..Rayman Legends..

HANDS-ON PREVIEW | ? Comments |

Rayman seems to be making his comeback in a big way. Rayman Origins was a stellar platformer released last year, and now Rayman will be showing up again soon on the Wii U in the form of Rayman Legends. Ubisoft gave us a treat by letting us get our hands on a demo of Rayman Legends at E3, and now we can't wait to play it again.

Rayman Legends is still the solid 2D platformer Rayman Origins was. It has the same feel, the same beautiful graphics and design, and it offers the additional use of both the Wii U Controller Pro and the Wii U GamePad as input controls. This is the real highlight of Rayman Legends: the dual controller use in a co-op setting. The E3 demo gave us a chance to play Rayman on the Wii U Controller Pro (essentially a real gaming controller much like the one for Xbox 360), and his friend, Murphy, was handled on the Wii U GamePad. Rayman is basically controlled like in Origins, which is a good thing, because that was a very tight platformer; however, if you can believe it, Rayman Legends feels and plays even better.

While you're playing, Murphy helps Rayman achieve his goals and pass obstacles. Whether he has to rotate a platform by using the Wii U GamePad gyroscope controls, or cut ropes to make a bridge with quick swipes of the finger, he has to do it all as Rayman darts quickly across the screen. 

Everything Rayman fans expect will be back. The music in Rayman Legends is absolutely top notch, and often you'll be running and jumping to the beat of the score. In fact, it seems like the music will play an integral part into the whole platforming action. 

Rayman Legends is looking to be an amazing follow-up to the powerful Origins. What's perfect is that those who love fast-paced platforming will be able to take on the role of Rayman, while those who love to solve puzzles and use quick thinking rather than quick thumbs can take up Murphy and solve the puzzle obstacles. This drop-in / drop-out mentality in Rayman Legends will also bring in the casual gamers along with the hardcore ones who know that the Rayman series is solidifying itself as one of the best, if not the best, classic 2D platforming franchises out there.

Rayman Legends was definitely one of the best Wii U titles we saw at E3 this year, and it'll be great to play the whole game as soon as it's realized! No date has been confirmed yet, though it's quite likely that Rayman Legends will launch at the same time as the Wii U.

Rando Evans   Followtinydinosaurs Three things describe Rando: Good beer, good food, and video games. On occasion, Rando flies a zeppelin through time seeking power crystals.

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