Rayman 2: The Great Escape is a platformer developed by Ubisoft.
It originally debuted in 1999, with this Dreamcast port following a few months later in the spring
of 2000.
Since then, the game has been released and ported to just about every console and platform
under the sun, but for this video I'll be focusing exclusively on the Dreamcast release.
And what a release it was, garnering near universal critical acclaim.
IGN scored the game a 9.6 out of 10 stating, "Rayman 2: The Great Escape is, without
question, the most impressive feat of game design and execution the platforming genre
has ever seen."
Gamespot gave the game a 9.4 out of 10 noting, "Rayman 2 is one of the best platforming
experiences available today.
By including a wonderfully humorous story, excellent game mechanics, and perfection in
almost all other categories, Ubi Soft has created a game that appeals to all types of
gamers."
Finally, PlanetDreamcast scored the game an 8.5 out of 10 proclaiming, "[Rayman 2] is
a beautiful, well-designed adventure that easily takes its place as one of the best
3D platformers available today."
So, is Rayman 2: The Great Escape still this good?
Let's dive in.
Rayman 2 opens with a cut-scene showing two metal mouthed pirates dragging a character
named Globox past a number of cages with little creatures yelling out for help.
Globox is then tossed into a cell with none other than Rayman, who announces he has lost
all of his power.
Thankfully, Globox regurgitates a silver lum which allows Rayman to attack through a gate
and escape, with his first order of business being to rescue a character named Ly.
The first gameplay type is then introduced, which is sliding.
At the end of the slide, the player sees Rayman is high in the sky aboard some sort of flying
ship, matching the pirate motiff.
Globox then crashes into him and they both fall to the ground.
When Rayman wakes up, he discovers he didn't land in the same area as Globox, and the adventure
kicks off properly.
The story segments are sprinkled throughout the game like this.
Rather than lay it all out at the beginning, the goals and missions change as the adventure
unfolds.
So after landing in The Wood of Light, the player can get up to speed with the controls
and general flow of the game.
Despite being a platformer originating on the Nintendo 64 in 1999, Rayman 2 is not a
collect-a-thon game, but rather a linear platformer much like the original title.
Therefore, jumping, combat, and light puzzle solving are the three main elements to the
game.
In the opening stage, jumping is taught to the player in a thoughtful way.
The player needs to jump back and forth on platforms over water.
Failing the jump will result in Rayman landing in the water and needing to backtrack, rather
than die, which is a nice.
In the next area, Rayman needs to use a ninja like jump to traverse vertically.
At the top Teensies are introduced.
These guys act as both comic relief, and guardians of sorts, allowing Rayman forward progression
at the cost of collecting Yellow Lums.
They reveal Ly is being held captive, and open a portal for Rayman to enter and begin
his epic journey.
With the basics out of the way, a map screen is presented where the player can access each
of the game's 18 levels.
In Level 2, the Fairy Glades, the player will learn the rest of Rayman's moveset.
Rayman can swim, shoot at switches to open doors, climb vines, attack enemies, slow his
descent with his helicopter hair, hit wooden blockades to bust open doors, and throw powder
kegs at metal blockades.
The player will also learns about all of the different lums in the game.
The silver lums increase Rayman's attack power.
The yellow lums are collectibles and are needed to progress through the game as the Teensies
have lum requirements to access new parts of the island.
The purple lums are skyhooks Rayman can swing off of, the green lums are checkpoints, and
the blue lums refill the air meter when under water.
Rayman 2 for the Dreamcast also introduces Glob Crystals which unlock mini games not
found on the previous versions of the game.
Needless to say, this second level goes on for what feels like forever, or around 30
minutes for first time playthroughs.
In fact it's this massive play time that dissuade me from playing this game for all
these years.
I assumed every level would be 30 minutes which is something I'm not really into.
Thankfully, most levels are far more reasonable in length.
Anyway, during level 2 the player will discover Ly is trapped by a machine.
Here the player learns to toss the powder kegs up in the air, quickly fire a normal
attack, and then catch the keg, so Rayman can continue forward.
After repeating this process three times, breaking three metal blockades, Ly is freed.
From here more of the plot is revealed.
The pirates have broken the primordial energy core into 1000 pieces, represented by those
yellow lums.
