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The game features various improvements to the Ubi Art Framework engine used in Origins. These include a new dynamic lighting system, which lightens or silhouettes characters based on their environment, along with stealth sections that make use of light and shadow, and the seamless integration of 3D elements in 2D environments, made prominent in the game's 3D modelled bosses and monsters. Further improvements were made in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, which uses upgraded graphics and has decreased load times<ref>http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/11/5200310/rayman-legends-ps4-xbox-one-release-date</ref>.
The game features various improvements to the Ubi Art Framework engine used in Origins. These include a new dynamic lighting system, which lightens or silhouettes characters based on their environment, along with stealth sections that make use of light and shadow, and the seamless integration of 3D elements in 2D environments, made prominent in the game's 3D modelled bosses and monsters. Further improvements were made in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, which uses upgraded graphics and has decreased load times<ref>http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/11/5200310/rayman-legends-ps4-xbox-one-release-date</ref>.


At one point, during an interview, [[Michel Ancel]] revealed some concept art for an unreleased world, named [[Dracula's castle]], and stating that maybe one day they would release it, thus suggesting DLC in the future. This theme was later implemented into ''[[Rayman Adventures]]'', a mobile spin-off.
At one point, during an interview, [[Michel Ancel]] revealed some concept art for an unreleased world, named [[Dracula's castle]], and stating that maybe one day they would release it, thus suggesting DLC in the future. This theme was later implemented into ''[[Rayman Adventures]]'', a mobile spin-off and its possible it could make an appearance in the Switch version.


=== Re-releases ===
=== Re-releases ===

Revision as of 14:25, 10 April 2017

Rayman Legends
Rayman Legends Box Art.jpg
Published by Ubisoft
Developed by Ubisoft Montpellier

Directed by {{{directed by}}}
Produced by {{{produced by}}}
Designed by {{{designed by}}}
Programmed by {{{programmed by}}}
Art by {{{art by}}}
Written by {{{written by}}}
Soundtrack by {{{soundtrack by}}}

Release date PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360, PC:

United States of America(USA).png 3rd September 2013
European Union.png 29th August 2013
Japan.png 17th October 2013 (Wii U exclusive)
PlayStation Vita:
United States of America(USA).png 20th September 2013
European Union.png 12th September 2013
Japan.png 24th April 2014
PlayStation 4, Xbox One:
United States of America(USA).png 20th February 2014
European Union.png 21st February 2014
Nintendo Switch:
TBA

Genre {{{genre}}}
Gameplay mode {{{gameplay mode}}}
Platforms Wii U, PS3, Xbox 360, Vita, PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch
Ratings {{{ratings}}}
Distribution media {{{distribution media}}}
Game engine {{{game engine}}}

Rayman Legends is a 2D platform game, and the fifth major game in the Rayman series. It is a direct sequel to Rayman Origins, and it features very similar gameplay as such. It was initially planned to be a release title for the Wii U [1][2] , but on the 8th October 2012, Ubisoft stated that Rayman Legends had been delayed to the first quarter of 2013. By the end of 2012, Ubisoft had confirmed that the new release dates for the game would be the 26th February 2013 for North America and the 1st March 2013 for Europe, exclusively for the Wii U. However, on the 7th February 2013, Ubisoft revealed that the game was no longer a Wii U exclusive, and that there was a PS3 and Xbox 360 version under development, consequently causing a delay for the second time and pushing the release date to September of 2013[3]. On the 25th April 2013, Ubisoft decided to release the game at the end of August 2013 for Europe and the beginning of September in North America in order to avoid competition from other upcoming high-profile games titles from other companies[4]. A PlayStation Vita version was confirmed by Ubisoft to be released at the same time as the other three versions, but with five exclusive levels, and two exclusive skins, on 28th May 2013. A PC release was also confirmed on 25th July. The game was also released on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in February 2014. [5] In 2017, an enhanced port, titled Rayman Legends Definitive Edition, was announced to release on the Nintendo Switch.[6]

A smartphone game based on Legends' art style, Rayman Fiesta Run, was developed by UbiSoft Casablanca and released for iOS and Android devices on 7 November 2013. It is the sequel to the previous title, Rayman Jungle Run, which was based off Rayman Origins. In 2015, another mobile spin-off was released, titled Rayman Adventures.

