Game Review: Rayman Adventures is the new addicting addition to the Rayman franchise!
Rayman is a franchise that spans several adaptions throughout the years and has an ever-growing fan base in the game app community due to its beautiful designs and engaging gameplay. With 2 other successful game apps preceding, Ubisoft returned with something that wouldn’t be an overstatement to call special. It follows a different approach in terms of gameplay and it does so in a most enjoyable way. It’s not often that mobile gamers come across gems like this. The downside is the aggressive IAPs but we will discuss that later on.
Plot
The plot takes us on a journey to the strange and magical world of the Rayman universe and our task is to save the Incrediballs that are vital to sustaining the sacred tree of the enchanted forest, and have been stolen and scattered in different worlds (medieval dungeons, and even mythical settings like Olympus and more). Our heroes are Rayman and his Viking companion Barbara who both go on a journey to bring back all the stolen Incredibles’ eggs and restore balance to the world. More characters will be added in future updates. Are you ready to help them out?
Gameplay
Unlike the previous two mobile games of Rayman, Rayman Adventures is a freemium and as most freemiums it comes with the usual dose of IAPs. You are first asked whether you want to play as Rayman or Barbara and then the game begins with a very well-made tutorial that leads your actions step by step without getting confusing or messing with your actions. Although it is a runner at its core, it is divided in levels and worlds (maps) with each one looking vastly different than the others. Another interesting feature is that unlike other runners where the character runs automatically and can’t turn back, in RA you can move backwards and even use secret pathways.
The controls are simple but can get a bit tricky at first as one action can be used for more than one reason. You swipe forward to begin running and also to attack, you swipe back to change direction, you tap to jump (you can also perform this when you’re on a wall to do wall jump), and swipe down to crush attack, which means to destroy what is beneath you and move underground. As you can see, it’s fairly easy to master after a few tries.
As mentioned above, the levels are all distinct in terms of environments but there is more to it than that. There are 3 different level categories each serving a different purpose. There are levels where you must defeat as many enemies as possible, levels where you must collects as many Lums (collectibles) as you can, and lastly levels where you go on treasure hunting. Needless to say, it’s very hard to get bored while playing it.
But how do Incrediballs join the fun? Simple, as you progress and clear every set of stages, you are rewarded eggs that hatch and reveal an Incrediball for you to keep as companions and use their abilities in your favor. Some of them are really cute but others have a really funny design. But don’t let their appearance fool you; each kind has a different ability e.g. Seekers are able to find secrets (up to 3 in each level), Protectors that can save you when you’re in danger but only for a short period of time, Inhalers help you collect all the Lums that are around you, and many more are waiting to be unlocked, or better, to be hatched. When you receive an egg it is placed on the Incubator where the hatching process begins by tapping on the egg repeatedly. As you progress eggs will take longer to hatch but you can speed up the process by using speed time elixir. Other elixirs help you get a new incrediball and more. These creatures are basically power ups but presented in a way that make them more interesting and give the player the desire to collect them all. Using the right ones on the right level is totally up to you though, so think clever and take into account what kind of stage you’re playing in. Another interesting feature is the Tickets. When you’re rewarded one, you have to scratch it (by swiping) to reveal your gifts that range from elixirs to gems and more.If you get a golden ticket, your gifts are even greater.
Despite the levels being short, they have hidden passages and collectibles that you can’t get on your first try. However, you can’t go back to a previous level once you complete the set of levels available in a map and move to the next. This is very unfortunate because many players, including myself, enjoy going back to replay levels in order to get a perfect score. On the bright side, you can play as much as you want with no timers slowing you down, minus the incubator timer that will slow you down from time to time as you wait for the egg to hatch, because you need it in order to not stay behind in terms of progress.
In-app Purchases
On the store you can find Elixirs, Tickets, Costumes and more, that you can purchases by spending gems. Of course, to get a large amount of gems you can’t count on the game rewards only but you’ll have to spend real cash with prices that range from $2.99 for 300 gems to $ 89.99 for 11300 gems. Intimidating, I know.
Graphics & Sounds
The designs look fantastic and the 3D graphics are superb with smooth colors and attention to detail. Not only are the characters (good and bad) very well made but the levels themselves are a treat for the eye and many times I got distracted by the beauty of the surroundings. The BG music is cheerful and similar to the distinct music of Rayman.
Conclusion
For those who are new to the Rayman games, RA is a perfect way to begin exploring this amazing franchise. But even for the long-time fans it will offer an enjoyable time due to its emerging setting and addictive gameplay. While it is rather unfortunate that you can’t replay levels of previous maps and the Incubator could strand you for hours unless you use an elixir (IAPs are 9 out of 10 times sneaky like that), it is worth checking out.
