Rayman 2: The Great Escape

• Release Date: September 16, 2000
• Genre: Action
• Style: 3D Platform
• Similar Games: Rayman (PlayStation), Crash Bandicoot: WARPED (PlayStation), Ape Escape (PlayStation)

Game Description

Robo-Pirates have taken over the peaceful world of the Teensies! Now a few ragtag groups of rebels have vowed to defend their planet from a fierce pirate named Razorbeard and his metallic minions. Rayman and his trusted friend Globox are two such heroes, determined to take on as many of the robots as possible.

For a while, their plan worked perfectly. Rayman used his powerful energy spheres to stun the robots while Globox created rain clouds to rust their bodies. Alas, their valiant efforts weren't enough. The army was simply too enormous, and the rest of the rebel groups eventually became isolated from each other. All of the leaders except one were captured, and the Robo-Pirates assumed control over the very heart of the planet.

Rayman heard the bitter news from Ly, a magical fairy who could always be counted on when the chips were down. Unfortunately, her powers have been weakened from the pirates' destruction of the Primordial Core, so she could not warn Rayman in time to prevent him from being captured. While Rayman was fending off a particularly nasty group of robots, Admiral Razorbeard ensnared the hero and promised him a lifetime of slavery.

Globox managed to escape the threat, and he reluctantly left as his best friend struggled helplessly in the clenched grip of a gigantic robot. Rayman had told Globox to seek out Ly and begin plans to stop the invasion, but it was hard to leave a friend in need. As he disappeared into the tall grass, Globox heard the following words from his friend: "It's not over yet, pirate! I'll find a way to escape and then I'll make you wish you'd never been born!"

Thus begins the story of Rayman 2: The Great Escape, the sequel to 1995's Rayman, which appeared on the PlayStation, Saturn, Jaguar and PC platforms. For those new to the series, the game stars a creature with no legs, neck or arms. While the original version was a side-scrolling platform game featuring 2D sprites, Rayman 2 is a 3D adventure composed of 13 worlds and 45 areas that cover such exotic locales as rainforests, jungles, canyons, caves, volcanoes and glaciers.

The default perspective is set behind the lead character as he struggles to escape Razorbeard's clutches so he can reunite with his friends. Moves at his disposal include firing short blasts of energy, climbing walls, swinging across chasms and swimming through water. Rayman will also learn new techniques as the game progresses, and he'll even be able to fly using his hair as a propeller.

Along the way you'll run across various characters who will help you achieve your goals. As in the original Rayman, you are required to rescue creatures trapped in cages and find certain objects that will allow you to save the world. In this case, it is finding the 1,000 fragments of the Primordial Core, the source of the planet's energy that was destroyed by the pirates.

By finding these glimmering beams of light, referred to as Yellow Lums, Rayman will be able to repair the damage caused by Razorbeard and his robotic gang. Also on hand are two other types of Lums: Green and Red. Each Green Lum acts as a checkpoint so Rayman can resume from where he left off should he die. The Red Lum will energize Rayman whenever he finds himself low on health. Other Lums will grant him special powers or techniques once touched.

Review: Overall

Rarely do 2D platform games make the successful transition to a full 3D environment, let alone succeed at it. Luckily UBI Soft has taken one of the best, brightest and most colorful 2D platform games and has successfully brought it to third dimension, resulting in one of the best adventures available on the PlayStation.

Rayman 2 excels on all fronts. Visually it pushes the PlayStation to its limits, drawing on every ounce of processing power left in the 32-bit console. While the graphics are not as refined as the previously released Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast versions, they are nonetheless among the best available on the system.

The simplistic plot involves evil robotic pirates that have succeeded in capturing Rayman, reducing all of the inhabitants to slaves, and exploding the "heart of the world" into 800 lums of energy that are now scattered all over the planet. After an assisted jailbreak, our hero will traverse many different environments, collecting all of the lums he can on the way and freeing his captured friends while at the same time regaining all of his super powers.

Similar to the star theme in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario World, players will have to accumulate a certain number of lums from each level area in order to move onto further areas of the game, and most likely will have to return to find hidden and out of the way lums in order to do this.

The gameplay is surprisingly simple to pick up yet effective and deep. One example of this is early in the game, where Rayman has to pick up a barrel and lug it all the way towards a magical shield generator, aim, and toss it at the correct spot. The problem is, a bomb-like enemy repeatedly charges towards you via a pipe upstairs, often hitting you and knocking the barrel out of your hands.

The solution to this puzzle fits so well into the game and obeys cartoon physics popularized by Warner Bros. cartoons: as the enemy approaches, simply toss the barrel straight up into the air, attack with the magical fist projectile and destroy the enemy, catch the barrel and move on. The fluidity of this chain of events is surprisingly good, and impressive sequences such as this are common throughout the entire game.

The sound department is equally notable, with well-orchestrated and ambient music, sound effects, and character voiceovers available in English, Spanish and French. Rayman's new voice gives him a starkly different personality from the one in his 2D adventure, in which he was extremely laid back. This new Rayman has a distinguishable voice, rather than the garbled talk in his 2D adventure, but changing the language to French actually brings Rayman closer to his 2D personality...

If you own a PlayStation and are looking for a responsive and addictive platform game, you owe it to yourself to check out Rayman 2. If, however, you own a Nintendo 64 or a Dreamcast, it's in your best interest to pick up those versions of the game instead. While the graphics are impressive on the PlayStation, they can barely compete with the visuals evident in the other versions. Levels have also been altered in some areas to compensate for the 32-bit memory limitations of the PSX, which is something buyers will want to keep in mind.

Review: Enjoyment

One of the best platforming games available on the system, Rayman 2 is surprisingly addictive and fun.

Review: Graphics

Stunning graphics that push the PS to its limits, though not as impressive as either the Dreamcast or N64 versions (since they have more processing power).

Review: Sound

Great music that changes according to level events and strong voicework.

Review: Replay Value

Players will definitely try to go back and collect all of the game's lums and exploit the secrets, which extends the life of this title considerably.

Review: Documentation

A nice, colorful booklet with a great storyline and detailed instructions.

Production Credits