Never Alone - Review (PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game)

This month we have another wintery game that explores ancient folklore only this time we’ll be delving into the beliefs of the indigenous Alaskan community, the Iñupiat. ‘Never Alone’ is one of those games that test the traditional boundaries of what a video game should be as it really is a vehicle for telling a larger story, one of the Iñupiat people and it goes about this in such a heart-warming way that it’s difficult not to enjoy it. The game itself is designed for two players, though can be played solo, and slots neatly into the category of a puzzle platforming game where you must navigate levels by controlling both a young girl and her arctic fox companion.

Developer: Upper One Games and E-Line Media
Genre: Puzzle platformer
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows
Release date: 18th November 2014
ESRB: Unrated (mild threat)

The story of ‘Never Alone’ is presented as the kind of tale that an elder passes on to his or her grandchildren and even a few of the cutscenes are in a kind of scrimshaw style as though you are watching a living, breathing wall of cave art. It’s simple narrative that follows a young girl, Nuna, to find the cause of an unnatural blizzard with the help of an arctic fox whom she meets after narrowing escaping an angry ice bear. Together the two friends set out to find the source of an eternal blizzard which threatens the survival of not only the Iñupiat people but everything they have ever known. The story itself is pleasant, full of heart and somewhat magical in an ancient sort of way which really ties into the sense of the tale being told by an indigenous elder. What I particularly enjoyed about the narrative was that it offered up an insight into a culture that I was unfamiliar with and provided me with plenty of information in the form of cultural insight videos. These videos played like clips from a documentary and would discuss the relevant scenario, character or set piece that I had just encountered. Watching them as and when you unlock them can be rather distracting from the game however and I would recommend waiting until you had finished the game before going through them. They were a genuinely interesting watch though and you’d be missing out on some really interesting information by bypassing them entirely as they tend to make everything feel much more wholesome and real.

The game itself is quite clearly designed with two players in mind but, as I only have one controller, I only have a single player experience to talk about. That said, quite a lot of the game requires you to coordinate the movements of both the fox and Nuna so they work together in harmony but, with unpredictable AI, this is not always possible when you’re playing by yourself. Occasionally the character you are not controlling may perform actions that lead to their death and often they struggle to keep up with your pace which, inevitably, also leads to their death. The game is also slightly let down by the controls which can often feel sluggish, unresponsive and awkward to get right. Your ranged weapon, the bola, for instance can be very difficult to aim properly and this simply adds an additional problem to an already bothersome control system. On the positive side the mechanics of the game are pretty solid and generally revolves around a few basic ideas that become increasingly more complex as the game goes on. Whilst coming up against enemies is standard gaming-fare there are some interesting features such as the winter wind which can be both a blessing and an obstacle depending on where you’re trying to go or what you’re trying to do. Spirits that inhabit the game are similarly two faced and whilst there are plenty of good spirits who will help you there are also the not so good ones who may whisk you away at a moment’s notice. 

The game’s main premise however is the partnership between Nuna and Fox which is where some brilliant co-op gameplay would have come into play had I had another controller. Whilst Nuna can drag heavy objects and use the bola as a means of retrieving objects or clearing obstacles Fox’s expertise lies in his connection with the spiritual world, allowing him to work with the spiritual manifestations of animals called ‘loons’. Navigating levels tends to require you to switch constantly between the characters so that they may help each other along and there’s enough to interact with for this gameplay to not be boring or repetitive. However, the vast majority of the game does not have the same complexity that the final levels do which manifests not so much as a difficulty curve but more a great restriction on gameplay. In later levels your control over Fox is extended and you can do much more with him and, whilst the scenarios tend to be similar such as the chase scenes, everything is just so much more fun and challenging. It’s just a shame that it takes so long for the game to build up to this balance of play and before you know it the game has finished just as it felt like it was really picking up speed. What I am utterly grateful for after playing a certain similar game was the checkpoint system of ‘Never Alone’ as whilst death may happen quite frequently, dodgy companions aside, you are never put too far back and it never feels as though you are constantly retracing your steps.

What I absolutely adore about this game though is the art style which is so beautifully minimalistic with its soft focus and hazy wash of colours as though everything is thinly veiled with snow. Murky blues, whites and greys do wonders to make Nuna stand out in her fiercely bold furs whilst her Arctic Fox companion is both separate and a part of the frozen tundra that surrounds him. The simplicity but detail of the animations are also absolutely stunning and little idle animations like Nuna warming her hands or Fox pawing at the ground add a little subtle personality to their characters. The wind is flawlessly drawn and animated and you can visually feel the might of it as it throws Nuna backwards across the screen or sails across her shoulders when she’s ducked down, shielding herself from its buffeting power. The soundtrack as well is extremely well implemented, a soft chorus of piano that is only broken up by the shouts and grunts of Nuna and Fox as they struggle on with their task and overall the music has a very subtle and calming effect on the entire game. 

The prevalent issues that are present in ‘Never Alone’ are hardly even applicable at the moment as the developer has already announced that patches for both the PC version and the consoles will be released shortly. This is clearly a game with both substance and style and my only remaining gripe is that it takes far too long for the real action to get going and, with that in mind, the game is rather short. This aside it’s a wondrous little indie game that is well suited for modern day gamers who enjoy simplistic yet meaningful games with the capacity for a strong local co-op experience. Visually the game is stunning and I adored the focus on learning about Alaskan folklore as it is quite a rare culture to hear anything about, particularly in games. Treat yourself to something a little different this Christmas and check this out if it sounds like something you’d enjoy.

