Rayman Legends Retold is a confusing remake, but at least it's more of one of the best platformers of all time | Tech Radar
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Rayman Legends Retold is a confusing remake, but at least it's more of one of the best platformers of all time
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Remakes are funny. I'm firmly in the camp that most games do not need remakes, and you're missing out on some all-time experiences because of an aversion to older titles – but I can still appreciate them. However, there are some games that really don't need a remake, and Rayman Legends would definitely be near the top of that list. The game is on basically everything and looks phenomenal to this day thanks to its gorgeous art direction.
And yet, of all the Rayman games, Ubisoft has opted to bring it back as Rayman Legends Retold for the series' big comeback. The 2013 platforming classic is being given a 2.5D makeover in the Snowdrop engine and, crucially, has new content thrown in for good measure. And while I'm sure the reaction to the first trailer will very much be one of bewilderment, Rayman Legends Retold is still a banger; it just looks a little weird.
While the visual style is certainly going to be what sticks out to people at first, I can assure you it's still the same old Rayman Legends underneath… Quite literally, as part of my tour of Ubisoft Montpellier's studio revealed that underneath the snowdrop makeover is a version of the 2D original showing that despite the change in looks and framing, the level designs and physics are copied over. While this is just a nifty part of the game engine tools or a hint that it'll have a Halo Anniversary-like visual toggle was unconfirmed, however.
‘We don't use AI in the project; everything is handcrafted’: Rayman Legends Retold artists on the platforming classic's makeover
Playing Return to Monkey Island reminded me of the point-and-click adventures of my youth
And while the new character designs aren't exactly my favourite – I hate Rayman's teeth – the environment work on show in this new version is gorgeous. Backgrounds are filled with small details and feel lively thanks to little details like wildlife and comedic gags happening behind the stage. Alongside these changes are camera angles which can pull out to reveal a curve in the world, come close to making a jump look more daunting than it ever actually was, or reveal what's to come in vertical segments.
Although this sadly also had the inverse effect of some jumps being a bit harder to read thanks to the change in lighting, and I found myself dying way more often than I'd expect considering I've played so much of Origins and Legends.
But as I said, Rayman Legends is timeless, and frankly, the comparisons between the two aren't the most generous in Retold's favor. I don't think the game looks bad in the slightest, and it's not like a Sonic The Hedgehog 2019 movie trailer vibe, but it's a less interesting art style than once was. At the very least, the animations have translated to 3D well, with Mario + Rabbids dev Ubisoft Milan's expertise coming in clutch as the co-developer.
However, Retold isn't exactly just Rayman Legends; it's been expanded in ways. Right out of the gate, the world is made to feel more realized with the basic painting hub worlds of the original game being replaced with expanded versions that feature secrets to find and a lot more to run around in. And in service of that new interconnectivity are Dragon Rides.
At the end of each world, the squad jumps on a dragon and flies through a Star Fox-esque level that shows you leaving the area and landing in the next world. Think of the mosquito rides from Rayman Origins, except now it's done from a 3D behind-the-back perspective, almost like one of those roller coaster simulators you used to get at the arcade.
And the expansion of the world includes a new final world for the game. A world set in the Land of the Livid Dead, an area featured in previous entries. Ubisoft promised a new ending to the game from this, and it brings a new mechanic which allows Rayman and friends to shoot magic to interact with obstacles in the environment, such as allowing spiny vines to grow out to become a new platform. It feels like a new version of the Murfy mechanic but with more direct player input instead of just pressing triangle.
While my 2 hours session was on PC, I also had a chance to go hands on with builds of the game on PS5 and Switch 2 very briefly and the version for Nintendo's handheld looks brilliant and seemed to run at a solid 60 in the very small segment presented to press – with it being confirmed the team behind Star Wars Outlaws' excellent Switch 2 port are working on this. The developers also said that it will take advantage of PSSR2 on PS5 Pro.
There's also a massive world map we were shown with details of what to expect, and there seems to be a ton of other areas to explore around the map outside the main hubs, with some of the Rayman Origins areas returning (presumably just the “Return to Origins” levels from the original Legends) and an area called Rabbids Landing Site, presumably confirming the cretinous lapins are showing up in a mainline game.
Sadly, we only got to try one level of this new world, so I can't tell you how substantial or good of an addition to the game it is, but the one I did get to try felt promising. And thankfully, there are new music levels, and Ubisoft's penchant for creating zany versions of one-hit wonders returns with two of the cheesiest hits to date (which I won't be spoiling here).
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Scott has been freelancing for over two years across a number of different gaming publications, first appearing on Tech Radar in 2022. He has also written for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Push Square, The Daily Mirror, and others. He's typically rambling about Metal Gear Solid, God Hand, or any other PS2-era titles that never get sequels.
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