There are many things that
can interrupt a peaceful slumber in the forest.
Having your well-meaning
but bumbling sidekick accidentally swallow the Dark Lum Lord, incurring
the wrath of a Hoodlum army, then yanking off your fists your major
weapon while trying to awaken you to the danger isn’t one of the
things that immediately comes to mind.
But that is precisely the
predicament facing Rayman in his latest adventure, Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc,
a PC release from Ubi Soft. The game is an arcade romp through a fantastic
world, full or powerups and danger, as well as puzzles that must be navigated
to advance through the levels.
Let’s backtrack just a bit.
For those who do not know, Rayman is a limbless character, who in
spite of not having appendages has a devastating kick and punch and
is tireless (Ok, yes, he was sleeping in the forest in the intro to the
game) is his defense of the land of the Teensies. The dark lums were once
red lums that were transformed into buzzing black balls (complete with
faces) of pure evil. Many of them can group and form a Hoodmonger, a walking
creature armed with a broom rifle.
Outside of the lums, Rayman
and Globox, the other main character is Murfy, a fly that acts as the story
intermediary offering sarcastic and light demeaning comments about
game direction and Rayman’s (controlled by the game player) efforts.
The game offers a number
of video options but popping it into 32-bit was definitely a boon to the
gameplay. The environments are rich and lushly colored, and the animation
is solid. There are some environmental inconsistencies, and the camera
angle (which presents a third-person perspective) can be moved around,
but in itself, that can also prove to be a detriment to the game play.
The game allows players to use either a keyboard/mouse combination or a
joystick to control the action. The latter is the better of the two choices.
With the keyboard/mouse tandem, you can get your hands moving in too many
directions at once.
The control elements are
somewhat intuitive, though.
The game’s dialogue underscores
the simplistic nature of the game’s plot, and some of the character’s vocalizations
are stereotypical of other characters in the genre (that of the continuing
escapades of heretofore arcade heroes).
But make no mistake, Rayman
3 which not about to set the world on fire is an enjoyable
romp. The maze puzzles seem simple, but the overall look of the game makes
for a visual treat. You will actually have to navigate a level without
use of Rayman’s touted fists.
But in spite of its shortcomings,
Rayman 3 still manages to amuse. Rayman is a delightful character and his
adventures are entertaining. It would be nice to have a little more meat
on this beast, or at least some tougher challenges, but this innocuous
title while a beast on hard-drive space on the full install
manages to elicit a smile or two along the linear maze path.
This game is rated for Everyone,
but does contain comic mischief and violence.
Gameplay: 8.2
The camera can get trapped
behind structures, and deny players the 360-degree panoramic view of the
world (as well as moving vertically). This can be a problem when trying
to negotiate mazes that can suddenly get touchy in terms of stepping off
an edge. Each level sports a mapboard that does not seem overly big, but
is not only horizontal but vertical as well. The load times are relatively
quick between levels.
Graphics: 8.8
There are some minor clipping
problems but in 32-bit video, the world is lush and richly detailed. The
animation is also quite well done.
Sound: 8.0
Murfy sports that smug,
smarmy attitude indicative of many animated game guides that can scrap
on a nerve after a while. The script for the game is somewhat simplistic
and the dialogue reflects that. The rest is crisp and sharp but not spectacular.
Difficulty: Medium
The game bears arcade-like
challenges with each level getting progressively harder than the last.
This is a game that can be controlled with either the keyboard or a joystick
there appears to be no way a gamepad can be used.
Concept: 7.7
The keyboard controls are
all over the place and when combined with mouse controls, you may feel
like you either need very long fingers or three hands to control this game.
The script to the game seems simplistic. This is basically a maze/puzzle
game with some arcade action thrown in for good measure.
Overall: 8
Rayman 3 is a hog when it
comes to install space. The minimum install is 670 megs while the full
install is 1.7 gigabytes. For that space, you get a game that is entertaining
and frustrating because the environmental rules change within the same
maps. You can walk to the edge on one bridge, but do it on another and
you’ll fall off. The game does sport some inconsistencies, but does have
a lush, rich look.