The Good:

• Lovely depictation and explanations of Iñupiat mythology 
• Adorable foxes always rank highly in my books
• Very well thought out narrative spoken in the indigenous language
• Engaging characters that develop a lovely relationship with one another
• Pretty solid puzzles that require some thought
• Stunning graphics and soundtrack
• Nicely animated for the most part
• Solid mechanics, particularly like the application of the wind and spirits

The Bad:

• Later levels much more enjoyable than the rest of the game 
• AI and ranged weapon issues (that are currently being patched)
• Polar bear has some odd animations sometimes

The Score: 9/10

Final thoughts: “A genuinely intriguing game that makes me cold just thinking about it, or maybe it’s because I don’t have the heating on and it’s December. I loved the whole concept of this game and knowing that the vast majority of things I found wrong with it are being patched makes me truly appreciate the developer’s dedication to this game. I won’t forget this one.”

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Last Inua - Review (iOS and PC)

‘Last Inua’ is set in a frozen tundra and is an icy tale of a father and son’s journey to vanquish evil from the world in the form of a demon named Tonrar. The son, Hiko, is blessed with supernatural powers strong enough to defeat Tonrar but his frail, adolescent body is unable to handle these powers and as such he is too weak to embark on this quest alone. His loving father, the physically powerful Ataataq, opts to accompany his son and protect him in all the ways Hiko is unable to protect himself. Together this Inuit duo set out to save the North from Tonrar’s evil clutches and it looks to be a tale of fatherly love set in a tranquil, snow blanketed world. Unfortunately, ‘Last Inua’ faces a plethora of problems that spoil the experience. 

Developer: Glowforth
Genre: Platformer adventure game
Platforms: PC and iOS
Release date: 11th December 2014 (PC), May 8th 2014 (iOS)
ESRB: Unrated (Mild threat)

‘Last Inua’ is a form of platforming game where you control both Hiko and Attataq in order to navigate the different levels though each character has vastly different strengths. Hiko, the teenage son, is gifted with the ability to teleport between glowing points, create bridges of light to pass over danger and fly in certain circumstances. Attataq on the other hand is the physically stronger of the two and may climb sheer, icy walls, jump and smash through enormous ice blocks that may block the path. To complete levels the player must use each character is unison and, at best, the puzzles are a solid means of traversing the environment even if your options are extremely limited. What let’s this game down however is how incredibly slow everything is and, when combined with some very touch and go controls, the whole experience is easily ruined. Both characters move at a lumbering pace as though they were wading through the snow rather than skipping across it and it’s a fairly frequent occurrence for your button presses to go unrecognized. Attataq in particular does not always jump when he is told to, usually resulting in death. This quickly becomes extremely frustrating as each death sends you halfway back across the map leaving you to plod your way back over to where you just died. This would be somewhat bearable if death was infrequent but sadly almost everything is deadly whether that’s mistimed jumps, roaming Yeti’s, spurting pools of darkness or spike traps. The entire game feels unnecessarily drawn out when you have to constantly retrace your steps at an agonizingly slow pace and this is inexcusable, no matter how pretty the backgrounds may be. 

Special mention should be made of how absolutely gorgeous everything looks and the opening cutscene in particular looks fantastic. The animations are nicely detailed and, for the most part, smooth and well executed. Visually, the art style is very simplistic but also very elegant and I personally loved the sleek, stylish appearance the game boasted as well as the noticeable contrast in colour. The first few levels are by far the most stunning as the contrasts between the inky black night sky and trees and the bright, gleaming whites and blues of the snow and ice are quite beautiful. The characters themselves are well designed and the landscapes have enough detail for them not to feel barren. A lovely visual effect that I enjoyed is also connected to a gameplay feature in that if you stay too far away from a campsite containing a fire then you will gradually begin to freeze to death. When this occurs the entire screen begins to fill with translucent spikes of ice that crackle across the screen, reminding you to seek warmth quickly or else face the ultimate consequence. 

Unfortunately ‘Last Inua’ is one of those games I really want to like but just can’t. It looks fantastic and the story is really quite lovely but the controls are unreliable, the animations are oddly jumpy in places, the lumbering pace is unbearable and there’s a great deal of repetition that makes the entire experience mind numbing. There’s a great deal of trial and error in navigating this game and, when error puts you so far back, you’ll find yourself constantly re-treading the same levels that already lack variety. Despite this, I’m sure there are people out there that can look beyond these problems and enjoy this quaint little game but for me it’s simply a deal breaker. Overall this game could have been so much better as there are some really promising elements about it that would have been brilliant if not for the undue frustration the mechanics caused me. So for this one I’m afraid I’ve got to say it missed its mark by a long shot. 

The Good:

• It looks beautiful 
• An emotional and touching storyline 
• Nice animations, when they work 
• An interesting concept 
• Atmospheric, detailed environments 
• Running from camp to camp before freezing is a nice touch
• Some truly awe inspiring landmarks

The Bad:

• Inexcusably slow
• Puzzles are very scripted with limited solutions 
• Unresponsive controls 
• Frequent deaths that put you very far back from where you died

The Score: 6/10

Final thoughts: “What a shame, if only those kinks had been recognized and worked out prior to release then perhaps we’d have a real stunner on our hands. Sadly it’s just far too repetitive, slow and unreliable to enjoy properly.”

