Out of all of the games to come out of the holiday season last year, Rayman Origins was a call back to the old with a 2D side-scrolling platform and varying difficulties that certainly was a blast. So of course Ubisoft wasn’t going to let this critically acclaimed reboot go to waste. Now, it has been revealed that a new title Rayman Legends is currently in the process of being developed, with the first trailer leaked, and providing some very interesting functionality for the Wii U.
Now, while the Wii U is basically exclusively shown here, there’s a very good chance that the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC versions will also be coming. What’s also interesting? The change in style. The animated 2D concept was one of the most praised about items from the reboot, and now, there’s a more 3D looking shaded concept going on that still looks incredibly beautiful. The same controls are still there, along with the terrifying looking villains and at-times-stressful levels. In other words? This is still the same skeleton of Rayman Origins that many fell in love with.
About halfway through the trailer, the Wii U showcase kicks in. While there can only be the use of one of those iPad-like touchscreen controllers at a time, it’s great to see that there is some functionality one playing co-op. There’s no telling just what happens when thriving in single player, but that has yet to be revealed.
However, the most exciting concept may in fact be the NFC feature on the controller. The ability to simply put an item down, and it gives us exclusive levels is incredible. While the heart one doesn’t exactly excite me, it may come as a smart use when you need health. Though I hate the Rabbids that spawned off their own series, the option to beat them up in their own level is a bit more intriguing.
The trailer’s final moments show is that a major Ubisoft crossover may in fact be coming, and honestly: this is the most excited for the Wii U and its use that I’ve seen so far. The idea of an Assassin’s Creed level in Rayman Legends is just mindblowing, and furthermore, it’s perhaps the most intelligent variation on DLC I’ve ever seen. While the alternative of buying toys may be a bit expensive compared to the downloadable concept, the fact you may have collectible items that actually double as in-game additional power ups, levels, and characters is definitely a step up that has the sequel striving to seperate itself from the competition. Sure, it’s a lot like Skylanders‘ method of selling merchandise, but you can’t argue with results.
We’ll have more concerning Rayman Legends as E3 gets closer, and whether Ubisoft decided to officially unveil the product.
What do you think of the trailer, and the game itself? Excited for the Wii U’s additional features, or will you be sticking to the good ol’ PS3, 360, or PC versions?
