When it comes to childhood video games, it seems like there’s nothing better than a 3D character platformer. Almost every time I hear people discussing games they’ve played as a kid, they mention some title belonging to the genre. Be it Super Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro The Dragon or even more obscure ones like Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time, Gex: Enter the Gecko (get outta here, you lizard!) or Rocket: Robots on Wheels. If you’ve read last month’s piece, you probably already know where this is going. Today, we will be looking at my favorite childhood game. Also a 3D character platformer. And if you’ve been following me for a while or… well… looked at the title of this piece… you know I just replayed Rayman 2: The Great Escape!

Interestingly enough, my first ever piece of published work was a tiny written review of said product. Years back, I sent it to a magazine (remember these?) focused on non-violent video games. Seeing how I ended up becoming a lore expert on Hitman, I fail to see it influencing me much. Still, White being a young lad, wasn’t allowed to play your Duke Nukems and GTAs. Length-wise, my Rayman 2 ‘review’ was comparable to the first paragraph of this piece but it granted me my own dedicated space on the page and a copy of a Winnie the Pooh video game – Pooh’s Party Game: In Search of the Treasure – which was basically a Mario Party clone. Maybe one day, I’ll dig it up and introduce it to you as well…

For now though, let’s go back to Rayman. As you know me well by this point, it is probably a surprise to nobody that once I managed to access the magical place known as the Internet, I started reading on some of my favorite games. And whilst Croc 2 ended up being a disappointment when I came back to it years later, Rayman 2 wasn’t. It also seems like I’m not the only one holding said opinion. Since its original release, it was ported to pretty much everything but a toaster and people do speak highly of it. No wonder, I was curious myself.

The title was released in October 1999 on Nintendo 64 and PC shortly after. Interestingly enough, it uses the same engine which later fueled games like Grand Theft Auto III through Vice City and San Andreas, Manhunt 1 and 2, Max Payne 2, Spongebob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom, killer7 and Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue!…

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The game was critically acclaimed. (Rayman 2, that is, not Hello Kitty: Roller Rescue – that ended up scoring ~60.) Review scores went up to 90+ points out of 100 if you’re for some reason interested in merely meaningless numbers. If not, it also ended up featured in multiple “Game of the Year” articles if you prefer insignificant lists instead. Apparently, numerous reimaginings did Rayman 2 well. It was originally going to be a straight-up sequel to the original, even retaining the 2D aesthetic (although not so brutally hard, mind you), and be released in August 1996. There does exist a playable version of it hidden as a reward for getting enough collectibles in the PSX edition of Rayman 2: The Great Escape but maybe it’s for the better than the leap to the scary 3D world was made after the team got inspired by Crash Bandicoot during E3 1996. With a background like that, how not to get excited?

Obviously, it wasn’t simple to get it to run on a modern system which is why I’m so in favor of active video game preservation projects. We attempt to preserve every other artform, so why not interactive ones as well? The problem here was that my physical copy was mined with a DRM inject which ended up being incompatible with a 64-bit operating system. Once I got around that – by basically getting frustrated and purchasing the game digitally… spoiling we will be looking at the PC version – it was back to The Glade of Dreams!

I was welcomed back by a weird yellow butterfly. A one with eyes, no less. To add to that, we are somewhere in a forest, greeted by a peculiar long-faced creature and fairy tale-like soundscape. It’s eerie and mysterious. What is the aforementioned creature and why is it bowing? Why is the insect so interested in getting into the shot of the camera? Questions don’t stop once we begin a new game either. Instead, new ones appear. Especially, as after a dreamy atmosphere of the main menu, we are brought to a flying ship and the narration appears on the screen.

“Rayman, look what the pirates have done to our world… A planet of anguish and pain, haunted by evil. A dark place, teeming with fierce monsters. Nothing can stop them now that they’ve captured you. They’ve taken everything and reduced our people to slaves. The robots search for innocent prey. In the chaos, they exploded the Heart of the World. The 1000 Lums of energy which form it have been scattered. We are getting weak. Soon, it will be too late…You must escape, Rayman. You are our only hope!”

Pretty dark for a children video game, I’ve got to admit. We watch the opening cinematic and are immediately thrown into action. A limbless “thingamajig”, to quote the Rayman Origins trailer, is locked in a cell with a blue frog-like animal who speaks of fairies and magic powers. After transferring some of those powers to Rayman, he can apparently now shoot energy from his fists… somehow. This can be used to open up a way out of the prison ship. Something which the player easily figures out once they get used to basic controls and physics in a closed off environment. Once they are ready, they can then run through the opening and leave. No dangers, no obstacles, no time limits. Just the player character, some space to run around and a very clear exit. Neat!

Rayman’s life meter starts out missing a few hit points. This can be circumvented by touching red pickups dotted around the slide out of the ship. They revealed to be one of many types of Lums – shards of energy fueling this universe. It appears that every ability and item is somehow explained as part of the lore. A feat I find quite impressive. In fact, quoting the Knowledge of the World: “Everything that moves around you, everything that lives and thinks is given life by the tiny magical lights which we call… Lums.” I especially enjoy how the title acknowledges the connection. During one of the cutscenes, Admiral Razorbeard even eats one of them which makes the counter go down by one. And then you can find a hidden extra one if you’re really perceptive!