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Disney's Hercules: Action Game - Quick Review (PS1 and PC game)

Unless you are an extreme fan of the Hercules Disney film or Disney video games in general I wouldn’t recommend you add this game to your collection any time soon. It breaks my heart a little to say that as this game holds a great deal of nostalgia for me and, at the time, Disney's Hercules: Action Game was one of my PS1 gaming staples. 

Developer: Eurocom
Genre: Platformer

Release date: November 1997

Platforms: PS1 and PC  

ESRB: E - Everyone

When I first played this game I did find it genuinely fun and, on my second playthrough as an adult, I admit it has its charms but only on account of the nostalgia. When judging it based on its merits it’s hard to see beyond the boring and linear gameplay, annoying film clips and rehashed soundbites taken directly from the film. Overall, it’s an extremely short game and has very few levels that look better than they play, and they don’t look particularly exceptional.

The game is almost entirely in 2D though there are times when you have to walk backwards or forwards into an additional layer of the environment, before continuing with the regular side scrolling that the game exists on. There are ten levels overall but the last two, in the Underworld and the Vortex of Souls, are only available if you’re playing the game on either medium or hard difficulty though their addition does help to bulk the game out a little. There are a couple of levels in the game where you are unable to fight and instead must continually run forward, slowing or speeding up, whilst avoiding obstacles. One of the earlier levels features this rush type gameplay where you must avoid Phil’s hero training obstacles such as sharks, sword wielding dummies and giant stone fists that violently drop from above. This is, admittedly, quite fun to play through on the first attempt especially on the higher difficulty levels since it’s such an iconic scene from the film that you kind of enjoy playing through it, even if it is just for kicks.  

There are plenty of power ups and collectibles to collect during the levels. Your energy bar can be increased by picking up Hercules action figure dolls whereas your health can be replenished by drinking ‘Herculade’ that you probably remember from the film. Generally, you’re stuck with a regular old sword but you can also pick up power ups for it to give it magical abilities. I’m not sure where they got this idea from but I guess they can add a little creative embellishment in an attempt to make things more fun. These weapons are called ‘Gifts from the Gods’ which basically adds on stuff like a long stream of lightning that you can move about, fire balls that shoot off in any which direction and a sort of sonic blade that sends out a dangerous circular sonic blast, killing anything nearby. Finally, you can grab an invincibility helmet that makes you impervious to damage from a few seconds. There are two forms of collectibles in the game, for starters there are the letters of the name ‘HERCULES’ which are hidden throughout the level in admittedly really good hiding spots ( I haven’t actually found them all yet). Lastly, there are four vases that when found will give you the password to that level so you can replay it. 

Even when trying to find all these collectibles you’ll probably be able to complete this game in just a few hours, and it won’t necessarily be a fun few hours either. Though the game has its quirky moments that are fun for a bit it’s not really a substantial amount of enjoyment and it’s unlikely you’ll ever want to play the game again. Graphically, the game is reasonable and it has some really nice levels such as the early training levels and the dangerous jaunt through the city called ‘The Big Olive’ which has a few moments where you smile and go, ‘oh yeah’ as you remember the context from the film. The audio is a little irritating and the music is very repetitive, but good quality. The inclusion of low quality clips from the film to help explain the storyline can thankfully be skipped as they’re quite frequent and juts feel like a bulking agent to make the game last longer. Overall, there’s nothing particularly offensive about the game, it basically stands as a good little game for children or for those who enjoy knocking out a couple of hours on an old 90s Disney game without high expectations.

The Good:

• Iconic scenes from film fun to engage in.
• Decent levels, nice variety and very detailed.
• Well animated enemies
• Collectibles for the purists is always a good thing.
• Powerups mean you can cleave through enemies quickly. 
  

The Bad:

• Often you're just running to the side of the screen, continuously. 
• Repetative audio and music.
• Quite a bland experience.
• Very short.
• Lack of analog sticks means your fingers will hurt because of stubborn controls. 
  

The Score: 5/10

If you want to play this you can check out my passwords for all levels in all difficulties here. 

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Evil Twin, Cyprien's Chronicles - Full Review (PS2, PC and Dreamcast game)

It’s probably for the best that this game is largely unheard of. It feels clumsy, looks rushed and unkempt and has the strangest dialogue I’ve ever experienced, barring ‘Two Worlds’. I’m not sure what I expected for £2 when I picked this up from Cex but I know I wasn’t expecting beautiful, though rather intrusive, music, surreal but fascinating boss monsters and the most obnoxious teenager in dungarees ever to grace my PlayStation. This game was released in 2001 for the PS2 and 2002 for the PC and Dreamcast by Ubisoft and is perhaps one of Ubisoft's better kept secrets.

I was really hopeful when the game booted up because the opening cutscene was genuinely lovely, it had this beautifully soft piano music, cinematic thunderstorms and panning over the lonely, dark looking orphanage. When it entered the orphanage itself the camera gracefully showcased the rusty showers, dripping taps, grotty water pipes and overall the horribly dirty and neglected bathroom that these children had to endure. It was all so eerie, so sad, so beautifully melancholy… then the camera focused on a boy at the sink, staring at his reflection and my word, he was hideous. Blocky, choppy, strange spoon shaped hands and though he looked like an 8 year old he spoke as though he’d not only hit puberty but it had hit him, repeatedly. Needless to say, I was not only disappointed but I was actually a little pained as what followed was the most headache inducing game I have ever played. And I’ve played ‘Two Worlds’.

