Rayman Legends was announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2012 for Wii U and was planned for release during the console's launch window. However, the game was delayed to February 2013 in order to put the finishing touches to the game, and due to the financial failure of ZombiU, the release was delayed again by six months and the game was made multi-platform.
Rayman Legends received critical acclaim upon release. Critics praised the game's visuals, level design, controls, soundtrack, overall gameplay, and the large amount of content. The game experienced slow sales on release, but sold over a million copies by 2014.
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 touching them, defeating enemies, or freeing captured Teensies. 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 the new female character Barbara the Barbarian Princess, her sister and their cousins, once they are rescued from certain stages.[6]
In addition to the main playable characters, Murfy the greenbottle, who first appeared in Rayman 2: The Great Escape, appears as an assist character. 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.[7] In the Wii U, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation 4 versions of the game, an additional player can control Murfy directly with touch controls, using the Wii U GamePad, the Vita's front touch screen, and the DualShock 4 touchpad respectively.[8] In single-player mode, control will switch over to Murfy during certain sections whilst the computer controls the player's character.[9] In the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC versions of the game, Murfy moves automatically and can be prompted to interact with certain objects with button controls.[10] Other new features include sections where players can fire projectile fists at enemies and rhythm based levels set to covers of songs such as "Black Betty", "Eye of the Tiger", and "Woo-Hoo".
The game features over one hundred twenty levels, including forty remastered levels from the original Rayman Origins, which are unlocked by obtaining Lucky Tickets, which can also win additional Lums and Teensies.[11] Some 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 football game, Kung Foot, is also featured, in which players use attacks to knock a football into the opponent's goal.
Plot
One century after the events of Origins has passed and Rayman, Globox, and the Teensies have been sound asleep after the adventure. During that time, the Bubble Dreamer's nightmares have gotten stronger and expanded with help from the Magician (who survived and split himself into 5 Dark Teensies) and captured Barbara and her fellow warrior princesses. After finding out, Murfy wakes up Rayman and co. and tells them what has happened and sets off to end the chaos. After beating each world's boss, Rayman and co. punch each Magician into space, where they each end up being used as instruments by imps for fun in a parody of A Trip to the Moon.
Development
The game was first leaked in an online marketing survey, which hinted that the upcoming "Rayman Origins 2" would include dragons, vampires, ghosts, the return of the Land of the Livid Dead and also someone dear to the Rayman series, in addition to returning features from its predecessor.[12] Subsequently, Ubisoft registered the domain names "RaymanLegends.com" and "Rayman-Legends.com".[13]
On 27 April 2012, the game's first trailer was leaked, revealing several details about it, including new playable characters, as well as the inclusion of online multiplayer. The end of the trailer also showcased Wii U exclusive features such as the use of NFC to make figures placed on the touchscreen appear on the game, as demonstrated with figures of Rabbids and Ezio from Assassin's Creed. Ubisoft later released a statement that confirmed its development, though stated it was "intended as a purely internal demonstrative video, and in no way represents the final game, the final console or their features."[14][15]
The game was officially unveiled for the Wii U and demonstrated by Ubisoft at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012 trade show, Murfy appeared as a playable character in the demo. Though Ubisoft has only confirmed the game's release on the Wii U, Ubisoft senior game manager Michael Micholic stated that Ubisoft is considering PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions of Rayman Legends as "we're looking at a lot of different launch options".[16] A trailer released at Gamescom 2012 revealed it would be exclusive to the Wii U.[17]
It was originally set to be released on 30 November 2012 (as a Wii U launch title). However, on 8 October 2012, it was reported to be delayed. On 13 December 2012, a demo of the game was released on the Wii U eShop.[18] The official release date was revealed to be 26 February 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 upset fans since the developer had stated that the Wii U version was already finished.[19] Fans started a petition for the game to be released on the original date on the Wii U, which had 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.[20] Developers that worked on the game have also expressed their distaste for the delay,[21] while creator Michel Ancel was photographed with protesters campaigning for the release of the game.[22]
In response to the delay, the development team announced that they will be releasing the game's Online Challenges mode for free via the Nintendo eShop, which released on 25 April 2013.[23] 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.[24] They also stated that with the extra development time, they would be adding new levels, enemies and more to the game. On 24 February 2013, it was revealed that Michel Ancel and the Montpellier team might leave Ubisoft over the controversy[25] but Ubisoft denied any rumours.[26] According to Yves Guillemot, Chairman and CEO of Ubisoft, ZombiU's poor sales performance led to the decision of making Rayman Legends a multiplatform game.[27] Although the team considered using Xbox Smartglass to recreate the game's Wii U GamePad features on Xbox 360, the system was not responsive enough.[28]
On 1 August 2013 it was announced that Wii U owners who downloaded the Rayman Legends Challenges App prior to 28 August 2013 receive an exclusive costume for Rayman.[29] Pre-orders of certain versions of the game either come with bonus character Avelina, inspired by Aveline de Grandpré from Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, or bonus costumes for Rayman. On 7 August 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.[30] On 23 August, the Rayman Legends Musical 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, 20000 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.[31]
A smartphone game based on Legends' art style, Rayman Fiesta Run, was developed by Pastagames and released for iOS and Android devices on 7 November 2013. It is the sequel to the previous title, Rayman Jungle Run.[32]
On the PS4 and Xbox One, Rayman Legends took advantage of the improved specifications. This means the game uses uncompressed textures and features reduced loading times between levels.[33] Rayman's bonus costumes from the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are also readily available in these versions.
