"So tough you might just chew your hands off with frustration..."

OH NO! The conveniently titled “Mr. Dark” has defeated Batilla the fairy and stolen the “great protoon!” Somehow this has resulted in lots of baddies being scattered all over the world, and the “electoons” (whatever they are!) have been locked in little cages hidden in the 6 worlds…

You know what's coming next…this is a job for RAYMAN!

Okay, the storyline does seem like something dreamt up whilst tripping on hallucinogenic drugs, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, so lets review the game:

GAMEPLAY:
Rayman is essentially a 2D side scrolling platformer, but the size and complexity of the levels is far beyond that of the typical 16-bit console game, often with numerous routes to be taken, whilst searching for the caged “electoons” adds an extra dimension to it. The fact Rayman later in the game will receive powers allowing him to reach parts of levels that were previously inaccessible means that once you're on the world map you'll be going back to past levels to free more electoons and pick up things you may have missed. This means Rayman is far more than the simple left to right plat former.

GRAPHICS:
This is probably one of the games strongest points, the graphics are practically flawless and show just why the Saturn is credited as the ultimate 2D console. They're bright, colourful, and detailed, just what you want from a videogame really.

SOUND:
Has anybody ever really bought a game on the basis of a good soundtrack/ sound effects? I doubt it, but Rayman does the job adequately enough here. As you expect from this type of game, the soundtrack can be annoyingly catchy.

STORY:
The Story is somewhat amusing and seems to almost be a parody of itself. Obviously the storyline doesn't drive the game but it makes it a bit more interesting (although it fails to offer any reason for why at one stage you have to fight a giant saxophone!) its almost as though the designers made the game with all its weird levels and characters, and then just decided to stick the storyline on the top afterwards.

REPLAYABILITY:
Okay, this is where the game adds more depth than many 2D side-scrollers. After each world Rayman meets “Batilla” the fairy, and she gives him and extra power each time, such as the ability to run, fly, or grab ledges. This often means you can go back to past levels and reach new places, and if you want to 100% complete the game you have to go back on each level to free electoons you might not have freed the first time round. However, as far as replaying the game once you've 100% completed it, I would say that's unlikely!

DIFFICULTY:
This is the games major let down (and the cause of this reviews tag line!) the game starts off easy enough but quickly becomes very difficult. Not only are parts of some levels outrageously tricky, but the levels themselves becaome very long. Once you factor in the time it takes to free all the electoons and fighting a boss you could spend upwards of 40 mins on a level. This becomes makes it even more frustrating when you reach one of those aforementioned difficult points, particularly if you die and have to play the whole thing again!

THE VERDICT:
Rayman is a surprisingly deep game with many hours of gameplay and replay ability, and great graphics. However, what lets it down is the length and difficulty of some levels, which make the game highly frustrating at times and not fun to play, or at least not as fun as it should be. This is the main reason I gave it a 7 out of 10 rather than 8 or 9. Nevertheless, if you like plat formers, this should definately be added to your Saturn collection.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/08

Game Release: Rayman (EU, 10/30/95)