Gameplay and plot

The general plotline of 'Evil Twin, Cyprien's Chronicles' is that you play Cyprien, a young boy living in an orphanage who’s feeling rather down and depressed because it’s his birthday and also the day his parents died. His friends throw a surprise party but Cyprien becomes furious at their constant attempts to make him feel better, goddamn them, and storms away from the party. In his bedroom he hops on the bed and starts talking to a talking teddy bear wearing a full length purple coat called Lenny who apparently, Cyprien gave life to. Cyprien rants and raves about his friends, banishing Lenny, condemning his world to oblivion then weighing up whether that would mean he was dead or not. Then he begins to laugh manically, during all of this drama the room darkens and we see shots of the boys at the party being dragged away by dark tendrils and Lenny disappearing behind Cyprien. By the time Cyprien’s come down from his gleeful high he realizes Lenny is gone and starts to panic before he himself fades away. When he awakens he’s in a drowned world with floating crates and muddy islands. What the hell have I gotten myself into this time, is all I could think, still trying to work out what exactly had just happened and why there had been a talking bear. Cyprien must now try and find his lost bear and friends who have become trapped in this world, along the way he will meet many strange creatures and learn the history of this bizarre place. 

The game plays like a 3D platformer similar to what you’d get from 'Croc' or 'Vexx' and once you’ve gotten used to the temperamental camera controls it’s a fairly easy ride. You jump between ledges, rocks and platforms to navigate your way through the world and, though there is no real indication where you’re supposed to go, you will easily find your way. Initially the world looks quite repulsive because it’s all muddy platforms and garish green water that hurts you a little when you fall into it. That’s not to say the rest of the game looks stunning but as an opening level they sure did pick an ugly one. As you jump between platforms you will find some items along the way, usually in the form of tiny floating bear heads that, after you’ve collected 100 of them, will give you an extra life. 

After the initial level you gain access to SuperCyp; Cyprien’s alter-ego who’s basically some kind of super hero with the ability to jump higher, shoot fire balls and glide a little. You activate SuperCyp by grabbing tiny floating SuperCyp heads which fill a meter up, once the meter is full you can transform into him and maintain that form by grabbing more of the heads. You can also pick up extra lives which are few and far between though you probably won’t need them as the game is painfully easy. Whilst SuperCyp uses his fire missiles to destroy enemies regular Cyprien has a slingshot which you can use by either zooming in for more accurate aiming or just mashing the fire button which is almost guaranteed to hit the enemy, provided you’re pointed towards him. The enemies are incredibly easy to kill and have terrible AI, quite often I was able to stand a few feet away and just continually fire at them with my slingshot without them even responding. If you’re looking for at least some form of challenge, you will be disappointed with the regular enemies. 

I was generally disappointed with the entire game because there are some genuinely brilliant elements like the dark surrealism and the unique storyline that’s just ruined by shoddy craftsmanship. The lore too is quite curious and the world that Lenny came from, and the one you’re now trapped in, really has the potential to be something very interesting but it just all feels a bit rushed and underappreciated. The dark surrealism and the gothic fantasy entwine perfectly and if nothing else the game is atmospheric but from a mechanical standpoint it’s simply awful. I was constantly getting stuck in bits of floor and between objects and sometimes the collision detection is simply non-existent. All of these mechanical problems coupled with terrible lip synching, an awful camera and frustrating controls means you’ll be lucky to see this game through to the point where things start to get good.

Graphics and audio

I’m not one to usually talk much about the audio of a game but the voice acting of this game is really quite horrendous. I don’t know why but every time Cyprien talks to another character it sounds as though they’re in some terrible comedy sketch because everything is just so forced and sarcastic. Cyprien is voiced by an adult and, considering he looks about ten years old, this is extremely off putting and a little disturbing. What’s even stranger is he keeps swearing and then at one point accused a guard of being racist, so I was left with little clue as to how old he actually was. Cyprien is generally very obnoxious which would be manageable if it was well acted but all it really does is give me a headache. There’s also a lot of dialogue too and I kept finding myself laughing at what they were saying, in a bad way. That said, the music of the game is very nice. It’s creepily reminiscent of a haunted fairground and, considering there’s a lot of child themes like buttons and toys in the game, this is likely intentional. The music is very overbearing during dialogue however as it does not stop but seems to get louder, making it very difficult to hear what’s being said. If the subtitles hadn’t been on I’m not sure I’d have been able to grasp anything that was being said to me due to the insistently loud and invasive background music.

The graphics are fairly bi-polar as sometimes you get some rather interesting areas that are detailed, quirky and exploring. Most of these nicer areas come a lot later on in the game and what you’re given in the early stages of the game are fairly hideous. Usually though it’s the interiors that are the nicest places to be as there is no shortage of decoration and objects to pad everything out. The exteriors are a huge let down however and a lot of the game is unfortunately spent running around outside. Generally the exteriors are bland, empty, badly designed and just plain boring really. Almost everything is smeared brown, greys or orange so if it wasn’t bad enough that there’s nothing to look at in the first place, what you’re left looking at is ugly and uninteresting. The game is split into different islands and, at one point, a boat so there’s a fair bit of diversity with where you get to explore. It’s only when the game really gets into the swing of it that you’re treated to the interesting surrealist environments, bosses and creatures that the game actually does well.