With the energy scattered about the world, Ly doesn't have the power to defeat the
invading pirates.
However she reveals a spirit named Polokus is powerful enough to defeat the pirates.
In order to awaken him, Rayman must find the 4 masks.
So with all of that out of the way, the player has a new goal, collect the 4 masks, defeat
the pirates, and free the massive amount of critters the pirates have enslaved.
One thing Rayman does really well is slowly presenting new challenges for the player to
contend with every couple of levels.
In the Marshes of Awakening for example, the player grabs on to Sssam's scarf through
a water skiing segment.
In the Bayou, the player needs timing and precision to make it past rolling barrels.
From here, the player enters one of three gates guarded by the teensies.
If the player has enough lums, they will allow Rayman to enter the next quarter of the map.
If the player hasn't been collecting yellow lums, they'll need to replay previous levels
and find some more.
The requirement isn't ridiculous either, and on this recorded run I did not have any
issues.
The teensies let the player move onto the Sanctuary of Water and Ice.
Here a new puzzle element is presented.
There are a couple of colored bases in front of these temple doors.
The player needs to find the corresponding magic spheres, carry them to the base, and
then toss them on, much like inserting a key into a lock.
This unlocks the first boss battle against Axel.
All the player needs to do is attack the icicle above the boss, which will fall and take care
of it.
After this, Rayman makes his way to a pedestal, which contains the first mask.
Rayman is then transported to a mysterious location and the spirit Polokus is formally
introduced.
After giving Polokus the first mask, Rayman is transported back to the island.
Next, the Walking Shell is introduced.
Basically, it's a missile of sorts with legs, and it whinnies.
From what I gather the player needs to wear it down, or tucker it out, so it can be mounted
like a horse.
I accomplished this by running around in circles.
If there is a better way to do it, I'm not aware.
Anyway, the walking shell allows the player to get over new obstacles, like these thorny
vines.
And because it is a weapon, it can also be used to smash through those metal blackades
on certain doors.
Clever.
Level 6 introduces another character to the Rayman universe, Clark.
He announces he is sick and needs some life potion which can be found back in the Cave
of Bad Dreams.
This is actually an alternate path in the Marshes of Awakening, where a mysterious character
warps Rayman to a nightmarish place.
After defeating the creature Rayman earns the Elixir of Life and can return to the Menhir
Hills to aid Clark.
To the best of my knowledge, this is the only time the player is forced to repeat a large
portion of a level.
It feels a touch out of place but I applaud the developers for not reusing the trope to
increase the length of the game.
The Canopy is next and Rayman finally catches up with his friend Globox from the beginning
of the adventure.
After freeing him his cell, Globox is used to get through the rest of the stage.
I think Rayman 2 is paying homage to native American culture because Globox looks like
he is doing a raindance to clear obstacles, and the mysterious Polokus has a certain unmistakable
cadance.
In any case, after clearing the Canopy and chasing a whale, Rayman arrives at the The
Sanctuary of Stone and Fire.
Here, an old friend returns, the plum.
Rayman can ride the plum and then fire his shots to act as propulsion.
It works well enough but plays as clunky as it looks, and sticks out against the smooth
platforming found in the rest of the game.
At the end of the sanctuary is the second of the four masks Rayman needs to collect.
Level 10, The Echoing Caves continues the trend of new things for the player to do,
like a non-linear segment where the player needs to search the level for switches, with
four needing to be found to open a door.
Later, the player will light the powder kegs which can then be flown around for a limited
amount of time.
Flying seemed to be a go-to mechanic in 6th generation platformers and it works pretty
well in Rayman 2.
The keg dives and dips predictably and navigating around obstacles is never a problem.
Level 12, Top of the World also introduces a new gameplay style for the player, a minecart
of sorts.
This works a bit like an interactive roller-coaster and the player can rotate 360 degrees around
the track to avoid incoming obstacles.
While not brilliant by any stretch I do appreciate how even deep into the game's playtime the
developers were mindful with introducing new things for the player to do to keep things
from feeling stale.
Speaking of new things for the player to do to keep things from feeling stale, Ly arrives
in Beneath the Sanctuary of Rock and Lava and gives Rayman the power of flight.
However like the original Rayman, this is limited to just this level, and not an upgrade
for the rest of the game.