A Nintendo Switch port co-developed by Pastagames (who would later collaborate with Ubisoft on Rayman Mini), nicknamed Definitive Edition, was released in September 2017.[34]
In 2020, Ubisoft announced a Play Your Part, Play At Home campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this campaign, PC users were able to redeem a free digital copy of Rayman Legends (among other games) via the Ubisoft website.[35]
Rayman Legends received "universal acclaim", according to the review aggregatorMetacritic.[38][42][37][41][39]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".[44]
The PlayStation Vita version of the game received a total score of 33/40 by Famitsu.[54]
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.[47]
Tom McShea of GameSpot rated the game a 9.0/10 praising the game mechanics, the level design and the local co-op.[46]
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".[48]
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.[50]
Danielle Riendeau of Polygon rated the game an 8.5/10 saying that it is "a beautifully designed gauntlet".[53]
Thomas Whitehead of Nintendo Life gave the Wii U version an "excellent" 9/10, stating it is "close to perfection", but with "minor missteps". He criticized the game's short length but added that "Clearly aware of this, the developers made those hours utterly glorious".[51]
Although Legends outsold Origins in its first week from international sales with the Wii U version selling the most copies,[56] the game failed to meet sales expectations.[57] As of November 2013, the game's sales were approaching one million units, according to Ubisoft.[58] In early November 2014, Ubisoft reported that Rayman Legends was still selling well and contributing to the company's earnings.[59] As of February 4, 2019, Rayman Legends has sold 4.48 million copies across all platforms, including the PS Vita and Nintendo Switch.[60]
Beyond Good & Evil is a 2003 action-adventure game developed and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 2, Windows, Xbox and GameCube. The story follows the adventures of Jade, an investigative reporter, martial artist, and spy hitwoman working with a resistance movement to reveal a sinister alien conspiracy. Players control Jade and other allies, solving puzzles, fighting enemies, obtaining photographic evidence and, later in the game, travelling to space.
Rayman is a 1995 platform game developed by Ubi Pictures and published by Ubi Soft for MS-DOS, Atari Jaguar, Sega Saturn, and PlayStation. It is the first installment in the Rayman franchise. The player controls Rayman, who must recapture Electoons and the Great Protoon from Mr. Dark. The gameplay involves rescuing Electoons and gaining new abilities throughout the game.
Rayman M, known in North America as Rayman Arena, is a party video game developed and published by Ubisoft. A spin-off of the Rayman series, it features two modes, racing and battle, in which players take control of one of eighteen characters from the Rayman series. The game retains elements from the 1999 platform game Rayman 2: The Great Escape such as, the game's control system.
Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is a 2003 platform game developed and published by Ubisoft, and the third major installment in the Rayman series. It follows Rayman in his quest to stop André from taking over the world with his army of hoodlum soldiers. It was released for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows, and on OS X by Feral Interactive in 2004. It was also released for the Game Boy Advance, N-Gage and mobile phones as a 2D platformer.
Michel Ancel is a retired Monégasque-French video game designer. He is best known for creating the Rayman franchise and was the lead designer or director for several of the games, including Rayman Origins and its sequel Rayman Legends. He is also known for the critically acclaimed video game Beyond Good & Evil, as well as for King Kong, based on Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong, which sold well and was critically acclaimed. In 2017, he began work on Beyond Good and Evil 2, although he left the project in 2020.
Rayman Raving Rabbids is a 2006 party video game developed and published by Ubisoft. It's a spinoff for the Rayman series and the debut title for the Rabbids franchise. The story follows Rayman as he was interrupted by earthquake in which then he was being kidnapped and forced to played minigames with the Rabbids. The game received generally positive reviews from critics, with some criticizing the minigames either being broken or unenjoyable.