The characters are extremely blocky and choppy and to be fair this is on the PlayStation 2 so a lot of that is to be expected and for what they are, the characters could be worse. Mostly I’m just confused as to why the hands are shaped like warped spoons with no fingers and why the characters all have huge anime eyes. The characters are all very well designed however and there are some particularly memorable and disturbing looking boss monsters that are perfectly suited to the bizarre, dreamlike fantasy world that they inhabit.

Overall

I found this game very hard to grasp at the beginning because everything feels under-explained and there are some incredibly strange and bizarre moments. The whole thing feels as though it had an amazing premise and someone who really cared about it that was then ruined by half-assed mechanics, awful voice acting and some terrible level design. The strong points are the graphics and character design, as well as the music even if it was a bit loud, and I was quite intrigued at some of the characters I met along the way. I found Cyprien to be an extremely irritating protagonist and would never want to play him again, his ability to turn into SuperCyp felt pointless and more like an attempt to make the game more action orientated when truly it wasn’t necessary. The controls are diabolical, aiming with the slingshot is frustrating and awkward and the camera’s unpredictable nature made me want to throw the controller away and go play something else. By sticking around for several hours I found myself enjoying the places I was visiting and the things I was seeing but it took a lot of persistence to stomach the terrible game far enough into the storyline for things to start happening . You’ll get around about ten hours to fifteen hours of play out of this game so at least it’s not too short and there’s plenty of build-up, if only they’d tried a bit harder and fleshed it out more. Frankly, I think this game would have been better suited as an RPG.

Score: 5/10

Note: If you're thinking of playing this game then feel free to check out the cheats for it, here. 

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Rayman 1 - Full Review (MS-DOS and PS1 game)

The original Rayman game is a devilishly tricky but wonderfully clever little game with bucket loads of likability factor in its colourful and comical world that will have you engaged for hours. This side scrolling platformer was released in 1995 and was also one of the first games to be released for the PlayStation though it also came out on the PC and Atari Jaguar too. The game was an instant hit, becoming the most sold game on the PS1 of all time, and it’s easy to see why; gloriously detailed levels, hours upon hours of content all set an idyllic fantasy land that is both memorable and imaginative. Challenging, quirky and deeply immersive you’ll soon appreciate why this is the game that set off an incredibly successful series enjoyed by generations of gamers.

Gameplay and plot

The game follows Rayman, our lazy and limbless hero, as he tries to restore balance and harmony to the land after a certain ‘Mr Dark’ has stolen the Great Protoon. Without it, chaos has beset the usually peaceful land causing Electoons to be scattered and nasty, unnatural creatures to appear everywhere.  Rayman must rescue the Electoons and defeat Mr Dark to restore order and tranquillity to the land. If you’re familiar with ‘Rayman Origins’ and ‘Rayman Legends’ you’ll instantly recognize certain features like the style of the map, the inclusion of Electoons and of course Rayman but you’ll likely be surprised at how much slower and how much more difficult it is. 

Gameplay consists of navigating through the side scrolling levels to reach a signpost with an “!” on it which completes that level.  The levels tend to consist of lots of platforms and parts of the environment that you can interact with to gain access to otherwise out of reach areas such as bouncing purple fruit that can be used as a makeshift boat. Depending on the level they’ll be different obstacles and environments so it’s not all walking and jumping and quite often you’ll be sliding at top speed, hovering precariously or bouncing off and between objects. Each level is littered with enemies and also the poor, crying caged Electoons which you must release by smashing open their cages open with your fists. There are six caged Electoons on each level and you have to free all of them if you wish to complete the game as only then will you be able to reach and confront Mr Dark in the epic finale. This sounds easy enough, after all you can revisit the levels from the world map, but the Electoons tend to be tricky to find and even more tricky to access. With limited lives, you’re going to have your work cut out for you.

To help you through the game you gain additional abilities from Betilla the Fairy as you progress. The very first abilities you learn allow you to hang from ledges and to throw your fists which is your primary means of killing enemies. The other abilities are all generally very standard and nothing particularly unusual, except one, the helicopter ability. This power utilizes Rayman’s hair as a means of flying and this allows you to travel short distances or to save yourself from what would be otherwise fatal falls. Without the bolstered speed and agility from the more recent Rayman instalments like 'Rayman Origins' and 'Rayman Legends' you’re going to find yourself having to rely on your own accuracy and luck to get through this classic, making these abilities are utterly crucial to your success. 

Beneath its cute and colourful exterior lies a game that is punishingly difficult and infinitely frustrating. It really does make me wonder who this game is aimed at; children or adults as though on the surface it clearly looks like a children’s game it is just too incredibly challenging for that to be so. You’re probably wondering what could be so damn hard about this game that I keep mentioning how challenging it is, well, lots of things make it difficult. To begin with, you have a very limited amount of lives and acquiring additional lives is a huge challenge as it requires you to collect 100 blue orbs called Tings. When you die, you lose all your Tings collected so far which can leave you in a never ending loop of dying, being unable to get another life, and dying again. To make matters worse the chances to save the game are few and far between. Once you’ve started a level you have to complete it to be able to save again, there is no saving from the menu and there is no auto save feature. I can genuinely guarantee that, even with the one checkpoint they kindly throw in your general direction, you’ll be replaying certain parts of this game over and over until you want to crush the controller between your palms. 