Plot

"The Glade of Dreams is in trouble once again! During a 100-year nap, the nightmares multiplied and spread, creating new monsters even more terrifying than before! These creatures are the stuff of legend… Dragons, giant toads, sea monsters, and even evil luchadores. With the help of Murfy, Rayman and Globox awake and must now help fight these nightmares and save the Teensies!"

Intro

The game opens with a cut scene explaining the events that have transpired since Rayman Origins, Bubble Dreamer explains to Murfy that Rayman and his friends have been asleep for 100 years. During that time, the nightmares have multiplied and spread, including The Magician, who has turned into 5 Dark Teensies. As such the Glade of Dreams is in great danger, and the Teensies and their royalty, who inhabit it, are captured. To this end, he commands Murfy to awaken the heroes, and begin an adventure anew.

In Rayman Legends, all of the worlds, except for the final unlockable bonus world, feature themes inspired by real-world myths and tropes, from the medieval castles of Teensies In Trouble to the classical Greek architecture of Olympus Maximus.

Teensies In Trouble

Rayman and Murphy arriving in the castle in Once upon a Time

The nightmares are invading the area and are capturing Teensies as they do so, it is here that the Heroes have slept for many years, and are finally awoken by Murfy. After explaining the situation, Murphy and the heroes go forth to save the Teensies. The area contains various castle structures and deep forestry to progress through. The heroes also encounter the first Dark Teensy, and chase him through a desert landscape. The heroes enter a castle-like area, where they encounter many strange beasts. Later on, the heroes will encounter the Dark Teensy once again, where he will summon dragons to keep the heroes at bay, the last of which, the Medieval Dragon, serving as the boss of this world, once bested, the Heroes can then defeat the Dark Teensy, and send him flying to the moon. The world ends with the musical level of Castle Rock, a parody of the song Black Betty by Ram Jam.

Toad Story

This world contains many tall beanstalk areas to traverse through, as well as floating castle ruins caught within strong wind currents. Another Dark Teensy resides in this world, and has fitted the boss of this world with mechanical armaments to fight the heroes, as an Armored Toad. Once the Armored Toad is beaten, it suffers the fate of crashing into a castle. The Dark Teensy of this world is sent to the moon to resign to a similar fate as the first. The world ends with the musical level of Orchestral Chaos, which apart from Grannies World Tour is the only piece of music in such levels that is original and not licensed.

Fiesta de los Muertos

A brown Luchador about to jump to squash Rayman in Lucha Libre Get Away

A food world not unlike the Gourmand Land of Rayman Origins, and Candy Château of Rayman, this world is inhabited by Mexican-inspired skeletons, and giant Luchadores. The Dark Teensy of this world shows some of the magic abilities he now possesses, by turning the heroes into ducks in some levels, requiring Murfy to aid the heroes in surpassing the various obstacles the world features. Once the Dark Teensy is cornered, he will call upon a large Luchador to give chase to the heroes, who only escape him once they reach a lava pit that the Luchador fall into it, thus defeating it. The boss of this world is El Luchador, whose fight takes place within an arena. By defeating him, the Dark Teensy of this world can be sent to the moon, joining his other like minded selves. The world ends with the musical level of Mariachi Madness, which is a parody of the song Eye of the Tiger by Survivor.

20,000 Lums Under the Sea

This world starts out like the water levels featured in the Sea of Serendipity, but soon takes a more darker edge, and begins to resemble the Moody Clouds. Inspired by the themes involved in spy movies,the heroes will need to avoid many elaborate traps and obstacles created to prevent them from infiltrating the mechanical facilities that the Dark Teensy of this world has built, he has also tamed a Sea Serpent, and will use it to fend off the heroes when chased by them. He has also enlisted the help of Toads in spy gear, and Sharkmen to secure his facilities, both make for dangerous opponents due to their capability of using ranged attacks, meaning the heroes must watch themselves to prevent bubblization. Finally, the Dark Teensy has built a Mechanical Dragon to serve as a boss for this world, whom the heroes accidentally activate near the end of their time in the world. After a ferocious battle, the Dark Teensy is, ironically, trapped by the body of his creation, is also sent to the moon. The world ends with the musical level of Gloo Gloo, which is a parody of the song Woo Hoo by The 5.6.7.8's, as featured in the film Kill Bill: Volume 1.

