Rayman 2

Rayman 2. What can I say about Rayman 2 that hasn't been said about this fan favorite? How about that it’s one of my least favorite entries in the Rayman franchise? That’s a new one! Okay before we start understand that this isn't a rant. Okay it sort of is but it’s mostly me and my relationship with this game. I’m not going to be spewing out nonsense but rather give my honest opinions on Rayman 2: The Great Escape. And another thing is what I just mentioned. I’m going to be talking about Rayman 2: The Great Escape, NOT Rayman Revolution! I hope that clears it up since I heard there have been a lot of changes between the original versions and this beefed-up of a remake. Okay you got that? Great let’s begin onto…

Bradandez’s Raving Rants & Reviews #1; Rayman 2: The Not-so-Great Escape

Let’s start off with the characters, story, music, and the overall feel to the game or in a shorter way of putting it; presentation. Why didn’t I go with that? Anyways, I like most of the designs of characters in Rayman 2. I didn't like the character designs in Rayman 1 since I viewed them as too weird-looking and kind of off. Only exceptions were the Magician and Mister Dark. The designs in Rayman 2 were really done well and when I first played the game I loved them instantly. AND SWEET BABY JESUS! I FUCKING LOVED THE GIBBERISH IN THIS GAME! IT’S SO FUCKING CHARMING! OH GOOOOOOD GOD!!! Sure with the recent games, UbiArt Rayman has since replaced this look as my favorite designs for the Rayman franchise. But even today, Rayman 2 still holds its own charm with its characters. Except for Polokus. Like seriously, EWW!!! HIS FACE… IS WEIRD LOOKIN’! WHY ARE HIS ARMS SO FREAKISHLY LONG!?! HIS FEET ARE SO GODDAMN HUGE! HOLY HELL! THOSE MAN BOOBS NEED TO CENSORED OR SOMETHING! YUCK! LOOKING DUMB WITH PANTS AND SANDALS. ALSO JANO CALLED, HE WANTS HIS HAT BACK!

The story is well told. I know how much all of your tangerines were tasseled when Origins/Legends had little to no story. And I know how much you members favor Rayman 2 because of its story. I personally think Origins had the best story (Man, I am so biased!) even if it wasn’t executed well. Rayman 2 story is good enough to get me interested into its world but I seriously can’t find what was so dark about this game. Sure, Robobeard may have destroyed the Heart of the World, enslaved a great amount of inhabitants, and turned the world into a polluted dump but still I can’t find it as dark as most of you members. I think if Robobeard killed someone (no I am not counting that Lum he ate) or implied he did, then maybe it would have done the trick. But I can’t say this game was all that dark for me.

And now moving onto the world of Rayman 2 and oh boy; am I going to get a lot of hell for this. I found Rayman 2’s Glade boring. All honesty right here, I felt that it lack variety. It’s mostly just grass and swamp themed levels most of the time. Sure you get the occasional fire themed or beach levels, but still even when those show up they feel like they lack. In all the other games in the main series didn’t have this problem. The other entries had great diversity in their worlds, the 2D games shine in this area the most! They had great worlds like; Band Land, Picture City, Gourmand Land, Moody Clouds, Fiesta de los Muertos, and 20,000 Lums Under the Sea just to name a few. I guess there’s the argument that Rayman 2 isn’t split into worlds and instead is just a huge world itself. I can see that. But still, I can’t say I found Rayman 2’s Glade memorable.

Last but not least, wait a second this is least because Rayman 2’s music is by far the least enjoyable for me in all of the Rayman series. I am sorry Shroobie, but I swear I just can’t for the love of God couldn’t enjoy Rayman 2’s soundtrack. Sure it has some fantastic tunes that I really love, but even then the negatives just outbalance than the positives. It literally took me three days to motivate myself just to finish the entirety of the In-Game soundtrack (also thanks Droolie for ripping of all the Rayman music! That’s real nice of you!). I hate to say it but I found most of the tracks to feel repetitive. Not in melody but in the instruments. The tracks definitely differ from one another, but the instruments don’t seem to change as much as the tune. Sure you get the occasional electric guitar but I can’t say it makes up for the lack of variety. I think this might be because I don’t listen to Rayman 2’s soundtrack as much as the other games’ soundtracks, but overall I found most of the music to be boring.