In this case, a big boss named Foutch knocks the flight power clean out of Rayman.
What proceeds is my favorite boss fight in the game.
The player is tasked with running towards the camera, avoiding the lava below, bouncing
off platforms, and knocking down a stalactic into ol' Foutch.
Like the rest of the bosses in the game, it isn't the most difficult thing in the world,
but the precision platforming and attack dodging makes for an engaging battle.
And with that, Rayman arrives at the third mask and the quest is nearing the home stretch.
One constant throughout the journey are little cutscenes with the main villain Razorbeard
as he learns Rayman is collecting the masks.
With each mask he becomes a little more agitated and ups his game to try and stop the limbless
protagonist.
This includes hijacking Clark and turning him against Rayman in a clever boss fight.
The player needs to press three buttons to engage a laser, and then lure Clark across
it so he falls.
Once he goes down, Rayman can then attack.
Thankfully, upon victory, Clark is freed from this mechanical trickery and the two remain
friends.
Rayman also runs into Uglette, Globox's wife.
She informs Rayman her children have been captured and forced to work in the mines.
Thankfully, an enemy ship is nearby and the player is tasked with commandeering the ship
to four different ports to rescue them.
This also leads to the discovery of the fourth and final mask, which one of the children
seemed to have swallowed for some reason.
With the four masks Polokus is able to maximise Rayman's power so the player is equipped
to take on Razorbeard.
Razorbeard is also prepping for a battle and purchases a giant mech to destroy Rayman.
From here, Rayman's journey to Razorbeard tests the players skill with a sliding section
and a flying section, before the two characters meet up for the finale.
After freeing all of the critters and rescuing Globox, sort of, Rayman begins the first part
of the final boss.
In this first section Rayman just needs to throw energy at the incoming bombs so they
hit Razorbeard and his mech.
Before the mech is destroyed however, the platforms the characters are on collapse,
and Rayman needs to be rescued before going splat.
Thankfully, Ly seems to have regained her strength and slows Rayman's decent as well
as providing a flying shell.
Next, the player needs to grab some energy which allows four attacks.
Ideally the first two will be used on the mech's arms causing it to fall, with the
next two actually doing damage.
Repeat this process a few times and the mech will be destroyed.
Razorbeard then escapes and detonates the mech, which destroys the pirate ship and kicks
off the final cutscene.
Ly, Clark, the teensies, Globox, Polokus, Uglette, and the walking shell are moping
around thinking Rayman blew up as well, but of course Rayman is just fine.
And with that, the world is saved and the credits roll.
As noted earlier, Rayman 2: The Great Escape was met with critical acclaim, and was even
compared favorably against 5th generation icons like Mario, Crash, and Spyro.
Even better, Rayman 2 was released prior to the North American PlayStation 2 launch, when
the Dreamcast generally had the superior ports over the Nintendo 64 and the PlayStation.
For example, Rayman 2: The Great Escape runs at 480p on the Dreamcast, and even supports
true anamorphic widescreen which is terrific for a game released 18 years ago.
And Ubisoft went the extra mile here, making sure the game runs at a silky smooth 60 frames
per second.
Now Rayman himself, and the other characters aren't always animated at 60 frames per
second, but generally speaking this is an exceptionally smooth experience.
And not only is it technically sound, I also really dig the art direction.
There is an almost story-book like quality the art, never feeling realistic and instead
somewhat whimsical.
This starts with the textures.
While not exactly sharp, and perhaps limited by the source material or the ram of the Dreamcast
console, they have a painting like quality to them, not unlike the very first Rayman
game.
Therefore the Glade of Dreams setting is fitting, with a dreamlike quality throughout.
The architecture is also terrific.
There are invading Pirate Ships all over the Glade of Dreams and they all have exaggerated
features and geometry.
Rather than straight walls and paths, everything is pieced together with odd angles aiding
in the fantasy feel.
About the only thing I don't like about the graphics are these thorny vine textures.
They look extremely flat, are not well animated, and really stand out against the rest of the
textures.
I hope this was addressed in future versions of the game.
Anyway, I did enjoy the darker tone of the world.
While colorful, I wouldn't call Rayman a bright game by any stretch.
It's usually dusk or dark out, and many of the areas like the swamp, pirate ships,
and various caves have an Alice in Wonderland like feel to them.