Olympus Maximus

Olympia avoiding the flames in Olympus Maximus

This world is inspired by Ancient Greece, and is set atop high up mountains, deep caverns, and ancient Greco-Roman buildings. The heroes of this world come across many obstacles, such as a mysterious floating hand, which shoots down thunder upon them, swarms of dark creatures that cannot be harmed physically by the heroes, and Minotaurs, some of which can shoot fire from their mouths. The Dark Teensy of this world will summon dragons when being encountered for the first time, who will chase the heroes through various labyrinthine corridors and chasms. To end, a mysterious Dark Cloud serves as the boss of this world, going through various forms, each requiring extreme tenacity and skill to beat, once beaten, the heroes are awarded with a vast amount of Lums, before finally sending the final Dark Teensy to the moon. The heroes celebrate the new age of peace in the Glade. The world ends with the musical level of Dragon Slayer, which is a parody of the song Antisocial originally by Trust.

Living Dead Party

Once 400 Teensies are freed, this world unlocks, allowing the heroes to traverse Grannies World Tour, a remix of the Land of the Livid Dead theme of Rayman Origins and "8 bit" versions of each musical level. The 8-bit levels are carbon copies of the previous music levels, but with added visual effects and filters that greatly increase the difficulty.

Gameplay

From left to right: The new adventurer Barbara, Globox, Murphy, Rayman and the Grand Minimus.

The game carries on the style of gameplay from Rayman Origins in which up to four players (depending on the format) simultaneously make their way through various levels. Lums can be collected by finding them in levels, defeating enemies, freeing Teensies, and performing other actions. Collecting Teensies unlocks new worlds, which can be played in any order once they are available. Along with Rayman, Globox, and the Teensies returning as playable characters, players can now control new female character Barbara and her sisters, once they are rescued from certain stages.

In addition to the main playable characters, Murfy appears as an assist character in certain levels and can be controlled by a 5th player (on the Wii U version). Murfy can perform various actions such as cutting through ropes, activating mechanisms, grabbing hold of enemies and assisting in gathering Lums. These offer a range of levels in which co-operation is required to progress. In the PlayStation Vita and Wii U versions of the game, an additional player can control Murfy directly with touch controls, using either the Wii U GamePad or the Vita's touch screen. In single-player mode, control will switch over to Murphy during certain sections whilst the computer controls the player's character. In the other versions of the game, Murphy moves automatically and can be prompted to interact with certain objects with button controls while the player continues to play normally. Other new features include rhythm based levels set to covers of songs such as "Black Betty" in Castle Rock and "Eye of the Tiger" in Mariachi Madness.

The game features over 120 levels, including 40 remastered levels from the original Rayman Origins, which are unlocked by scratching Lucky Tickets. Tickets are earned by collecting a certain amount of Lums in a level, and each ticket is a guaranteed win of either Lums, an Origins painting, a Teensie, or a Creature. Most new levels feature remixed 'Invaded' versions, which must be completed as quickly as possible. The game also offers daily and weekly challenge stages, in which players can compete with other players via leaderboards in challenges such as collecting a certain number of Lums in a short time, or surviving the longest on a stage. More challenge stages can be accessed by raising the player's 'awesomeness' rating, which increases by collecting trophies earned by rescuing Teensies, collecting a high number of Lums in each level or by having a high leaderboard position at the end of a challenge. A local multiplayer soccer game, Kung Foot, is also featured, in which players use attacks to knock a soccer ball into the opponent's goal.

