Not unlike Gex before it, Rayman is the lucky recipient of a massive hype machine by the gaming press and curious Atari owners. But, how good can a simple platformer be? Ubi Soft sought to create a side-scroller for the next-generation, and their final product shows this commitment to high-quality entertainment. The graphics are certainly mesmerizing, easily among the best and most universally appealing from any video game. Spritework is detailed, vibrant, and well-shaded, giving off a cartoon-like atmosphere far exceeding anything on Fox Kids. Our team thoroughly enjoyed the score and sound fx as well, which benefit immeasurably from the CD-tech in a way the Jaguar edition simply had no chance. Albeit, the music can get repetitive over time.

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Rayman's quest to recapture the Great Proton from Mr. Dark plunges players into awe-inspiring levels, in which the titular hero must jump, climb, and trash enemies to make it to the finish line. Exploring these levels is a treat as you carefully seek out electrons hidden all over the place - some out in the open but others secretly stowed. It's not all fun and games, however. Rayman can get extraordinarily tough rather unexpectedly. The difficulty does not scale as the game proceeds, but instead randomly introduces arduous sections. This disc's level structuring is decent, overall, but can hardly be termed balanced. On the upside, play control is leaps and bounds over the Jag.

Printed in Issue #29, September 1995