With how both Rayman 2 and Tonic Trouble were developed by UbiSoft and released so close to each other, it’s amazing how different they are in terms of quality. It seems like the Tonic Trouble team spoke about everything they had trouble with during development, and the Rayman team were able to fix all of that, not sharing anything they did with the Tonic Trouble team.

Rayman 2 resolves all the issues from Tonic Trouble regarding dull characters, messy incoherent graphics, random level design, bad controls, and poor camera for a thoroughly enjoyable platformer.

Rayman 2 is much more linear than some of the other 3D platformers on the N64, but I think that it works in its favour, it helps give Rayman 2 a more distinct feel, with tightly made levels and some incredibly fun platforming along the way. Of course, there are still collectables in the form of lums and cages, so there’s still a lot of side passages to find – some can even take you down an entire new route that’s as long as a lot of levels.

Rayman’s main attack surprised me at first, as he shoots out a ball of energy from his fist, instead of sending his fist flying. However, the more I played the game, the more it seemed right with the pacing of the game and combat. Rayman automatically locks on to enemies, and you can hold R to strafe. Jumping is extremely precise, and the game makes it clear where you’re going to land. The camera also works really well, getting into good places when needed, and allowing you to adjust it for most of the game.

Rayman 2 also has a lot of action sequences to mix things up, such as water-skiing, riding on strange rocket animals, a mission where you get infinite flying, and some chase sequences. These are all enjoyable and keep the game exciting, with new things to discover throughout. The levels are also nicely varied, with some more puzzle-orientated, some about fast puzzling, some focused more on combat, so the game keeps itself fresh.

Rayman 2 is still an extremely enjoyable game, with a lot to find and discover. Returning to levels for the final few lums is a bit annoying as you can’t quit the level once you find them all (you need to reach the end of the level), but it’s an overall great experience.

Fave

Rayman 2 isn’t all that bad, then. But for every involving moment, there’s another screamingly difficult or hopelessly linear section hiding just around the corner. As one of the few platformers to get its controls and camera near Mario standards, it’s worth a look, but it’s a stark reminder that only a few people in the world are able to make platform games which are truly special. And they don’t come from France.

Mark Green, N64 Magazine #35. Review Score: 73%

Remake or remaster?

Rayman 2 has a lot of different versions. The Dreamcast version is considered to be the best of the original versions, and adds a hub world, while the game also got a remake on PS2 with debate over if it’s better – some people say the much larger hub world was too large. That said, it’s strange that there’s no modern remastered release. It definitely needs one.

Official ways to get the game.

The PC version of Rayman 2 is available on GoG and the UbiSoft Store.

Re-releases

2000: Rayman 2: The Great Escape (Dreamcast / PlayStation)

2000: Rayman Revolution (PS2)

2005: Rayman DS (DS)

2011: Rayman 3D (3DS)