leap out the water, for the lols :L

Haha, yeah!

Also, I wonder if any regular bosses from R1 will appear.

[Acarr]

Also, I wonder if any regular bosses from R1 will appear.

And if they do, will they remain limbless?
My eyes will burn if the likes of Mr.Dark etc. have changed drastically...

[El Dango]

It would seem like he has actually, so prepare the fire hose.

[spiraldoor]

True, this is maybe the most important information here... I believe the article from Jeux Vidéo Magazine clearly said that Mr Dark wouldn't appear and that we would only learn about him, but then we are told the opposite... Rather puzzling

The two articles don’t necessarily contradict each other. It could be that Mr Dark is the primary villain, and that we receive brief glimpses and impressions of him throughout the game, but that he is never directly addressed or confronted, choosing to act through minions instead. This is how Moriarty is portrayed in some Sherlock Holmes adaptations and it sometimes works rather well.

[spiraldoor]

What on earth is going on in the final picture? The foreground looks like something out of Picture City (there’s a bunch of giant books apparently covered with thumb-tacks, there are what could be some giant sheets of paper and what I think is a giant paint tub, not to mention the pink palette), but the meditating glute and mystical paraphernalia (the altar, the candles, the incense) seem really strange and incongruous with what we saw of that world in the original game. The picture above that one is quite bizarre; it features what looks like a revamped flying ring/Purple Lum, except for the fact that it’s blue. I don’t know what to make of it. The top picture shows a new boss, which was also shown on the cover. The three bosses now confirmed are the giant pink squid, the giant stone man and this giant orange thing. The Land of the Dead concept art also showed a giant tentacled orange monster, but that one was probably an early version of one of these ones. Whatever way you look at it, it’s clear that this software was designed with gigantic enemies in mind. I doubt any of Rayman Origins’s bosses will be as small as those featured in the original game; but on the other hand, using colossal bosses as the build-up to a more intense and personal climactic confrontation with the much smaller and much more powerful Mr Dark could be a wonderful way to go.

[Haruka]

What on earth is going on in the final picture? The foreground looks like something out of Picture City (there’s a bunch of giant books apparently covered with thumb-tacks, there are what could be some giant sheets of paper and what I think is a giant paint tub, not to mention the pink palette), but the meditating glute and mystical paraphernalia (the altar, the candles, the incense) seem really strange and incongruous with what we saw of that world in the original game.

I also made references to the Picture City in previous posts I did, I equally find it odd when comparing to the background content.

[MasterHero]

Anther short article....nothing really new but it comes with a nice photo

http://www.lindependant.fr/2011/05/27/m ... ,23268.php

Google translation: http://translate.google.de/translate?u= ... =&ie=UTF-8

[Matyuv]

Another screen that hasn't been posted yet, I believe.


edit: and a new article in Italian; google translation of it

don't have time to read it atm so I'm not sure if there's anything new
edit2: The article confirms there are 6 worlds, and Rayman acquires a new power in each; it mentions some "aztec ruins" world (or level? area?); Ancel says the Wiimote will be used in special ways. In co-op mode, at the end of each level there'll be a ranking of players showing who collected most items etc.

[Julia_Patti]

One word: Coolio.
Though it's still not completely clear how Rayman DID have excellent swimming skills in RO, then suddenly lost them in R2 and regained back in R3.

[Haruka]

Thanks for the links.

I do hope the Wii version doesn't become a sin when compared to the other versions. I'm still praying for a confirmation in E3 of every platformer it will come out.

[Hunchman801]

As my posts in that thread indicate, I’ve always thought there was a good chance Globox was called a glute; there are some lines in R3 that imply this, and the word ‘Glute’ is on the R3 dossier presse’s list of creatures.

This list is actually an argument in disfavour of this assumption, as the fact that Globox is listed and present on the picture implies that the glute is one of the remaining characters in the said image. But well, it can always be a mistake on Ubi's part.

Watch some LittleBigPlanet gameplay videos; the three-plane system actually feels very natural and it’s quite easy to get used to it. If you run a character straight into an obstacle which only blocks one or two planes, they automatically slip around it without instruction.

It's quite reassuring, I feared it would turn out to be a uselessly complex gameplay but it looks rather interesting in the end.

The only flaw I can see in my interpretation is that it would mean each world contains only two different areas, which I imagine would leave each one feeling rather brief and unsatisfying.

This is exactly the problem I spotted when reading all these figures, but hopefully we'll learn more about it soon.

I do hope the Wii version doesn't become a sin when compared to the other versions. I'm still praying for a confirmation in E3 of every platformer it will come out.

Even if they do their best, the Wii's very limited capacities will not allow anything as beautiful as the other versions. On the other hand, it might bring interesting novelties in terms of controls