Compared to Rayman Origins, Legends features heavier shading on most sprites and even makes use of several 3D models (for the bosses of each world and several level elements). Legends also features real-time lighting, which was not present in Origins; this new technology allowed for levels to employ a light/dark motif, seen especially in levels from 20,000 Lums Under the Sea. Overall, the graphics, while still rendered with the 2D UbiArt engine that was also used in Origins, look more realistic, taking a step away from the slapstick, exaggerated cartoon visuals in Origins. In addition to graphics, the physics were slightly altered, resulting in more precise movement and less "floaty" jumping.


Production

Main article: Rayman Legends (early production)

Leaks

Rayman and the Rabbids. The Rabbids were scrapped before the final release, but they have appeared in special events for Rayman Adventures

Shortly after the game's November 2011 release, Michel Ancel stated 'One has to know that Rayman Origins isn't just one game – we plan to make others, with retro 2D gameplay, and to give more and more details on the story.'[7] In March 2012, artistic director Christophe Villez hinted that a new Rayman game would be revealed in June, at E3 2012.[8] Also in March 2012, Bertrant Chaverot, the general director of Ubisoft Brazil, stated that Rayman Origins would have a continuation, but did not reveal any details.[9]

On 23 April, 2012, a marketing survey containing information about Rayman Legends was leaked to the games media. The survey contained several pieces of information regarding the Rayman Origins sequel, along with two gameplay videos (though only screenshots of these were included in the leak; one of the originals leak videos can be seen here). Like its predecessor, the game will feature co-operative gameplay with up to four players. It will also feature 'brand new settings: legendary worlds filled with castles, vampires, Ghosts, Greek Gods, or dragons...'[10] The following day, the videos from which the images were taken were uploaded to YouTube, but both were quickly taken down at the request of Ubisoft.[11]

On 26 April, 2012, Ubisoft registered the domain names 'RaymanLegends.com' and 'Rayman-Legends.com',[12] leading to speculation that Rayman Legends would be the title of the Rayman Origins sequel.

Announcement

On 27 April, 2012, the first full-length trailer for the game was leaked to the public.[13] It features the aforementioned settings, gives more details on online gameplay and reveals a new playable character: a Betilla-like warrior girl known as Barbara. [14] In the Wii U version of the game, the player will be able to use certain physical toys to interact with the game world; this is similar to the premise of Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure. The trailer shows a player scanning a Rabbid toy to enter a level where Rayman must fight Rabbids, and hints that similar functionality will be possible with toys based on other Ubisoft characters, such as Ezio from the Assassin's Creed series. Ubisoft initially attempted to suppress the videos, but after a few hours they released an official statement, confirming that Rayman Legends was being developed by Michel Ancel and Ubisoft Montpellier, but downplaying the video's accuracy, claiming that 'This video was intended as a purely internal demonstrative video, and in NO way represents the final game, the final console or their features. The game was officially unveiled with a gameplay demonstration at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo, showcasing Murphy, a new playable character, controlled via the Wii U system's touch screen on the tablet controller. It also showed medieval-themed stages as well as a rhythm-based map of the Land of the Livid Dead from Rayman Origins featuring remixed music.'[15]

Initially, when the Rayman Legends website was unveiled, it showed a different plot summary to what was seen in the final game:

Rayman, Globox, and the Teensies are off wandering through an enchanted forest when they discover a mysterious tent filled with a series of captivating paintings. As they look more closely, they notice each painting seems to tell the story of a mythical world. While focusing on a painting that shows a medieval land, they are suddenly sucked into the painting, entering the world, and the adventure begins. The gang must run, jump and fight their way through each world to save the day and discover the secrets of every legendary painting.

Delay

It was originally set to be released on November 30, 2012 (as a Wii U launch title). However, on October 8, 2012, it was reported to be delayed. On December 13, 2012, a demo of the game was released on the eShop. The official release date was revealed to be February 26, 2013, but was delayed further to September 2013 to allow for the title to have a simultaneous release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This delay was negatively received by gamers and critics since the developer stated that the Wii U version was finished. Fans started a petition for the game to be released on the original date on the Wii U, which now has over 11,000 people signed onto it. To appease fans, Ubisoft said the Wii U would get another exclusive demo in the future, however this was just as negatively received. Developers that worked on the game have also expressed their distaste for the delay,with creator Michel Ancel also protesting for the release of the game.