Now let’s go to part two of this: the gameplay. I have to admit, controlling Rayman is great in this game. He definitely has the weight and feel to how a thingamajig actually moves in a three-dimensional platform game. The abilities are fun too. Even though Rayman doesn't have his mighty fisting skills… I mean telescopic fists in this game; Rayman does have the power to throw magic balls into the faces of his foes. This is really unique since this is the only game that features this power and frankly, I dig it. His shuffling is great for dodging and aiming at enemies. And the good ol’ helicopter hair is better than ever! (Looking at you, Rayman 1.) Controlling Rayman is just lovably awesome in the Great Escape! Then here comes the bad part…

While Rayman is awesome to control, it’s the enemies that kill the experience for me. The combat in this game is a joke. I could kill loads of Robo-Pirates without taking the slightest of damage; any other enemies were a one-hit kill. I don’t even recall dying to enemies, only by natural causes like falling into murky/piranha-infested waters or falling into bottomless pits. It also sucks that you couldn't replay bosses either, (seriously, fuck Rayman 1) some of them were pretty epic! The good thing is that levels (even though lacking in the variety design department) sometimes offer challenges in terms of level designs. I don’t find myself interested in replaying all the levels, because truth be told there are levels that stand out more than others. The secrets, even though almost very easy to find, make it satisfying to explore the world of Rayman 2. And riding the shell was really fun. Like seriously, why couldn't there just be a whole level of riding the shell? Like non-stop. That would have been neat! And one last thing is that, the overall game is far too easy and feels short. For advanced players, they might be able to beat this game in a day or so. And even with the secrets to collect, it still takes like a day and a half to beat it. And it’s not like getting all the lums and breaking the cages does anything.

In the end, Rayman 2: The Great Escape; while a good and enjoyable game in my UNBIASED eyes and a fan favorite of most of the community, it just doesn't do it for me at the end. I know it’s wrong to compare it the recent UbiArt games, but I find those two to have a greater replay value than this one. Rayman 2 is fun, but it doesn't have that pull to make me play it again and again. Origins/Legends have a way better presentation that fit my tastes. They both have great levels, fun and catchy music, enemies with personalities, and just that silly tone to it that makes me laugh. Rayman 2 while charming on its own, just doesn't have that much of a challenge than the other games. Rayman 1 is hard as fucking balls while Origins/Legends have a balanced difficulty. Rayman 2 is just way too easy and it’s a shame that I can just breeze right through it. It lacks in the variety department in terms of level presentation and music. If I had to give Rayman 2: The Great Escape a rating; it would be a 7.5/10. This entry is one that I won’t be replaying in the very near future. Maybe like in a month or so because I have no other games.

This has been Bradandez’s Raving Rants & Reviews, please don’t ban me.

Holy fuck it's here. I will update post when I read it.

EDIT: I think you bring up some very good and interesting points. I myself can't really provide any counter argument considering it's been a while since I last played the game, but I I can see what you mean with all of those points, even if I might disagree with some of them.

Shrooblord said:

Ok, I drew you one right now:

http://oi57.tinypic.com/10gb6ea.jpg

It's a bit of a rough sketch, but I thought you might enjoy that already. If you want something better, give me a call. Also, I'll give you the full texture they used in-game.

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Nice drawing man thanks a lot!! You rock!

If you could send me the texture that would be amazing.

YOU'VE GOT THE GOOD STUFF!

Thanks so much man! <3

That was a very interesting reading, Brad. I personally don't censor you for your opinion. You made some interesting points that I would like to comment though:

But even today, Rayman 2 still holds its own charm with its characters. Except for Polokus. Like seriously, EWW!!! HIS FACE… IS WEIRD LOOKIN’! WHY ARE HIS ARMS SO FREAKISHLY LONG!?! HIS FEET ARE SO GODDAMN HUGE! HOLY HELL! THOSE MAN BOOBS NEED TO CENSORED OR SOMETHING! YUCK! LOOKING DUMB WITH PANTS AND SANDALS. ALSO JANO CALLED, HE WANTS HIS HAT BACK!