Gameplay-wise, the title is a basic 3D platformer. There’s nothing out of ordinary. The levels are short and simple. There is usually only one way to get through them with not much out of the beaten path. That said, collecting Lums and freeing long-faced creatures known as Teensies are secondary objectives, and finding every single one can be tricky if you aren’t paying enough attention. Later on, you can also find optional areas so it’s probably wise to explore even if you think there’s nothing to explore! You can even enter previous stages that way so if you were ever wondering why you’re missing collectibles in The Fairy Glade, try looking a bit further…

Rayman’s abilities also are nothing we haven’t seen in other titles. He can jump, float and has a long-ranged attack which is later enhanced over the course of the story. He juggles parts of his own limbless body as his idle animation which, as all of them, in fact, are truly entertaining to watch. I still love how 2D sprites were used in late 90s/early 2000s. It’s part of the charm of video games such as The Sims, early Harry Potter games, Tomb Raider, Deus Ex or Hitman: Codename 47. I am absolutely positive that it looks off in an otherwise 3D environment and it was even replaced by actual 3D models in later ports of the title. 2D does speak to my particularly odd sense of aesthetics, however. Here, it’s even more captivating as all of the forest critters are animated sprites. We’re talking flying butterflies, big-eyed mosquitoes, jumping mushrooms, etc. It’s a big reason as to why the levels, even though basic in design feel dynamic.

To add to that, Rayman 2: The Great Escape does not dawdle when it comes to introducing new mechanics. Some would call them gimmicks but they are used to far more extent than that. Almost every level brings out something new to the table and the player never feels bored of the existing content – also used in more complex ways as time goes on. A simple slide – literally one of the first obstacles of the game is reused multiple times throughout the adventure. An entire level is also built on a re-imagined version of that mechanic. The hero ends up skating on the water of the Marshes of Awakening as he’s being dragged by a purple snake called Ssssam.

Ssssam isn’t the only useful friend in the game. Green fairy by the name of Murfy appears every now and again to explain new features in a better way than his blue counterpart in another video game franchise.

Previously mentioned blue frog-like creature also known as Rayman’s best friend Globox helps him in his quest by using his rain dance ability to destroy pirate technology and grow flowers and bushes. A purple whale – Carmen – is a part of an underwater level and a giant Clark tunnels a way for the protagonist to pass once brings him necessary medicine. I t feels like every character in the game wants you to succeed. Even though all of them talk in gibberish and the dialogue is fairly elementary to begin with, the animations and character interactions are enough to establish deep connections between them. This is cemented by quotes from Ly the Fairy showing up during each respawn animation as well as the ending itself. The reason for it might be because Rayman’s adventure is quite of an important one. As mentioned before, the intro cinematic is surprisingly dark and even though the game keeps its lighthearted feeling, the undergoing tone is alarming. Topics of slavery and imprisonment run through the entire story as it goes as far as to specifically say that the antagonist wants to kill Carmen and use her blubber to grease the engines of his ship. One of the first characters we see during our adventure are Globox’s children who end up without their parents as they were both captured by the evil Robo-Pirates.

If you never noticed those disturbing bits of the story as a kid, I can assure you, there was another aspect of Rayman 2: The Great Escape which gave you nightmare fuel. Carrying a fairy tale-like feeling doesn’t mean places like The Cave of Bad Dreams cannot exist. And now that you know the name of it, you too can enter it! The level itself is nothing special. It starts out with basic platforming and playing with different colored orbs. Its aesthetic is a lot more eerie than the rest of the universe however and the danger keeps rising until it reaches peak at a high speed slide escape sequence with a huge overlay of The Cave’s Guardian – Jano’s – sharp teeth. At the end, it appears that Jano protects a cave full of golden coins and offers them to Rayman as he’s rightfully beaten him. This brings up a quite amusing non-choice as the player can either take the gold or leave it, therefore continuing the adventure.

New game mechanics never slow down. Rayman can soon ride on a Walking Shell, explosive barrels or the dreaded plum. The latter can again be used in multiple ways, even as a solution to enemy encounters. Speaking of enemies, the combat is also very simplistic. We have a generic lock-on button and Rayman’s shots target relevant items automatically. Confrontations are relatively quick yet feel dragged on by invincibility frames which last longer than I’d like. This paired with the fact that there’s not much to be done except for mashing the Fire button or holding it for a brief moment before releasing the shot makes the combat feel like something I’d prefer to skip. Especially as dodging isn’t required. Rayman’s life meter is long enough to survive multiple shots and his hit points get added as he releases more Teensies.

