ShareThis"Rayman: Origins"
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, 3DS
Genre: Platformer
Publisher: Ubisoft
ESRB Rating: E, for Everyone
Grade: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
If nothing else, "Rayman: Origins" is a fine homage to 16-bit side-scrolling games of yesteryear. Winks and nods abound, giving older gamers a reason to smile when they stumble upon an Easter egg that recalls a game from their youth. But the game also offers younger players an experience to admire with its visual beauty.
This is classic 2-D side-scrolling fun for a 21st-century audience. "Origins" is a game where speed is king but mastery of the game controller is paramount, too. Once you get "Rayman" up and running/jumping/swinging his way through the environments, you can quickly lose your bearings if you aren't paying attention.
The visuals help carry the gamer through each level. Possessing almost a hand-drawn quality with its own unique color and visual themes, each one calls up a game from the original Nintendo or Sega consoles, whether intended or not. I couldn't help but think of "Contra" or "Super Mario Bros." or the first "Sonic" game when seeing how these levels played out in such stunning detail.
Gamers shouldn't let the scenery lull them into a sense of comfort, however. This is not a walk in the park. The game gradually builds in difficulty, and it isn't long before players will be thankful for the bounty of checkpoints so they aren't forced to start from the beginning. It also helps to go back and snag as many trinkets and other collectibles that are strewn about, as upgrading skills is essential to survival.
The boss fights are underwhelming and the multiplayer a tad too chaotic considering what is already involved in playing it alone, but "Origins" is nevertheless a visual delight and a game fans should certainly play.
"Need for Speed: The Run"
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, 3DS
Genre: Driving
Publisher: EA Games
ESRB Rating: T, for Teen
Grade: 3 stars
The premise of "The Run" -- a cross-country car race for a huge pot of money -- reminds me of the screwball "Cannonball Run" movies, and that is a good thing.
When playing as Jack Rourke and driving muscle cars around tight turns or down long straight-aways, I kept expecting to see a young Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise pull alongside me in that goofy ambulance truck, or maybe see a young Jackie Chan zoom past me in his speedster. At the very least, these trips down movie memory lane entertained me when the game's storyline didn't.
"The Run" succeeds -- just barely -- by ignoring the story almost altogether and focusing instead on well-crafted races. The numerous venues vary as often as the cars do, which keeps the action brisk. Changing up the race type (checkpoint race one moment, then battle race the next, and so on) keeps the game from becoming repetitive.
Imperfections do crop up, however. On-foot portions are a slow and boring series of quick-time button sequences, while chase scenes featuring the mob feel out of place. The replay value is hurt by the inability to call up a particular race type; instead, gamers must replay entire sections of the game.
"The Run" doesn't include a "Cannonball"-style slapstick fistfight, but there is a thrilling racing game that stretches from snowy mountaintops to sunset-lit cities and beyond. Fans of this series won't be disappointed by this latest release, and casual racing fans should, at the least, give this a spin as a rental.
(Follow Chris Campbell at twitter.com/campbler or email him at game_on_games(at)mac.com.)
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