In response to the delay, the development team have announced that they will be releasing the game's Online Challenges mode for free via the Nintendo eShop, which released on April 25, 2013. This mode features daily challenges based on one of five scenarios, one of which is exclusive to Wii U, and features online leaderboards and ghost functionality. They also stated that with the extra development time, they would be adding new levels, enemies and more to the game. Pre-orders of certain versions of the game come with a bonus costume for Barbara, inspired by Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. On August 7, 2013, in a Nintendo Direct presentation, 2 new costumes were announced for the Wii U version: a Mario costume for Rayman, and a Luigi costume for Globox.

Release

On 23 August, the Rayman Legends Beatbox App became available on the internet, iTunes, and Android devices. This app allows users to create their own songs from scratch, or by using Legendary Mode, which allows them to edit the game songs with 3 choices: Teensies in Trouble, 20,000 Lums Under the Sea, and Fiesta de los Muertos. On 28 August 2013, Ubisoft announced on the Rayman Legends site that the European PlayStation Vita Version has been delayed to 12 September 2013 to apply the "Final level of polish" players expect from a Rayman game.

The game features various improvements to the Ubi Art Framework engine used in Origins. These include a new dynamic lighting system, which lightens or silhouettes characters based on their environment, along with stealth sections that make use of light and shadow, and the seamless integration of 3D elements in 2D environments, made prominent in the game's 3D modelled bosses and monsters. The game features various improvements to the Ubi Art Framework engine used in Origins. These include a new dynamic lighting system, which lightens or silhouettes characters based on their environment, along with stealth sections that make use of light and shadow, and the seamless integration of 3D elements in 2D environments, made prominent in the game's 3D modelled bosses and monsters. Further improvements were made in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions, which uses upgraded graphics and has decreased load times[16].

At one point, during an interview, Michel Ancel revealed some concept art for an unreleased world, named Dracula's castle, and stating that maybe one day they would release it, thus suggesting DLC in the future. This theme was later implemented into Rayman Adventures, a mobile spin-off and its possible it could make an appearance in the Switch version.

Re-releases

A Playstation Vita port[17] was released in September 2013. This version has the player control Murfy on the touch-screen like on the Wii U version. A new painting, titled Murfy's Challenges, was added with new levels and two new costumes. Several other stages have minor changes made to them. This version supports 2-player co-op, in which the second player controls Murfy. This is the only version to not have the Online Challenges go through Uplay. At launch the game didn't come with any Invasion levels. These were however added in the 1.02 patch in November 2013.

The Playstation 4 version adds camera mode for screenshots.

In December 2013, a next-gen port was announced for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One.[18] These versions were released in February 2014 with the removal of loading screens and various other new features, such as being able to scratch Lucky tickets using the touch-pad on the Dualshock 4 and being able to enter a new photo mode. New costumes were also added.

The Definitive Editions' cover.

In January 2017, a remake, titled Rayman Legends Definitive Edition was announced for the Nintendo Switch. This version will have touch screen controls for Murfy, similarly to the Wii U and Playstation Vita versions, while not the console isn't docked. New features are planned for the Kung Foot minigame. Old features, such as the Online Challenges, are still going to appear with online leaderboards.[19] This version is being released in 2017.


Game records

Main article: List of Rayman records

Rayman Legends has an invaded version of most levels, which acts as a time trial.

Worlds

Back to Origins

Back to Origins is a section of the Gallery that contains 40 levels from Rayman Origins. Paintings are randomly unlocked by winning them through Lucky Tickets (though the player still needs to complete them in order). Many of the levels have been modified to be easier, most notable the Tricky Treasure ones. The following worlds are:

Manuals

Click on the thumbnails to read the manuals.

The English PC Manual
The French PC Manual


Reception

Rayman Legends received critical acclaim from critics. Aggregating review websites GameRankings and Metacritic gave the Wii U version 92.59% and 91/100,the PlayStation 3 version 92.06% and 91/100,the PC version 90.00% and 88/100,the Xbox 360 version 88.88% and 90/100 and the PlayStation Vita version 83.33% and 87/100.