Overall, the game’s difficulty isn’t something to write essays about. The platforming is fairly simple, the combat is basic and the only tricky moments come from higher paced sections such as the ones involving the Walking Shell. Game Overs never pose a threat. The only consequence being returning you back to the previous checkpoint… which happens anyways if you fall into the abyss. The bosses aren’t dangerous, although they appear as intimidating. Only the end boss may give you any real trouble but that again, is because of the new and improved (!) Flying Shell. If you don’t mind missing the collectibles, the entire game can be beaten in just a few hours. If you’d prefer to see a nice round 100% however… it still can be beaten in a few hours although with a bit more trickiness involved. As mentioned before, some hiding spots are tougher to see than you’d think meaning you probably will have to replay levels to get every single Lum and Teensie cage.

Is it worth it though? Collecting Lums unlocks pages of the Knowledge of the World and breaking cages upgrades Rayman’s life meter. Lums are also required to progress but honestly, you should never be worried about having enough of them. Ending a stage with all of the collectibles grants you access to the Bonus Level but that ends up being pretty irrelevant too as all it does is refill your life meter or gives you extra powerups.

Given that the title is so basic, appears to offer little difficulty and can be finished in just a few hours, I think the question everyone asks is why is it so praised? Why has it been released on so many systems and is being called one of the best platformers of its era? Part of it is definitely because of its simplicity. Even though it is packed with different game mechanics, all of them present the same level of care put into them. Even the swimming stages, often disregarded as worst parts of otherwise great video games, aren’t much of an issue here. They are used more as a breather between high action sections and it helps that they carry the same tight controls. Rayman 2: The Great Escape never truly slows down. That’s part of its charm. New mechanics keep on being introduced making every level you jump into feel dynamic and fresh even though the design itself never gets any more complicated. There are too many memorable set pieces to count, especially as all of them are equally great. The music is absolutely fantastic, too. It’s cheery and upbeat to keep up with the vibrant, picturesque world but also can be toned down to pay respect to more oppressive parts of the story. And while I think this entire cocktail of features is why the game is still being talked about, it’s not what made it my favorite childhood title and my great escape. It was the in-game universe, its fairy-tale-like aesthetic and its lore which I happened to explore years later.

Young-in White was definitely drawn to the colorful environments and quirky characters. I replayed The Woods of Light more times than I can count, not even playing the level properly but exploring it and simply getting embroiled into the world. “Immersed”, I’d say if I was into industry buzzwords. The charming animations were a big part of me getting drawn into The Glade of Dreams. I loved letting Rayman perform his idle actions whilst listening to the calming music and indulge in this serene atmosphere. The story, being what it is, also made White appreciate specific values in life. Rayman is heroic but loyal to his friends and very sympathetic. He also fears nothing. He’s brave enough to embark on an adventure bringing him to dangerous places such as the aforementioned Cave of Bad Dreams, various enemy bases, ancient Sanctuaries and even an abstract dream world where he is having conversations with the divine creature and the creator himself – Polokus.

The lore is even deeper than that and has been gradually expanding over the course of the franchise. It tells tales of Lums merging together to forge a creature so powerful, his every thought became reality. Thus, he imagined a valley and its inhabitants. He was granted with a sense of humor, giving explanation to oddities surrounding this universe. He pictured fairies of various magical powers to help him. He gave life to amphibious organism known later as Globox, as well as his wife Uglette and 650 of their children. But as dreams can be both peaceful and restless, nightmares took over Polokus’ mind and thus, he created Jano – previously mentioned guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams, thus introducing evil to the world.

Rayman 2’s story speaks of a sudden arrival of Robo-Pirates. Their leader – Admiral Razorbeard – wishes to reign over The Glade of Dreams, enslaving its inhabitants and getting access to the energy fueling the world. Again, for a product with such colorful environments and cheery characters, it’s honestly quite remarkable how dark the story ends up. Even though cartoony, it still carries the feeling of an intense battle, especially as you see powerful characters fall and fail. Ly the Fairy whom remains of magical powers are brought to our hero by his friend, has to be freed from a contrived cage. A literal giant has to be helped onto his feet after he has slayed multiple pirates by himself. And the creator of the universe himself has to be reconnected with four ancient masks first before he can offer his services to the inhabitants of The Glade of Dreams. The player gets invested in the adventure and the world itself and for me, this is why it’s not only a quest for a great escape for the creatures of this unique universe. It is also a quest for my own.

Rayman 2: The Great Escape will always carry a special place in my heart. Not only because it my favorite childhood video game but also because it’s still an amazing title. I can absolutely understand the reasons as to why it was ported to so many other systems. It deserves to be presented to a wider audience as it has held up magnificently over the years. Yes, the camera has aged, the title is quite short and basic but that’s exactly where the charm of it lies. It’s simple yet surprisingly varied in gameplay. Vivid and colorful yet dark and mature. Personally, I don’t recall another video game managing to grab me into its world and bring me such joy as Rayman 2. Its fairy-tale aesthetic is still relevant up to this day and can be enjoyed by players of all ages. Just as young-in White always found their great escape, and so will older White. See, young-in White kept coming back to it, never finding another game to grab their attention for so long. Not even the next title in the series… Not even Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc. But that is the story for another day…