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I'm going to admit that I grew an acception of the current design of Polokus thanks to the release of Rayman Legends and hardly see him in future games with the original design. The long arms are obviously for the easy reach of the attachment areas for the Masks, and I do believe there's logic behind this: Polokus is sleeping for years and he is weak. His movements are quite limited so he needed to compensate that. My headcanon is that Polokus' original form is actually the Rayman Origins/Legends one, but before falling into a deep sleep (and also assuming that the Shapeshifting ability is still official), he changed his from to a Dreams Form that corresponds to the one we see in the whole Rayman 2.

Rayman 2 story is good enough to get me interested into its world but I seriously can’t find what was so dark about this game. Sure, Robobeard may have destroyed the Heart of the World, enslaved a great amount of inhabitants, and turned the world into a polluted dump but still I can’t find it as dark as most of you members. I think if Robobeard killed someone (no I am not counting that Lum he ate) or implied he did, then maybe it would have done the trick. But I can’t say this game was all that dark for me.

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I think when people say "dark", it is in the terms of the severity level of the problems brought by the Robo-Pirates. It is unarguably grave what they did to the world, especially knowing that they managed to held Rayman captive and he was seen forced to ask help to a god. He wouldn't have had the chance to solve everything by himself. Either he would become an "obedient" slave or would be brought to that intergalatic zoo as a major attraction.

A note: the Lum wasn't really eaten, you can find it in the game alive actually!

And now moving onto the world of Rayman 2 and oh boy; am I going to get a lot of hell for this. I found Rayman 2’s Glade boring. All honesty right here, I felt that it lack variety. It’s mostly just grass and swamp themed levels most of the time. Sure you get the occasional fire themed or beach levels, but still even when those show up they feel like they lack. In all the other games in the main series didn’t have this problem. The other entries had great diversity in their worlds, the 2D games shine in this area the most! They had great worlds like; Band Land, Picture City, Gourmand Land, Moody Clouds, Fiesta de los Muertos, and 20,000 Lums Under the Sea just to name a few. I guess there’s the argument that Rayman 2 isn’t split into worlds and instead is just a huge world itself. I can see that. But still, I can’t say I found Rayman 2’s Glade memorable.

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Its hard to admit but that's a correct observation although I think that this was slightly improved in Rayman Revolution with the existance of other exclusive landscapes. On the other hand, I think that the lack of variety is rewarded by the work of level design. I find the levels fun to play, and unfortunately I didn't feel this feeling the whole time in Origins and Legends, especially Origins.

It literally took me three days to motivate myself just to finish the entirety of the In-Game soundtrack (also thanks Droolie for ripping of all the Rayman music! That’s real nice of you!). I hate to say it but I found most of the tracks to feel repetitive. Not in melody but in the instruments. The tracks definitely differ from one another, but the instruments don’t seem to change as much as the tune. Sure you get the occasional electric guitar but I can’t say it makes up for the lack of variety. I think this might be because I don’t listen to Rayman 2’s soundtrack as much as the other games’ soundtracks, but overall I found most of the music to be boring.

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Rayman 2 is among my favourite videogame soundtracks of all time. I believe it is linked with the instruments use and the style of beat that Chevalier played, even though there is few variety in tune. I think it does fits with the game atmosphere and I wouldn't mind to see him creating a new soundtrack for a new future title. I honestly think that there are Rayman Origins musics that also don't share a lot of tune variety, even though it has got some pretty good musics like the Abyss (When you go deeper in Swimming with the Stars) and the start of On Top of Old Smokey.

While Rayman is awesome to control, it’s the enemies that kill the experience for me. The combat in this game is a joke. I could kill loads of Robo-Pirates without taking the slightest of damage; any other enemies were a one-hit kill. I don’t even recall dying to enemies, only by natural causes like falling into murky/piranha-infested waters or falling into bottomless pits. It also sucks that you couldn't replay bosses either, (seriously, fuck Rayman 1) some of them were pretty epic! The good thing is that levels (even though lacking in the variety design department) sometimes offer challenges in terms of level designs. I don’t find myself interested in replaying all the levels, because truth be told there are levels that stand out more than others. The secrets, even though almost very easy to find, make it satisfying to explore the world of Rayman 2. And riding the shell was really fun. Like seriously, why couldn't there just be a whole level of riding the shell? Like non-stop. That would have been neat! And one last thing is that, the overall game is far too easy and feels short. For advanced players, they might be able to beat this game in a day or so. And even with the secrets to collect, it still takes like a day and a half to beat it. And it’s not like getting all the lums and breaking the cages does anything.