And as an adult, I appreciate the darker tone and themes presented in Rayman 2.
Speaking of dark themes, Rayman 2 is kind of a dark game.
The premise of the plot is quite grim, with Razorbeard invading the Glade of Dreams to
enslave the entire planet.
Children are used for mining, Razorbeard eats a lum so it can never be recovered, Murphy
has a creepy whisper voice, Clark is subjected to mind-control, the world presented is pretty
desperate and gives a nice sense of purpose for the player.
While none of the characters are really developed in a meaningful way, the world's inhabitants
are all likable enough and the player will want to save them.
In addition to the smooth graphics and grim atmosphere, Rayman 2: The Great Escape is
rocking a great soundtrack.
What I appreciate the most is how each seems to capture the mood of the level.
The water-ski section of the Marshes of Awakening has a great upbeat funky sound capturing the
energy of the task.
The Sanctuary of Water and Ice is the opposite, which is smooth and mellow.
The Precipice has an orchestrated tune sounding like it was ripped straight out of a Disney
flick adding tension to the chaos happening on screen.
The Top of the World has a bassy techno track which was prevalent in film at the time.
The Tomb of the Ancients has a spooky sound matching the eerie surroundings.
Honestly, no matter which level I revisit there is a wonderfully atmospheric piece feeling
tailor made for the level and really helps put the presentation over the top.
The rest of the audio is nice as well.
There is no voice-acting in this Dreamcast version, just some gibberish like what one
would find in an N64 platformer, but the various tones do a nice enough job giving each of
the world's characters a distinct personality.
Sound effects are also nice, like the cages yelling out for help or bats screeching towards
the player.
So, with all of that out of the way, we arrive back to the question asked at the beginning
of the video.
Is Rayman 2: The Great Escape still worthy of all that critical acclaim?
Of course nice graphics, great sound, and a ton of variety themselves don't make a
game great.
So, as Rayman 2: The Great Escape is a platformer, let's dive into what's most important,
the controls and the levels.
As expected, Rayman 2 is not perfect.
There are moments in the adventure where the gameplay is decidedly average.
Take level three for example, when the player needs to water ski around obstacles.
There is nothing inherently wrong with this gameplay style, but the execution is weak.
For starters, Rayman controls twitchely, darting from side to side making precision movement
nearly impossible.
Second, the camera angle is way too low so it's difficult to see where Rayman is in relation
to said obstacles.
The twitchy controls don't match the precision required to navigate the hazards, and the
camera angle doesn't provide the visual information needed for the player to see the hazards.
The result is a lot of trial and error until the obstacle course is learned, rather than
skill-based gameplay.
Another oddity are these air currents in Level 2.
My guess is the developers wanted the player to learn how to engage, and disengage, the
helicopter hair by rewarding the player with the yellow lums for messing about.
However, this represents 3 minutes of just sort of staring at the screen without much
really happening.
The concept is never reused either, so it's a strange inclusion.
As is the wall shimmy, which is only used twice as best as I can remember.
The tutorial level already drags on as-is so teaching little used skills seems like
a waste of time.
Or perhaps some content was cut out of the game which would have made these more useful.
But nitpicks aside, the main downfall with Rayman is the combat.
Basically, holding the left trigger will enter a sort of combat mode.
Rayman will automatically face the nearest enemy and can then strafe left and right to
dodge incoming attacks while also rifling off his own.
The problem isn't in the execution, which is great, the problem is the combat never
evolves past this.
Later on Rayman receives an upgrade so he can charge up a more powerful attack, but
as enemies get stunned with even a non-charged attack, it isn't as useful as it sounds.
And throughout the entire game, this is the strategy.
It feels shallow and enemy encounters are never a highlight to the level, but rather
something to dread.
Thankfully, combat is not the focus of Rayman 2, so while it is lackluster, it represents
just a small portion of the game.
And that's a good thing, because the rest of Rayman 2, is pretty awesome.
First, Rayman controls great.
He isn't terribly fast and moving him around the levels is intuitive and responsive.
However I feel it's the jumping controls that really set this game above the rest when
it was released.
Jumping from platform to platform feels terrific.
The forward momentum, ascent, and descent feels excellent allowing the player to maneuver
tight platforms with ease and confidence.
