Which Rayman game keeps bringing you back?

[davidlee]

Hi everyone,
I'm David, and over the years I've played Rayman (1995), Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc, Rayman Origins, and Rayman Legends. I never finished the original because of its difficulty, but I completed the others at least once. Out of all of them, Rayman 2 is still my favorite. The atmosphere felt more adventurous than the later games, and I really liked exploring the different worlds, collecting Lums, and uncovering the story. It struck a nice balance between platforming, puzzles, and combat, and the soundtrack has stuck with me ever since. Origins and Legends have smoother gameplay, but Rayman 2 is the one I find myself replaying every few years. What about everyone else? Which Rayman game is your favorite, and what keeps you coming back to it?

[RayGamer99]

I most frequently return to Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition for a combination of reasons. It's the most convenient for me to play, since I often have my Switch 2 nearby and don't have to fire up the older consoles just to play other games. As for the game itself, it might not have a very strong story, but its excellent gameplay, vibrant environments, exceptional spread of playable characters (though I do wish there was more of a reason to choose different ones, like different animations or voice lines), and phenomenal soundtrack easily make up for it in my eyes. I know some may roll their eyes at me calling this my favorite Rayman game, but I don't really care. Rayman Legends has been my favorite for years, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Rayman Origins and Rayman 3 also have a special place in my heart. Origins has the same gameplay and composers as Legends but with a goofier tone and occasionally more challenging levels. I can't wait to go back through it once I get the game's Enhanced Edition alongside Rayman Legends Retold. Rayman 3 is easily my favorite of the mainline 3D titles; no offense to Rayman 2, but between it's balance of comedic and dramatic tones, world variety, and great gameplay, the game ends up feeling like the best Rayman's been in 3D (though it's not like he's gotten another shot since 2003 ) and bringing me more fond memories than its predecessor. I've been meaning to replay Rayman 3 at some point, but I haven't yet found the time to.

[MakaryGlobsky]

For me it's Rayman Origins. While my first raygame was Rayman Legends, I do, more often, come back to the first UbiArt game. I don't quite remember how I came to know about it, but it was quick ( maybe it had to do something with the back to origins mode? ). Anyways, I love the art, the music, the gameplay, characters, everything. The lack of story really never bothered me. I really enjoy looking at concept art of it, too!

The reason I come back to it so often is first and foremost nostalgia. I am still fairly young and I never got to experience the launch, sadly. But that doesn't stop me from missing the game. It kind of feels like home, really.

The second factor would be probably the smoothness of the gameplay. Movement's snappy and all.

I also like R3 and R2, although I never finished them. In fact, I think I'm only in the middle of both of them I literally CAN'T come back to them, because my Windows laptop is stuck on the installation screen and it can't connect to the internet, for some reason.

[hoodlumsworld]

Welcome to the forum, David! Always great to see new members around here.

Given my username, it probably won't come as a shock to anyone that Rayman 3 is the game that keeps bringing me back. What makes it so endlessly replayable for me is the combo scoring system. Once you start trying to max out your points and chain combos through the entire level, it turns into a completely different (and highly addictive) game. It really pushes you to optimize your routing. On top of that, the punchy combat, the wacky humor, the funky soundtrack, and the sheer personality of the Hoodlums themselves are just awesome. I play through it at least once a year!

I also like R3 and R2, although I never finished them. In fact, I think I'm only in the middle of both of them I literally CAN'T come back to them, because my Windows laptop is stuck on the installation screen and it can't connect to the internet, for some reason.

I hope you get your laptop issues sorted out soon! You're missing out on the best parts.

[Giant Chicken]

I've answered this a billion times at this point, but Rayman Origins. One look at my Speedrun.com account should tell you all you need to know :lol:. I've always been a sucker for 2d platformers, and the simple yet flowy movement of Origins that lets you prioritize routing over mechanical skill in terms of soeedrunning is what I like most about it!

[Rayman fan2000]

It'll always be Rayman 3 for me. The atmosphere, the satisfaction of keeping up combos, and just the sheer 2000s platformer-y vibe of it all. No other game in the franchise is as fun and memorable for me as Rayman 3 is. 3D Rayman is primarily my go-to for Rayman in general, so I do like 2 quite a lot as well. But 3 remains my favorite after all this time. I find myself replaying it very often.

[Krith99z]

I am 100% with MakaryGlobsky and Giant Chicken on this one: it is absolutely Rayman Origins for me.

While I know Legends has its fans (and RayGamer makes some solid points about its convenience), Origins is the game I constantly find myself replaying. There is just something about its atmosphere that feels so much more cohesive and true to the series' roots. Like I was saying in the Retold thread, Legends' generic medieval castles and Greek ruins always felt a bit too "fairy tale" and lost that strange, alien identity of the older games. Origins, on the other hand, perfectly captured that bizarre, wacky, and beautifully chaotic energy of the Glade of Dreams.

The movement in Origins is also just pure platforming perfection. It is so snappy and momentum-based, and finding that perfect flow in levels like the Land of the Livid Dead or the Tricky Treasure chases is incredibly satisfying. Plus, the gorgeous hand-drawn UbiArt visuals and that delightfully weird soundtrack still hold up flawlessly today.

I am honestly so hyped to play through it all over again once the Origins Enhanced Edition drops. Getting to experience it in 4K/60fps on modern hardware is the main reason I'm picking up the Retold bundle, and I already know I'm going to spend way more time replaying Origins than the actual remake!

[Giant Chicken]

I am honestly so hyped to play through it all over again once the Origins Enhanced Edition drops. Getting to experience it in 4K/60fps on modern hardware is the main reason I'm picking up the Retold bundle, and I already know I'm going to spend way more time replaying Origins than the actual remake!

Yeah no, I was probably not picking up Retold until I heard that Origins Enchanced came with. 4K Origins sounds like a dream come true!