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Other true fact. Rayman Revolution offers a bigger challenge in the enemy killing (it is one of the pros I point out in the PS2 version when compared with the Dreamcast version for example), especially if you don't pick the right power upgrades at the right time. But I also would have liked that it was possible to repeat the Foutch battle anytime we wanted without starting the game over. I also would have liked a Walking Shell exclusive level, it could have been pretty fun. The game isn't really difficult but it is fun to play at least. If you know the game by heart, you can finish R2 at 100% in just 4 hours (3 in PS1 version).

In the end, Rayman 2: The Great Escape; while a good and enjoyable game in my UNBIASED eyes and a fan favorite of most of the community, it just doesn't do it for me at the end. I know it’s wrong to compare it the recent UbiArt games, but I find those two to have a greater replay value than this one. Rayman 2 is fun, but it doesn't have that pull to make me play it again and again. Origins/Legends have a way better presentation that fit my tastes. They both have great levels, fun and catchy music, enemies with personalities, and just that silly tone to it that makes me laugh. Rayman 2 while charming on its own, just doesn't have that much of a challenge than the other games. Rayman 1 is hard as fucking balls while Origins/Legends have a balanced difficulty. Rayman 2 is just way too easy and it’s a shame that I can just breeze right through it. It lacks in the variety department in terms of level presentation and music. If I had to give Rayman 2: The Great Escape a rating; it would be a 7.5/10. This entry is one that I won’t be replaying in the very near future. Maybe like in a month or so because I have no other games.

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I respect your opinion, even though I don't agree with the replay value. I've played RO and RL in its totally and I really don't feel wanting to replay them soon in future, both don't ask me to play again in short-term. I personally disliked the sillyness/goofy style given to the universe in Origins (and there are other stuff I really didn't appreciate in it, like the too Earthling-alike landscapes and other stuff) but thank god they improved this atmosphere a little in Legends. I guess it about personal tastes, and mines appreciate a sane and fun atmosphere but not to the point of dumbness. I also agree that it is not very fair to compare (R2 and RO/RL) such different games but all of them have pros and cons. For me, R2 was the title with most impact in all the quintology with the best presentation, plot among other things. Its unique graphical style managed to captivate me in a way it has got one of my favourite artistical directions ever from the all games I've played until present.

Rayman 1 isn't really a difficult game once you handle the controls and Gendoor/Killdoor mechanics. I've played much harder 2D games before, and I can give two examples: Captain Claw (1.0 version, known to be tougher than the updates) and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

And there you go. You weren't murdered for saying what you think about Rayman 2. I did enjoy the whole reading.

Phew, this was quite a typing!

Has anyone ever noticed that Razorbeard is wearing like a blue/white striped small top? I never noticed this until yesterday.

Mind = blown

I noticed that since the start. ^^'

I thought it was just metal with strips on it. It's always looked dark grey and black to me!

Although I don't agree with everything to a tee, I'm basically on the same boat as Brad in that I do think Rayman 2 isn't all it's cracked up to be. It hasn't aged all that well, and it definitely isn't as dark as people say. I still quite like the game, but I definitely prefer Legends. Not sure if I prefer Origins or R2 though, they are kind of equal to me.

Hmm, there's some points I'm compelled to agree with there meself, I'll try to give a proper response to what you've said when I can.

I hope lots of members take the time to read this and discuss. I love to hear counter arguments and/or agreements.

It's a bit long, and since I mostly agree anyway, there is not much I can add, but I will do what I can:

-In regards to your point about it being too easy - I agree, but it wasn't the lack of challenge itself that bothered me. It was that the game fails to satisfy me enough in any other aspect for it to become excusable. For example, Kirby games are known for mostly being a walk in the park, but they're still really fun because of the amount of powers you can use to absolutely wreck enemies, giving you a sense of empowerment, and on top of that, the level designs are always really varied, especially in that they have a lot of puzzles that lead to hidden goodies. And I can ALMOST excuse it with Super Mario Galaxy, because the game had such an amazing atmosphere and some really poignant and thought provoking story elements, as well as introducing some brilliant and beloved characters to the Mario franchise in the long haul. However, I feel Rayman 2 failed to deliver anything like this to make me excuse the easy difficulty. Not only that, but the ways in which the game is easy are RIDICULOUS. You simply have WAY too much health, and most hazards do the same amount of damage, only taking a chip off your health. Red Lums are pretty much handed out to you, and you never really have to work for them or take risks for them. Enemy A.I is just terribly dumb, and I often find you can tank through a lot of hazards anyway since Rayman tends to bounce off them anyway, meaning hitting them also gets you by them, and then you recover what little health you lost two seconds later most of the time. And while there are a FEW moments where the game is challenging, it's usually for the wrong reasons (i.e. bad controls in the various mini-game sections, such as the slides).

