Rayman Origins

Did You Know?

• Only five people were working on the game when it was first announced, according to Yves Guillemot.
• The game was originally announced as a downloadable episodic title for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade before being expanded to a full retail release.
• Rayman Origins is the first title to use the UbiArt Framework engine.

Gameplay

Rayman Origins is a side-scrolling platformer in the style of the original Rayman game. It supports up to four local players who can drop in or out at any time, with characters including Rayman, Globox, and two Teensies; additional costumes become available as the game progresses. Players traverse levels fighting enemies and rescuing imprisoned Electoons, gaining abilities such as wall-running, midair gliding, swimming, and shrinking to reach new areas. Certain segments involve riding a mosquito, allowing players to shoot enemies or inhale and fire them. When a character is hit, they become bubblized and must be slapped or jumped on by another player to recover, similar to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Hearts can be collected for one-hit protection. If all players are bubblized simultaneously or a single player is hit, they explode and return to the last checkpoint. Yellow Lums are collected throughout levels and are needed for Electoons; collecting a Lum King turns all Lums red, worth two yellow Lums. Skull Coins in hidden or dangerous areas are worth 25 Lums but are lost if the player is harmed while collecting them.

Plot

The story begins with Bubble Dreamer, Rayman, his friend Globox, and a couple of Teensies relaxing at the Snoring Tree. Their snoring, amplified by a flower-shaped microphone, disturbs an old granny from the Land of the Livid Dead, who sends an army of Darktoons and other creatures to attack. The heroes fight back but are defeated and captured. Rayman escapes and discovers that the Darktoons have imprisoned the Electoons and Betilla the Nymph and her sisters, plunging the Glade of Dreams into chaos. Bubble Dreamer goes mad from the turmoil, causing nightmares. The Magician tasks Rayman and his friends with gathering enough Electoons to cure Bubble Dreamer and restore the Glade. They rescue the Nymphs and eventually reach a gate that requires freeing the Glade Kings, who have been turned into monsters by Bubble Dreamer's nightmares. After freeing the kings, the Nymphs open a stargate to a hideout in Moody Clouds, where the Magician is revealed as the true villain. He admires Mr. Dark from the original Rayman, is a Teensy mocked for weak magic, and orchestrated the attacks to distract the heroes while he used their Lums to power machines, aiming to dethrone Polokus. The Magician sends Rayman into a pit with mechanical monsters, but they escape. He then dances, putting them in a funk, and flees. The heroes chase him in his airship, causing it to crash into his hideout's power source, which explodes. Rayman and his friends free-fall back to the Snoring Tree and resume relaxing.

Reception

Rayman Origins received critical acclaim. On Metacritic, the Wii version scored 92/100, the PlayStation Vita version 88/100, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions each 87/100, the PC version 86/100, and the Nintendo 3DS version 71/100. 1UP.com gave the game an A− rank, praising its varied level design and calling it the best 2D platformer not named Mario. Eurogamer rated it 8/10, describing it as a delightful and occasionally exhilarating platformer but noting that level design repeated ideas too often compared to the Mario series. GameTrailers gave it 8.5/10. Game Informer awarded 8.5/10, stating that Rayman Origins properly introduces the character after his Rabbids association. IGN gave 9.5/10, calling it the best-looking platformer of its generation and the most fun. Joystiq gave 5 out of 5 stars, saying it embodies creativity and craftsmanship missing from 2D platformers since the 16-bit era. Nintendo Life awarded 10/10, calling it the pinnacle of 2D platforming and one of the Wii's best games. Nintendo Power gave 9.5/10, calling it a platforming masterpiece. VideoGamer.com gave 8/10, calling it a passionate tribute to platform games. The Nintendo 3DS version was criticized for technical issues and missing content like multiplayer and the level Get Away!, but praised for its controls, art style, and 3D effect.

Sequels and remaster

A sequel, Rayman Legends, was originally developed exclusively for the Wii U with a planned Q1 2013 release, but was delayed to September 2013 and also released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, and Microsoft Windows via Steam. It was later ported to Nintendo Switch in September 2017. A reimagined remake, Rayman Legends Retold, is scheduled for October 2026. A mobile platformer based on Origins, Rayman Jungle Run, was developed by Pastagames and released for iOS on September 20, 2012, and for Android on September 27, 2012, with the Android version by DotEmu. It features Rayman automatically running through 63 levels plus 7 Land of the Livid Dead levels, with players tapping to jump and punch. IGN gave it 8.8, and iTunes named it iPhone game of the year. It was nominated for Casual Game of the Year and Mobile Game of the Year at the 16th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Versions for Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Phone were released on March 7, 2013. A sequel, Rayman Fiesta Run, was released on November 7, 2013. As of January 2021, Jungle Run was removed from Android and iOS; the Steam version was removed in December 2021. A remastered version, Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition, is scheduled for release on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on October 1, 2026, and will be included with all versions of Rayman Legends Retold.