Rayman is a franchise of platform video games, created by video game designer Michel Ancel for Ubisoft. Since the release of the original Rayman game in 1995, the series has produced a total of 45 games across multiple platforms.
Beyond Good and Evil 2 is an upcoming video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and to be published by Ubisoft. It is a prequel to Beyond Good & Evil, released in 2003. Its development was characterized in the media by uncertainty, doubt and rumors about the game's future. The game was announced as a sequel at Ubidays 2008 with almost a decade of silence before being reannounced as a prequel at Ubisoft's E3 2017 conference, although no release window or target platforms have been mentioned.
Engine Software is a Dutch video game developer, located in Doetinchem, Netherlands, which specialized in handheld video games and digital platforms until 2011. In the period after (2011-present) they have become more active and known for high-end ports and adaptations of games to modern consoles, mobile, PC and streaming services like Stadia and Luna. Some of the best known games they have worked on include Puzzle Quest for the Nintendo DS, Terraria for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Wii U, Killer7 Remastered for PC, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for Nintendo Switch and No More Heroes / No More Heroes 2 for Nintendo Switch.
Rayman is the title character and main protagonist of the Ubisoft's Rayman series developed by Ubisoft Montpellier. He debuted in 1995 platform game Rayman and is a player character in all the games of the series. He is an anthropomorphic limbless protagonist dressed with a red neckerchief and white gloves with the ability to use his hair as helicopter blades and punch at a distance. He was created by Betilla and her nymph sisters to protect the Glade of Dreams.
Just Dance is a 2009 music rhythm game developed by Ubisoft Paris and published by Ubisoft as the first main installment of the Just Dance series. The game was released exclusively for the Wii on November 17, 2009, in North America, November 26, 2009, in Australia, and November 27, 2009, in Europe.
Rayman Origins is a 2011 platform video game developed and published by Ubisoft. It is the fourth main installment in the Rayman series and the first main installment since Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc (2003). The game was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii platforms worldwide, with PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, and Microsoft Windows versions being released the following year. The OS X version of the game was released on December 12, 2013, by Feral Interactive. The story follows Rayman, his friend Globox and two Teensies as they fight Darktoons and other evil creatures that have infected the Glade of Dreams after they unleashed said evil by complete accident.
Just Dance 4 is a 2012 music rhythm game developed and published by Ubisoft as the fourth main installment of the Just Dance series. Announced at E3 2012 by Flo Rida and Aisha Tyler, it was released on the Wii, the Wii U, the PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360. The Wii, PlayStation Move and Kinect versions were released on October 2, 2012 in Europe and Australia and on October 9, 2012 in North America, The Wii U version was released on November 18, 2012 in North America and on November 30, 2012 in Europe and Australia, as a launch title for the console.
ZombiU is a 2012 first-person survival horror video game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft. It was released for the Wii U as one of its launch games in November 2012. In the game, the player assumes control of a human survivor amid a 2012 zombie apocalypse. Featuring a permadeath system, it uses the Wii U GamePad extensively to scan the environment and maintain the survivor's inventory. The game was later released under the name Zombi for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in August 2015. The port, handled by Straight Right, adds new melee weapons and removes the multiplayer feature.
Angry Birds Trilogy is a video game co-developed by Rovio Entertainment, Exient Entertainment, Housemarque, and Fun Labs and published by Activision.
Just Dance is a rhythm game series developed and published by Ubisoft. The original Just Dance game was released on the Wii in 2009 in North America, Europe, and Australia.
Off-TV Play is a feature of Nintendo's eighth-generation video game console, the Wii U. Like all video game consoles, the Wii U uses a console and a controller to manipulate an image on a television screen. The Wii U's unique feature is that its controller, the Wii U GamePad, has its own built-in screen for displaying images. It can display an entirely different image, or duplicate the television screen into the Wii U GamePad. Off-TV Play is the term used for when an entire game is played strictly on the controller, without the use of a television. The GamePad also features two speakers that can be used for Off-TV Play. There is no standardized way to activate Off-TV Play and how it's implemented depends on the game.
Bayonetta is an urban fantasy action-adventure video game series created by Hideki Kamiya. It is developed by PlatinumGames, owned by Sega, and currently published by Nintendo. The franchise was introduced in 2009 with Bayonetta, which was followed by two sequels, Bayonetta 2 (2014) and Bayonetta 3 (2022), as well as a spinoff, Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon (2023). The games follow the titular character, a witch who wields dual pistols, shooters in her high heels, and long, magically transforming hair which becomes a deadly weapon.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