For those of us who don’t mind a bit of gaming masochism, or employing cheat codes, there’s a staggering 70 levels to shoulder through that are either beautifully designed or, in the very least, pretty to play through. There are six different worlds that are divided into two categories, ‘natural’ and ‘imaginary’. The natural worlds take place in a forest, mountains and caves whereas the imaginary levels are set in worlds that are significantly more dreamlike and unusual. There’s a fair bit of freedom regarding which order you play through the levels in but, since the difficulty scales across the worlds, it’s a lot easier to play the game in the intended way.  At the end of each level you’ll have to defeat a boss enemy and the bosses are pretty interesting creatures, which is much appreciated since up until that point you’ve only been fighting one or two variations of enemy. Fighting enemies is purely to get them out the way so you don’t die and there’s no reward for killing them. To make things harder not all enemies are immediately visible. Instead, enemies tend to pop into existence once you’ve stepped foot in their little ‘area’ of the map such as some narrow platforms above dangerous water. What this usually results in is you being knocked back and taking away some life, knocked into some form of trap such as the water or surviving and still being unable to kill them due to the tiny platform you’re teetering on. Rayman can only take three hits before he dies so you need to be extremely careful when traversing the levels as danger can quite literally appear out of nowhere.

Graphics and audio

This game truly does push the PS1 console to its full capabilities as environmentally the game looks fantastic and it has genuinely aged extremely well, even if everything is 2D. I remember playing through Rayman 3 which was in full on 3D graphics and quite frankly, it looked absolutely dire. I probably enjoyed the game because I was extremely young and very forgiving when it came to games but Rayman feels very much like Oddworld in that, despite being 2D, that’s the best thing for it as it allows much more detail and much better graphics. The music of the game is quite lovely, very satisfying and exists as a great background addition that draws you fully into Rayman’s adventure. The soundtrack is a bit quirky but has a strong retro feel that manages to bring you right back to the 90s in an instant. For me, it was an instant reminder of all the times I’d played this game when I was a kid and I absolutely loved it. 

Although everything is quite cartoony ‘Rayman’ has a very clear identity that sets it apart from typical animated games so, rather than it coming across as childlike, it instead manages to portray itself as a mature, yet fun, platforming game. The levels are incredibly varied and though the distinct worlds mean that some levels have the same theme there is a clear difference in the way you get through the level. Rayman is incredibly animated as well and the humour really does make itself quite pronounced through his animation and his own audio. Sit away from the controller for five goddamn seconds and he’s coughing, trying to get your attention to make him move. I genuinely miss that in games and it was quite a common feature to have your character get a little pissed off if you ignored them for a bit, but Rayman does do it so politely. Apart from his impatience he has a wide range of facial expressions, utter terror being the most hilarious of course. Rayman will quite physically chew on his knuckles at the sight of a monstrous enemy and will appear, genuinely, to have his life flashing before his eyes as he teeters over a ledge. All in all, he’s designed and animated very well and he’s incredibly likable whilst his idle animations and emotions really do bring him to life.

Overall

Rayman is an incredibly memorable experience for me and really is the best 2D game that is on the PS1. As a platformer it’s of incredibly good standard whilst the levels are fun and inventive with plenty in them to maintain your interest. It’s very difficult to get back into due to how punishing it is but, and I’m ashamed to admit it, an infinite lives cheat really does ease the way into the game if you just want to play the thing without murdering everybody around you. The controls are so easy and simple to get used to though the lack of analog sticks is a bit of a pain. Though the game does feel much slower and clunkier than the latest instalments it’s still great fun and a whole different game to the Mario inspired 'Rayman Origins' and 'Rayman Legends' you’ll see today, though they are fantastic too.

Score: 9/10

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Loved - Quick Review (Free online game)

When you obey without question things are so much clearer, but when you defy authority and find your own path you tend to discover that, without guidance, it can be difficult to judge where to go next. This dark little puzzle game takes this idea and turns it into reality as from the very moment you start playing you find yourself at the mercy of a cruel narrator who mocks and jibes your every action. “Are you a man, or a woman?” you’re asked at the beginning only to be immediately told after your decision that you’re not, that you’re a good girl, not a boy. The narrator is a silent stream of text that appears on screen but it’s quite clear that this person is your master and you are quite clearly his minion. This platforming game is set in a world of black and white where everything is stark and bare and the initial navigating of the area is simple as you jump over spike pits and steer yourself up and down solid black ledges and platforms. Occasionally though, you’ll be ordered to do things.

“Take the lower path. Throw yourself into the barbs. Do not touch the statue.” Your master commands you at certain intervals, but do you obey? If you refuse you’re chided and berated though you notice that tiny little specks of colour are appearing on the otherwise black and white world. Now and then you’ll be asked questions, “Do I own your body or your mind?” by selecting body he demands that you dance for him, by selecting mind he demands that you beg for him. The little blips of colour that start to appear are so slight and insignificant that you don’t really see them until your master speaks again, “Touch that statue and I will forgive you.” Bypass the statue and you’ll be sneered at again but more colour appears, the more you defy your master the more colour courses across the screen in increasingly vivid and beautiful patterns but with that comes a price; you can’t see where you’re going. The game does become increasingly difficult by choosing to not obey and this confrontational approach to gaming is unsettling, though interesting as the ending does change depending on how you play it. It’s an extremely short game and can be completed in less than 10 minutes but it’s still very enjoyable and stands strongly as a solid and introspective platformer that can appeals to the causal and the serious gamer. 