-There's nothing necessarily wrong with how the story is written or how the characters are written, but people tend to overrate it. The characters are fun and charming enough, but most of them don't get to do a whole lot and end up being one-note or fitting under some really generic trope (for example, Clark is the typical dim and strong, but gentle character, with no unique qualities to speak of). And the story is a pretty standard "hero's journey of destiny" affair. It's a LITTLE dark at the start and the overall goal of the villain is dark, but it's quickly played off by the happy go-lucky heroes, goofy civilians like the Teensies, and clumsy and hot tempered main villain who is actually the butt of many a joke despite the grim plans he has. Please note that I don't think Rayman 2 has a bad story or bad cast of characters. Far from it. They do their job fine. But...there is nothing special about it all when you compare it to other things, and there are so many games I can think of that do the "really dark undertones but mostly light-hearted and adventurous tone" deal a whole lot more compellingly. I honestly think people talk these aspects of the game up too much. I can understand being attached to it if you grew up with it or if Rayman 2 had the first story or set of characters of this kind you've ever experienced, but in general, the game's story and characters just were not especially compelling to me and I never got the notion that it was supposed to be. It's just a solid, enjoyable, feel-good adventure. This isn't really me criticising the game, so much as it is me questioning the mindset of many of the game's fans. I have no real problem with what's actually here, because I don't think the developers intended for it to be more than that, and it does what it set out to do just fine in the story and characters department.

-I also agree with the point about the level themes being too repetitive. If a game doesn't intend to differentiate it's level aesthetics and set pieces that much, it better have a good reason for it. But I feel Rayman 2 really doesn't. Most of the game is you running through calm, green forests with some water, or brown, wooden strongholds. Which is a shame, because the few times Rayman 2 does give me a new environmental theme, it's REALLY good! And like I said before, I really don't think there is any justified reason for the environments to be so repetitive. The themes of the story don't force it to be this way, and while I know the developers were aiming for a Celtic-inspired setting for most of the game, there is SO MUCH MORE they could have done with that than green forests with a few rocks with swirly carvings!

Bradandez said:

I hope lots of members take the time to read this and discuss. I love to hear counter arguments and/or agreements.

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Challenge accepted! I'll gladly take some time to write down why I feel Rayman 2 - while far from the best game ever made - is still a lot better than Rayman Origins and Legends.

First of all, let's say I agree with a lot of what you said, but I don't agree with your non-arguments for Origins and Legends being better at those things, except in the gameplay aspect (which is frankly all that Origins and Legends were good at in my eyes). I also don't get how you can say R2 is not as good as RO or RL in your "unbiased eyes". Everyone is "biased" - you clearly have a RO "bias" and it's very apparent in your review. I clearly have a R2 one, and it will be very apparent in my counter review.

Now let's counter some of your arguments.

Bradandez said:

But even today, Rayman 2 still holds its own charm with its characters. Except for Polokus. Like seriously, EWW!!! HIS FACE… IS WEIRD LOOKIN’! WHY ARE HIS ARMS SO FREAKISHLY LONG!?! HIS FEET ARE SO GODDAMN HUGE! HOLY HELL! THOSE MAN BOOBS NEED TO CENSORED OR SOMETHING! YUCK! LOOKING DUMB WITH PANTS AND SANDALS. ALSO JANO CALLED, HE WANTS HIS HAT BACK!