Edge gave the game a 9/10 praising it by saying "One of the most jubilant, vividly imagined and open-hearted platformers to come along in a long time".

GamesRadar gave the game a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars, praising the level variety and presentation, whilst criticizing the sometimes chaotic multiplayer and some of the touchscreen sections during solo play.

Tom McShea of GameSpot rated the game a 9.0/10 praising the game mechanics, the level design and the local co-op.

GameTrailers gave the game a score of 9.1/10, stating that the co-operative play on the Wii U GamePad "only serves to complement the game design."

Jose Otero of IGN rated the game a 9.5/10, praising the gameplay and the design of the levels, saying that "Naturally, Rayman starts out with simple running, jumping, and punching, but before you know it you’re sneaking past dozens of deadly traps, battling huge bosses, or playing through awesome challenge levels that look like '90s music videos. Every time I thought I found a personal favorite stage, the next one came along and replaced it", but criticized the absence of online co-op.

Danielle Riendeau of Polygon rated the game a 8.5/10 saying that it is "a beautifully designed gauntlet".

Although Legends outsold Origins in its first week from international sales with the Wii U version performing well, the game failed to meet sales expectations mostly due to the fact that it was released in the same month that GTAV came out, as well as the relatively un-established state of the Wii U user base. In early November 2014, Ubisoft reported that Rayman Legends was still selling well and contributing to the company's earnings.

Gallery

Box Art

Screenshots

Artwork

See also

External links

References

  1. http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/13/rayman-legends-a-european-wii-u-launch-title-launching-nov-30/
  2. http://kotaku.com/5934894/wii-u-exclusive-rayman-legends-looks-so-lovely
  3. http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/02/07/rayman-legends-delayed-no-longer-wii-u-exclusive
  4. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/04/rayman_legends_release_brought_forward_to_27th_august_in_north_america_30th_august_in_europe
  5. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=59607797&postcount=34
  6. https://blog.ubi.com/ubisoft-reveals-nintendo-switch-lineup/
  7. GameShake, Toulouse Game Show 2011 : interview de Michel Ancel, http://www.gameshake.fr/?p=923
  8. Bafta.org, GAME British Academy Video Games Awards, http://www.bafta.org/games/awards/
  9. Kotaku Brasil, [ATUALIZADO] Lá vem Rayman Origins 2, avisa a Ubisoft http://www.kotaku.com.br/la-vem-rayman-origins-2-avisa-a-ubisoft/
  10. Kotaku, Marketing Survey Hints at a Rayman Origins Sequel of Mythic Proportions, http://kotaku.com/5904264/marketing-survey-hints-at-a-rayman-origins-sequel-of-mythic-proportions/gallery/1
  11. PS3gen.fr, Rayman Origins : 2 vidéos volées d'un nouvel opus se promenent sur internet, http://www.ps3gen.fr/rayman-origins-2-suite-nouvel-opus-episode-jeu-videos-officieux-non-annonce-trailer-ubisoft-actualite-24768.html
  12. Fusible, Ubisoft Entertainment registers "Rayman Legends" domain names, http://www.fusible.com/2012/04/ubisoft-entertainment-registers-rayman-legends-domain-names/
  13. MCV, VIDEO: Rayman Legends trailer confirms special Wii U functionality, http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/video-rayman-legends-trailer-confirms-special-wii-u-functionality/095175
  14. http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=gmx17Mwo-2c
  15. Wii News at IGN, Wii U Details Revealed By Leaked Rayman Trailer, http://ie.wii.ign.com/articles/122/1223893p1.html
  16. http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/11/5200310/rayman-legends-ps4-xbox-one-release-date
  17. Playstation Vita trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXlsVfpuL0w
  18. Next-gen trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2dLyui0Vek
  19. Rayman Legends Definitive Edition Official page https://www.ubisoft.com/en-US/game/rayman-legends-definitive-edition/?ref=search