Not only is it programmed well, but it's also animated well.
Rayman does a mid-air flip when he reached the height of his jump, and does a little
tumble when touching the ground while moving forward, both giving visual clues to the player
as to exactly where Rayman is in the arc of the jump.
When combined with the little circular shadow, it creates a game which feels very smooth
and accurate like one might find in a game released much much later.
The other great thing is the moveset.
Rayman is basically a two-button game.
The player can jump and shoot, and besides holding the left trigger to strafe, that's
it.
The helicopter is activated and deactivated with the jump button.
Throwing objects is handled with the attack.
Climbing is automatic.
The simple control layout makes the game extremely accessible and I never found myself pressing
the wrong button, like I have in more complicated games.
One thing worth noting about the controls is how the camera is handled.
As the Dreamcast controller doesn't have shoulder buttons or a second analog stick,
rotating the camera is handled with two of the face buttons.
At first I thought this would be awkward but it ends up working really well.
Speaking of camera, it isn't always the best.
During many of the tighter corridors it seems to lag a bit never quite giving the player
a view of what's ahead.
And since the game is old, the camera cannot penetrate walls.
I wish the programmers had either developed a more a dynamic camera in these parts, or
just not made so many narrow paths.
But again, it's a minor nitpick in the grand scheme of things.
It never caused me to die for example, or fall into a trap.
And at times, it is scripted really well, giving visual queues to the player.
However where Rayman 2: The Great Escape really excels is with the level design and level
progression.
The game does an amazing job teaching the player basic concepts, and then expanding
upon them as the adventure unfolds.
Take the opening sequence for example, where Rayman slides down a shoot and escapes the
pirate ship.
This sliding concept is reused throughout the game, but is made more and more challenging.
In the cave of bad dreams, the player will need to break crystals to keep moving forward.
In the Sanctuary of Stone and Fire, the player will need to actively slowdown to navigate
tight turns.
And in the Prison Ship, the player will need to activate switches to open up a path forward
quickly, or parish.
The sliding itself isn't particularly great, but the way it's made more challenging with
each iteration is pretty rad.
Another great example is in Level 2.
The player needs to throw barrels at the machine holding Ly captive.
However bombs come hurling at Rayman, so the player needs to throw the barrel up, attack,
and then catch the barrel, a simple enough pattern most gamers should be able to learn.
This same technique is then required in The Sanctuary of Stone and Fire.
As noted, the player can maneuver on the plums by attacking.
However Rayman cannot attack when holding things.
Therefore, again, the player needs to toss the object up, attack, and then catch the
object, to move along.
Bridges collapse in The Bayou, letting the player know these rickety old docks won't
always hold, especially when pirate ships are shooting cannon fire at them.
This concept is then turned into an entire level in The Precipice.
Even a simple concept like attacking the blockades to break them is first introduced in a very
obvious way.
There is literally nowhere else for the player to go.
But later on when it again appears there is no path forward, the player will notice a
familiar looking target, which knocks down a tree allowing forward progress.
I also dig how the game teaches the player Rayman's attack can ricochet off hard surfaces.
But backing up a bit, I should note how the end of each level works.
Scattered throughout the world are cages, 80 in all.
Destroying enough of these will slowly expand Rayman's health bar, however the last one
in each stage is required to unlock the exit.
Destroying the final cage will free a teensie who opens up the exit portal.
In The Sanctuary of Rock and Lava, the scripted camera shows a cage high in the air, and the
end plate is at a 45 degree angle.
Put two and two together, and the player should learn to ricochet their shot off the plate
to hit the cage in the air.
But even better is the realization this technique can be used for attacking enemies.
While most of the enemies in the game are defeated by strafing and firing attacks, sometimes
enemies are placed in a way in which the player can stand safely back and attack out of harm's
way, if they pay attention to their surroundings.
From here, the player should be able to solve the puzzle at the end of Beneath The Sanctuary
of Rock and Lava which works in a similar fashion.
The early water segments have plenty of blue lums to replenish oxygen, but later on Rayman
needs to race to air bubbles before piranhas get to them first.
The temple puzzles become more complex, with Rayman first needing to simply walk the spheres
to the appropriate temple, and later needing to use throwing mechanics to move speres from
platform to platform.