 

If you want to try the game out for yourself, check out the creator’s website here.

Score: 9/10

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Rayman Origins - Full Review (PC, PS3, Vita, 3DS, Xbox 360 and Wii game)

I very rarely try out demos as I usually know what kind of game I will or won’t enjoy but this one threw me a little; I’d played the old Rayman games and I didn’t want the image spoiled which is very common with remakes of original classics. I played through that one level of the demo with my girlfriend and we were both so impressed we bought it there and then on Amazon with next day delivery so we could keep on playing. That weekend, we barely left the sofa never mind the house. 

Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
Genre: Platformer
Release date: 15th November 2011
Platforms: Windows, OS X, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation Vita
ESRB: E - Everyone

The great thing about Rayman Origins is that brings back all the original fun of the old PS1 games but with incredibly charming, hand drawn graphics and enough new content to not make it feel like a remake. It’s such an engaging game that’s simple and fun to play yet with enough of a challenge to not make it feel like a child’s game. The simple controls are especially appealing though as it means you can have all generations of people get the hang of it and it’s just suitable for everybody; provided they can keep up of course.

Gameplay and storyline

If you’re familiar with Rayman then you’re most likely familiar with the Glade of Dreams. In Rayman Origins we return to the Glade of Dreams, a usually idyllic universe, only Rayman and his buddies accidentally ticked off their next door neighbour; the Land of the Livid Dead, by snoring too loudly. You’ll have to traverse through this magical world and beat back the incarnations of the Bubble Dreamer’s (creator of the Glade) nightmares which are some pretty nasty beasts in order to save the Glade of Dreams from being taken over by these creatures. Along the way you’ll save the Nymphs who have been captured by the nightmarish creatures, rescue the electoons and earn back some essential powers like hovering and shrinking.

The game itself is a side scrolling platforming game, just like the original, with over 60 levels for you to play through. As you progress through the game you’ll fight enemies, locate and rescue caged electoons, collect lums and earn new abilities.  The game is separated into themed areas such as musical, polar or jungle and each of these areas further have a breakdown of several separate levels. Each level has a certain number of challenge/objective type goals that will earn you additional electoons which are required for progressing through the game. Each level has one cage at the end of it that you need to break in order to end that level and this cage counts for one objective. Other challenges include finding the other hidden cages in the level which are usually concealed by things that appear to be a part of the landscape but which actually fade upon approaching. Each level also has a Time Trial challenge which requires you to race through the level at top speed and to reach a checkpoint within very harsh time constraints. If you slip more than a couple of times then you’ve almost certainly failed it and will have to try again. Completing the time trial can earn you a Speed Trophy if you’re fast enough.

For a slower, more relaxed approach to the level there’s also the lum challenge which will require you to go through the level very carefully since you require a whopping 350 lums to earn that level’s medallion. Some levels only require 200 or so because they’re shorter, more laid back levels. This usually means popping every single enemy bubble and finding every additional little lum that’s out there to be grabbed before they float away out of reach and there’s nothing more frustrating to find you’ve missed the medalion by only a couple of lums. By earning all these electoons you can unlock additional levels that require you to chase down a runaway treasure chest. By catching it you can get a special ‘Skull tooth’ and by collecting all these teeth you unlock an extremely challenging level that’s set in the Land of the Livid Dead itself. All in all, there’s a lot to keep you busy in the levels and you’ll likely sink many hours into the game trying to complete everything.

Rayman Origins is one of the few games out there that is a local co-op game. It has a great local co-op system that allows you to play with up to four characters with no split screen so you can still see the beautifully drawn backgrounds in all their glory. The only downside of trying to play this game in co-op is the tendency to get frustrated with one another if someone’s not being fast enough. Co-op has the great addition of not dying immediately upon being bubbilized; if your co-op partner whacks your bloated bubble body then you’ll be returned to the game, ready to keep on playing. I can guarantee though that you will drive yourself partway to insanity trying to complete all of the challenges in the game, and the timed trials in particular are the cause of numerous arguments between me and my girlfriend. I think it’s safe to say that you should only play this game with someone you’d also play Monopoly with. Since the game supports multiplayer you’ll be glad to know there’s a lot of characters you can pick from, though they are just different versions of the three friends, and you can unlock more as you earn more electoons, so if you are unhappy with Rayman’s default look you can always try him out in his blue version and see if you like that better.

Finally, there are the bosses that are encountered at the end of each area. These bosses were originally the Kings of each Land in the Glade but have unfortunately fallen under the influence of the nightmarish forces that have taken over Rayman’s usually idyllic universe. In order to bring them back to their senses you must defeat them and, truthfully, these boss battles are the highlight of the entire game. each boss looks fantastic, often quite terrifying yet playfully charming at the same time. You’ll need to employ a recently taught skill to defeat them and it will involve a lot of quick thinking and, if playing in co-op, teamwork and coordination if you’re to bring down these maddened beasties. Trust me when I say that these are boss battles worth fighting and each one of them is original and fascinating to look upon. They are most certainly not some rehash of an old enemy that’s been made a little stronger or a little bigger that some games are guilty of trotting out. 