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Really? I think Polokus's character design is the best in the game. The whole purpose of is that he would look really weird, alien to Rayman's world - he is a god, after all. While adding to his alien appearance, his freakishly long arms also prove useful for his very cinematic way of weaving spells, like the way he creates spiral doors with his hands. He's pale and slightly fat, and his man boobs add to the feeling that he doesn't move much, reflecting the way he has been sitting on that stone, dreaming up the world for maybe hundreds or thousands of years. I feel the best thing about his appearance however, is his eyes. Seriously - have you seen them? God, those eyelashes! They highlight those creepy, strangely-shaped, orange-ish eyes that stare at you from under his hat. All that helps to show how his character is completely out of this world.

And I'm glad you noticed Jano has the same hat as Polokus. As is mentioned on RayWiki, it is likely that Jano's name was derived from Janus, the Roman two-faced god of gates. For one, Jano guards a gate, the one to the Cave of Bad Dreams. But two-faced? This is what RayWiki has to say on the subject:

This may be an allusion to Jano's two-faced nature: sometimes he helps Rayman; other times he tries to kill him.

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But is it not obvious that Jano is in fact Polokus's second face? I mean, the hat hints at it. Oh wait... a promotional text of Rayman Origins retconned that. Different writers, different visions, I guess. This is but one of the many little things about the Rayman series that the writers of Rayman Origins messed up by revealing too much. Another, more prominent oversight is the reveal of Rayman's origins. If you collect all of the Lums, the Knowledge of the World reveals to you that you are the only one whose origins are unknown:

Of all the inhabitants here, you are the only one whom Polokus did not dream. You are the only one to receive powers from the fairies. Some see you as the chosen one of all the gods. Who knows...?

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In Rayman Origins though, it's surprisingly known that Rayman was not only given powers by the fairies, but also made by them. Add the backstory of Rayman's hair and the mystery is gone forever... now no one will be able to imagine that Rayman might have otherworldly origins. It is like revealing the face behind Mr. Dark's cloak (which actually happened in RO, in the eyes of many players who don't know that Gabrielle Shrager confirmed it is an impostor) - you just don't do it. Some things should be left to imagination.

Bradandez said:

The story is well told. I know how much all of your tangerines were tasseled when Origins/Legends had little to no story. And I know how much you members favor Rayman 2 because of its story. I personally think Origins had the best story (Man, I am so biased!) even if it wasn’t executed well. Rayman 2 story is good enough to get me interested into its world but I seriously can’t find what was so dark about this game. Sure, Robobeard may have destroyed the Heart of the World, enslaved a great amount of inhabitants, and turned the world into a polluted dump but still I can’t find it as dark as most of you members. I think if Robobeard killed someone (no I am not counting that Lum he ate) or implied he did, then maybe it would have done the trick. But I can’t say this game was all that dark for me.

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Razorbeard*.

Anyway, if you think Rayman Origins had the best story, that's fine, but it has to be mostly because of the details in the beta script. Those events didn't actually happen in the final version, so I suppose I can use early promotional material for my counter argument. Try to read this. The story with Ly and Clark especially - they are events that didn't take place in the final game, but supposedly before it. After being defeated by Rayman and Ly, Razorbeard returns with his full force and strikes back, setting in motion the events of the introduction of the Rayman 2 manual (you can read them at the top of this page).
I personally like these pieces of information more than the entire story of the game itself. They emphasize the fact that there is really a war going on, with multiple battles and a resistance movement. If you picture the scene from the manual, the moment when Rayman gets captured is actually pretty intense, and desperate! It should have been in the main game, but it wasn't. The game instead begins when Rayman regains hope, and never once does he lose it again. The character development essentially happens before the game. If I had made the game, the part where Rayman gets captured would be around the middle. It's stupid that they didn't include it, but hey, it was 2000.

In the game, you mostly just foil the pirates' plans and help your allies (or have them help you) to collect the 4 masks for Polokus and have him end the war. I agree that it would be much better if they showed more of the pirates' cruelties in the Glade (like how they take baby Globoxes prisoner in Revolution), but at least there is room for imagination that they are indeed doing such things while you are collecting the masks. They are pretty fierce up close (and you can easily get hit by them if you don't hit them from far), and they don't look crazy at all (... except maybe for the Gorilla pirates). The crazier nature of R3's, RO's and RL's enemies make it quite impossible for anyone to imagine that these enemies are really having a bad effect on the world. If nothing bad's happening, nobody needs to be saved and there is no point in completing the game besides playing through fun levels.
I assume this is what people mean by Rayman 2 being the darkest of the series - while it's not really that dark at all.