It's all really well done and it's obvious a lot of attention and care went into each
and every level.
Finally, using all of the skills the game teaches is then useful on repeat playthroughs.
On my recorded run for example, I noticed plenty of alternate routes leading to yellow
lums and cages that I was completely oblivious to on my first playthrough, helping to keep
my enjoyment and engagement high.
Little things, like bouncing off this mushroom in the fairy glade, are utilized later on
to bounce up a tree to reach a hidden cage.
The walking shell is utilized to reach a secret area in Whale Bay.
And at some point in the future, I'll likely attempt a completionist run because there
is still plenty of secrets hiding in the game I have yet to discover.
And it's in this regard where the brilliance of Rayman 2: The Great Escape really starts
to shine through.
It's a ridiculously playable game.
Not only are the controls excellent and the levels fun, but the game is lacking in anything
frustrating.
I was actually somewhat hesitant to even bother with this game after Rayman 1.
The first game is filled with trial and error, poor enemy placement, and a punishing difficulty.
The only way to even play the game is with the extra live cheat code, and even then,
the player needs to locate all 102 electoon cages, often in extremely cryptic locations,
just to unlock the final level.
It's a real pain in the ass and the game is a real grind to sit down and play.
However, it seems the developers learned their lessons and Rayman 2 contains virtually none
of the nonsense from the first game.
Checkpoints are plentiful allowing the player to retry tricky sections almost immediately,
and because most of the levels are of a reasonable length, the punishment for a game over is
never severe.
Now, some will say this makes Rayman 2: The Great Escape too easy.
However I'm not sure difficulty really affects the quality of a title.
Personal preferences aside, games can feature great design and be fairly pain free, and
games can be well designed but be brutally difficult.
Rayman definitely falls into the former category.
Any challenges the game does have are easily overcome because the proper techniques have
been taught to the player, and then refined with each passing level.
The levels are thoughtfully designed with Rayman's limitations in mind, meaning no
pixel perfect precision is required during jumping or attacking segments.
The player will want to replay through levels because they are fun, or they'll want to
find more secrets, not because they keep dying over and over again thanks to cheap gimmicks
or padding.
So yeah, Rayman 2: The Great Escape is definitely still worth the praise it received.
While it may have been knocked down off it's throne over the ensuing years thanks to 3D
platformers entering the golden age during the 6th generation of gaming, it still holds
up remarkably well in 2018.
Load times are reasonable, the storybook art style and warm color palette are appealing,
the smooth frame-rate and wide-screen support are welcome additions, and the soundtrack
is excellent.
While I wish the story was a bit more fleshed out as it still isn't clear to me if the
Glade of Dreams is a level, or the name of the whole planet, or how Globox and Rayman
became separated after falling from the same point in the sky, or why Razorbeard is allowed
to seemingly escape.
Perhaps some of these issues are addressed in other medium, I can't be certain, but
I will tell you the story isn't what kept me glued to the screen, that's for sure.
At the end of the day, Rayman 2: The Great Escape gets it right where it counts the most,
the gameplay.
I seriously cannot understate how smooth, responsive, and intuitive the controls here
are.
This makes the simple act of navigating the levels a joy and maneuvering Rayman through
the whimsical land of mystique and pirates rarely feels clumsy or frustrating.
As demonstrated in the first half of the video, the levels are varied, with just enough gimmicks
from level to level keep things from getting repetitive or boring.
While the standard platforming environments like jungle, ocean, fire, and ice are present
and accounted for, the strange creatures Rayman befriends and the overall pirate aesthetic
keeps the game feeling fresh and different, rather than redundant.
The difficulty curve is excellent, with the beginning of the game being easy, and the
final couple of levels really testing the player's command of the controls and their
reflexes.
The level design is superb, introducing new elements in logical way, before testing the
player later on.
It's something the first game really failed at, and it becomes even more obvious when
playing the sequel.
While I can't say for certain which version of Rayman 2 is the best, I can say with confidence
this is easily one of the best games available on the Sega Dreamcast, a terrific platformer
in its own right, and a game I can recommend to gamers at large.
While it may not be the king of platformers anymore, Rayman 2: The Great Escape is still
an excellent adventure filled to the brim with charm and still represents a high point,
in 3D platforming.
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