I remember the original PS1 Rayman game as being really frustrating because you needed to have such control over where you were moving and jumping to and that’s not a bad thing. Games that are challenging are infinitely more rewarding and enjoyable than their simplistic counterparts and what’s great about Rayman Origins is it brings back that feeling of infuriation then of great relief when you finally get past the bit you’re stuck at. I love that this version of Rayman is almost in fast forward as you’re able to sprint and jump in a very Mario-esque manner so you feel so cool and slick when completing the speed run levels.

Graphics and environment

Rayman origins features a type of stylized environment that is difficult to find in side scrolling platform games. The maps are flawlessly crafted with exquisite attention to detail that truly makes this game feel as though it’s been crafted with passion and love. You only need take a look at the screenshots to see how gorgeous the game looks with its stunning cell shaded animation and incredibly bold colours. Every single level is something to behold and you will not get bored of how fantastic everything looks as it’s all so incredibly varied and diverse. Though levels are themed they do not feel repetitive just because two levels are set in a jungle which is such a relief as platformers can sometimes feel monotonous simply due to the rehashing of backgrounds and environmental features.  All in all, everything feels innovative and fresh from the moment you begin to the moment you finish.

There are over 60 levels but, not only are they numerous, they’re also incredibly interactive. You’ll find yourself sprinting and jumping through lava filled caverns, up icy slopes and through lush jungles to name only a few places. You’re not just restricted to the ground however as you’ll often be soaring through the air on giant wasps or swimming in deep oceans. Levels like these are particularly memorable, especially the ominous, underwater ones. Here, you must swim in almost total darkness, lit only by a small light on your body, whilst the twisted, elongated arms from an unseen creature reach out from rocks or the abyss below to drag you from safety.

It’s impossible to describe all the little bits of detail that the game developers have included because everything has been thought of and everything is beautifully done. There are levels dedicated to being in a kind of giant, boiling hot kitchen that has faintly visible stacks of wobbling plates in the background, zipwires with tiny red hot chillis dangling all down them and bottles of squeezy hot sauce you can jump on to boil a pot; sending its lid shooting into the air on a billow of steam for you to reach new heights. In the cold, icy areas it’s like being inside a giant freezer with lemon slices on gossiping forks and slices of lime to bounce off of. Cans of frozen food drop precariously as you slam through layers of ice cubes and, if caught under one, you’ll be instantaneously bubbelized. Each area has such neat little features like this it’s impossible to deny that this game has been very carefully thought through and planned so that players can get the best experience possible out of it.

Music and audio

Just to top off this game, along with everything else, the audio and music is flawless. The music has many faces depending on which level you’re on and can change between dreamy violin music to fast, intensive jazz style music. Some audio tracks are quite simply someone whistling with some lazy ukulele playing in the background. There are some great musical features like furious kazoo playing and the ragged chimes of super high pitched lums singing every time you grab one of the lum king bubbles. It sounds as though this ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ style singing would drive you crazy but it’s so cutesy and happy-go-lucky you can’t help but love it, that and it’s really catchy. 

What I love about the soundtrack of this game is the sheer variety of instruments you don’t often hear from. Ukuleles, kazoos, dijiridoos, the piano, the violin, drums and the Jew’s harp all have a place in the musical tracks and it’s great to hear such a unique combination of instruments that all work so perfectly for the environment. The dijiridoos played in the warm sands of the musical levels fit so perfectly with the environment that it adds a lot to the gameplay experience, without it the level would certainly not have the same feel to it. My personal favourite is the ethereal, haunting melodies that are found within the deep sea exploration levels. That partial silence coupled with the near-by threat of a lurking creature does wonders for the atmosphere and it’s as addictive as the exhilarating surface levels. I don’t know how he managed it, but the composer has managed perfectly to make the music of Rayman Origins playful but not cheap or silly sounding, which is impressive given that he appears to have employed a plastic kazoo as a core part of the instrumentals.

Overall

This game just drips in simplicity yet sophistication and is an essential part of any gamer’s collection provided they can appreciate fantastic artwork, great music and a good chunk of playful humour to go with it. Fans of the original Rayman should not hold back from playing Rayman Origins as it only enhances what made the original Rayman so brilliant. It’s a rare thing to see a 90s game pulled into the modern gaming world and for it to fit in so nicely as something traditional yet upgraded. This is a humorous, light hearted game that can be enjoyed by the entire family from the comfort of your own sofa. Not only that, but it provides a damn good challenge and enough content for you to get many enjoyable hours out of it.

The Good:

• Brilliant co-op intergration
• Looks incredible
• Fantastic, varied, light hearted music
• Very fun boss battles, each one is different
• Good range of non-generic enemies
• Extremely challenging
• Lots of re-playability
• Huge variety of themed levels
• Very easy to get into
• Fast paced or slow paced, depending on which challenges
• Holds great respect for the original Rayman games

The Bad:

• Sometimes a little too challenging
• Often frustrating

The Score: 9/10


Final Thoughts: "This game does my bloody head in trying to be a completionist in it, but it's just so flawless in every aspect that I can forgive it."

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