Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Rayman Origins Review
Rayman Origins was one of 2011’s best-looking games, and its near-seamless translation to the Vita is a testament to the power of Sony’s new hardware. It offers the same engaging characters, deftly designed levels, and memorable score as its console counterparts, with a few additional Vita extras. It is lacking a proper multiplayer mode, however, which is the only real ding against an otherwise excellent launch title.
If you’ve played through the game on consoles, you know what to expect here. The same beautiful levels are here, along with the responsive controls that make navigating them a joy. The world of Rayman Origins is as gorgeous as it is tricky, with areas as diverse as underwater grottos and food-themed paradises offering old-school platforming challenges.
Ubisoft added a few extras for the game’s Vita release, including an all-new hidden collectable. Whenever you hear a bone-rattling sound, that’s your cue to scan the backgrounds for the elusive fresco fragment. A simple touch collects it, where it’s added to a larger painting back in your home base. A new pinch-and-zoom feature makes it easier to pore over the landscape for the hidden objects, while also giving you an excuse to absorb the game’s exquisitely crafted atmosphere.
The only real disappointment with Vita’s version of Rayman Origins is the lack of any proper multiplayer mode. Being able to bounce through levels with up to four players was a real treat, and its absence is conspicuous. Ubisoft has added a concession in the form of sharable ghost runs, though I didn’t really think racing against a friend was ultimately as compelling as working cooperatively to save the day (and rescuing each other in the process).
Ultimately, Rayman Origins is still a fantastic game, with or without multiplayer. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you now have one more reason to give it a shot.
Products In This Article
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