Anyway, this has been a fun write-up. I need to go to bed and will try to post the second part tomorrow evening.

Bradandez said:

Bradandez’s Raving Rants & Reviews #1; Rayman 2: The Not-so-Great Escape

Let’s start off...

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:whistles: that was quite a In deph review, and for the most part I'd agree with you, except about the part of its replayability. I find this game to be one I can always come back to, wether its to replay the game in French and brush up on my French comprehension, or to practice voice-acting (a career I hope to have). I don't believe in terms of gameplay that its the most unique, but when all of gaming nowadays is nothing more than over saturated crap like COD 56 and "new" super mario 12, at least Rayman 2 has things to return to.

And as you do point out it isn't necessarily fair to compare them to Origins/Legends (and any game from the franchise that came afterword, for that matter) when you compare it to other games of it's time it's a great game. HELL, it's a better game than most modern games too! (I'm looking at you COD and "New" super mario bros!)

Keep these coming! I'm really enjoying this discussion!

Wait... Rayman 2 aging poorly, really? I think Rayman 2 very well stood the test of time. I recently watched Adsolution play it via skype on very high settings and it still looks great. Sure, Rayman 2 was released around a time where mediocre platformers were filled to the brim (Bubsy, Croc, and many others) but it truly made itself stand out from every other platformer around that time, even the really good ones.

While I consider Croc to be amazing game, there is no doubt that Rayman 2 has way better controls.

Croc is a whole different subject for me that I don't want to dive into just yet. But I easily know a lot of people are gonna flack me for it. But as someone who did a playthrough of number uno, I have every right to judge. Though I respect your opinion. This is a different subject for a different time... just go watch Caddi's review, I share nearly the same thoughts.

Anyways all I'll say for now is that Rayman 2 truly stood out from the other platformers. I've seen people call Rayman 2 the most 'overrated' Rayman game but I HIGHLY disagree. Rayman 2 was covered underneath a pile of mediocre platformers, during this time many quickly rushed platformers were being made with no effort, soul, etc., this is why I labeled Bubsy and Croc in that category, and please bare in mind, mediocre doesn't mean bad, (except for Bubsy), by mediocre I mean more of "stand out". Rayman 2 is loved, I've never seen anyone that hated it, but compared to games as big as SM64, Banjo-Kazooie, etc., it deserved FAR more.

I can see how it shines through all those games but dealing with the Rayman franchise, this game isn't really all that great as most members say it is.

I do think you have an interesting opinion and I accept that. What made me just gush for Rayman 2 and as to why me and many others love it is what I listed earlier, the environments really shine and are quite possibly some of the most memorable levels in Rayman. Sure it's not as colorful as Rayman 1 and 3, but it had its own style that worked so well. Personally I think Rayman 3 had a huge possibility of being better, but it was far too short, my only problem with it. Platforming is extremely tight. Rayman 2 practically perfected what games like Mario 64 and Banjo Kazooie did.

Croc isn't that mediocre, but this is not the best place to discuss about it.

Back to R2, I'm in perfect agreement with Droolie's counter review, as I share the exact feelings and thoughts. Those bits of information that do not appear in the game itself are a real shame that they were not included, because they do give a real view of the war with the Robo-Pirates; but like it was said, this game was made back in 1999 and there were still lots of technological barreers. If R2 was having a remake (not a reboot), I'm sure that all of these stuff could be included and even depicted in cutscenes. And concerning the reveal of Rayman's origin, although it was pretty interesting along with the Jano story, as Droolie said, I think there are stuff that should be kept as unanswered.

I also disagree with the "R2 didn't age that well". Rayman 2 is going to make 15 years in October and it still looks beautiful to my eyes. It is a game I still play whenever I feel wanting and don't get tired of it. I would like to note that before R2 I played R1 so the argument of "it was the first Rayman game you played" is unrelevant for the justification of being a favourite. There are other non-Rayman games that I've replayed in the meantime and they really didn't age well in fact. I can give the recent example of Mario Kart DS. I loved this game to bits, it was the best MK game that I've played up to date, but I replayed it last month in a multiplayer match and the experience felt really, really strange. It wasn't as fun as I remembered to be, and I guess its the fault of MK7 and MKWii, featuring much better graphics and more gameplay elements that weren't existing back in the DS era.