Rayman 3D

Overview

Rayman 3D is a port of the Dreamcast version of Rayman 2 (however, the online elements have been removed, as well as the Dreamcast's exclusive bonus area). The game is set in 45 different areas, across 13 regions. Rayman 3D was released in Europe on March 25, 2011, while it was released in North American March 27, 2011. The main objective of the game is to collect all 1000 yellow lums that have been scattered around the game's world, and defeat the evil Admiral Razorbeard and his robot henchemen.

Gameplay

The player must control Rayman, with the ability to run, climb, jump, swim, fly, loop-the-loop and even water-ski in order to complete levels. During the game the player will have to defeat various enemies. Along the way players can collect Lums and magical masks, collecting all four magical masks in the game will cause Polokus, a great pirate spirit, to rise and "liberate the world". Rayman must also free trapped captives that Admiral Razorbeard's henchmen have taken. Seventeen levels are available to play in the game across a multitude of environments. Although only sometimes a certain amount of lums in a level are required to be collected in order to complete that level, when the player collects all lums for a certain level, a bonus stage is unlocked.

Plot

Rayman 3D takes place in the mysterious land of the Glade Of Dreams. Admiral Razorbeard, Rayman's main enemy, and his army of Robot Pirates invade the world and steal the core of the world, called the Heart Of The World. Using this core, Admiral Razorbeard, weakens Rayman's powers, allowing Admiral Razorbeard to kidnap Rayman. After being on the Pirate's prison ship for some time, Rayman finds his friend, Globox, on the same ship; he has just recently been captured and placed on the ship. Before he was captured, Globox had met a fairy named Ly, who gifted him with a Silver Lum. Globox gives this Silver Lum to Rayman, which in turn replenishes one of his powers, and allows him to escape the ship. Once off the prison ship, Rayman learns that the only way to defeat Admiral Razorbeard is to reunite the four magical masks, which will awaken Polokus, the spirit of the world and the Glade Of Dreams.

Rayman then sets off for the Glade Of Dreams through the Hall Of Doors, which can transport users to various places in the world, and is controlled by beings called Teensies. Eventually, Rayman goes back to the prison ship to free Globox, and after traveling for a while together, Globox leaves for his family. A while later, Rayman also meets Uglette, Globox's life. Uglette tells Rayman that Globox has been imprisioned again in the Pirate's prison ship. Along with Uglette, Rayman also meets Clark, another friend of Rayman's. In some levels, Clark has an upset stomach due to eating rusty Robot Pirates. In these levels, Rayman must find an elixir to cure Clark in order to complete the level.

Once Rayman finally manages to awake Polokus, he quickly sets off to eliminate all Robot Pirates on the ground, but Rayman is tasked with destroying the Pirate's flying ship, which also serves as Admiral Razorbeard's headquarters. In the final boss battle of the game, Rayman fights Admiral Razorbeard, who is controlling a giant robot named Grolgoth. Rayman destroys the ship and Admiral Razorbeard, and manages to get away in an escape pod before the whole ship explodes. On the ground, only Rayman's shoes are found, and he is presumed dead. The conclusion of the game is set at Rayman's funeral, where Rayman appears in crutches during the middle of the service of his death.

Improvements From Original Game

The game has been improved by featuring the addition of 3D and the ability to now use the circle pad for movement (compared to the DS' port utilizing the D-Pad and the touch screen). The graphics have not been altered from the Dreamcast port.

Release

Rayman 3D was released with the launches of the 3DS in Europe and North America on March 25, 2011 and March 27, 2011, respectively, along with 12 other titles.

Reception

Rayman 3DS, upon release, has received mainly mixed reviews. IGN has given the game a score of 5.5/10, or a "mediocre" score, stating that a purchase of the game is not justified because of the little improvements the game has received. Videogamer has given the game a score of 7/10, stating that the game still has charming gameplay, but the game is too easy. Metacritic, an online review compiler, has given the game an aggregate score of 65/100.

Product Quality Note

It should be noted that Rayman 3D constantly struggles with framerate, dipping below the original speed quite frequently. The graphics have not been upgraded or changed at all, looking exactly as they did years ago. There is no additional content, and the Dreamcast's exclusive bonus area and DLC remains missing from the release. Rayman 2 has already been ported to the original DS, so this is the second time it has appeared on the DS line of consoles.