• 8Sep 08

  Rayman 3

  Somehow, I find myself in a Rayman mood. Yes sir, I'm turning 18 in October and I DO play Rayman. Got a problem with that ? Didn't think so.

  I've been playing Rayman 2 and 3 for a week now. And when I'm stuck in one, I switch to the other. And so on and so on.

  The best game of the two is by far Rayman 2. It's the oldest (of course) so graphically, it sucks. Don't get me wrong, back in 1999 it might have looked great, but nowadays it looks like poo. Then what's with this game that keeps me glued to my screen ? The epicness, sir. The EPICNESS. There are scenes in this game that'll stay in your memory longer than the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in Lord of the Rings. The soundtrack is mostly electronic, but it knows EXACTLY when to switch to a symphonic climax. Just to fit perfectly with a helicopter-assisted descent in a gigantic gorge or a close escape on a flying mini-rocket on legs. All this when still feeling the ever-present evil that is His Horribleness Admiral Razorbeard. Ta-daaaah. Then what about Rayman 3 ? Can it be as memorable ?

  Not in the same way, anyway. Rayman 3's graphics are way better than Rayman 2's, but the story isn't. Rayman 2 is about our helicopter-haired friend saving his world from enslavement by the Robo-Pirates under Razorbeard's command. Rayman 3 is about an evil Red Lum who turns into a black one, together with all his buddies. The black Lums take over the minds of every human-like creature to make them destroy Rayman, Globox and Murfy. However, quite early in the game, Globox accidentally swallows André (the big boss of the black Lums, and the most stupidest name in bad guy history) and the game turns into a Quest for the Doctor, to get the evil hairball out of Globox's stomach.

  The good things about Rayman 2: Soundtrack (a little less electro would have been great, but no worries there). Story. Epic feeling. Environmental ambience.

  The bad things: Graphics feel seriously dated (but don't forget it's almost 10 years old). Frustration in IMPOSSIBLE levels. Every camera has its day.

  The good things about Rayman 3: Environmental ambience. Tim-Burton-meets-Ubisoft-and-gets-some-of-their-marihuana visual style. Curious about what's coming next. Gameplay has barely changed. Which is good. Better graphics.

  The bad things: Every camera STILL has its day, and this one is in a bad mood. Sometimes graphical glitches. Finally, voice acting in Rayman ! But it's not funny ! NOT funny ! NO symphonic soundtrack anymore. More varied visual style in levels, but sometimes too varied. Epic story feeling shows up every now and then, but not as often as in R2.

  So, what's next ? After I beat Rayman 2 and 3, here's a message to Ubisoft. Go back to Michel Ancel BEGGING him to make another Rayman game, have him EVAPORATE every last piece of Rabbid and start making Rayman 4: a fantastic masterpiece with the epic feeling of Rayman 2, a siege on a medieval castle, bring back the pirates, quit the lousy voice acting, revive the Teensies, compose a brilliant soundtrack AND write us a memorable story. Thanks, pal.

  • Posted Sep 8, 2008 5:45 am GMT
  • Category: Games
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• 29Jun 08

  Guild Wars 2

  I've been a Guild Wars fan ever since Prophecies came out April 2005. I bought it a few months later, after reading some reviews etc., and while it isn't the MMO experience everyone was hoping for, it was an enourmous masterpiece that by now has come very close to the success of WoW.

  There's one big difference between the two, except for the story and the fact that Guild Wars focuses on a more modern fantasy style.

  There is no persistent world.

  The instanced world of GW makes the regions feel "separated" from the rest of the world. While this has its advantages, it was IMO the only mistake the developers made. But no longer.

  Guild Wars 2 will be the game all MMO gamers have been waiting for. It's a Guild-Wars-meets-WoW-game. A persistent world, with an instanced storyline running through it, so new players won't see an already changed world as another player plays through the story. It's perfect.

  The closed beta is said to be released somewhere this year, while the game itself will be released in the 2009-2010 range.

  • Posted Jun 29, 2008 8:06 am GMT
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