Rayman Legends Retold - Hands-On Preview

The legend of Rayman is being retold in an all-new take on the 2013 classic Rayman Legends. Developed over two years between Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Montpellier, as well as maybe leaking online early this year, there has certainly been a lot said about this remake/remaster for one reason or another before it was officially announced. We’re hoping that at some point we can ask some of those questions that are being asked as we speak. However, last week we got a preview of the new Rayman Legends Retold and can give some details on what to expect.

First off, like all remakes/remasters, there is something unique about Rayman Legends Retold that makes it difficult to categorize from the word go. Though it is Rayman Legends as you know it, there are story changes, a couple of presentation changes, and maybe a new 6th level with a new ability on the horizon. Alongside this, there is a new-ish look to the world of Rayman Legends. Noted in press material and otherwise, the world is rebuilt entirely in 3D. It is not a 3D platformer – Rayman Legends Retold is still a 2D platformer with new art to bring more depth.

In a presentation before going hands-on, we were told this was to bring a better sense of “emotional depth” to the world. The world itself is a bit more lived in. Between individual levels, there is a new hub and world map overview, themed to each location on the overview map. Though that’s not all. For starters, the 10 most important characters are voiced, with Billy West returning from 2003’s Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc to voice Murfy, and David Gasman voices the titular… Rayman? He doesn’t really have a species, does he? I’m sure others will be announced later down the line.

So how does Rayman Legends Retold feel? I’d say almost exactly like the original: Jump still jumps, run still runs, and there are plenty of little Teensies to find. Each Teensie adds up to unlock the next level and special levels in between. All in all, we got about an hour and a half to 2 hours with Rayman Legends Retold, covering the first two areas of the game, “Teensies in Trouble” and the “Stinkbog,” or previously called “Toad Story.” Linking the two, you have a new bit of gameplay I’ve noticed elsewhere, so I think we’re fine noting that the dragons in the screenshots on the store page are ridable.

We won’t go too in-depth on that for now, but each part of Rayman Legends Retold feels bigger, bolder, and with collect-a-thon fun at the forefront. The part that stood out to me most was the “Invasion” levels within each world. These are challenges within the style of the area that are timed, and the quicker you complete the level, the more Teensies you’ve saved. I wasted a good 5 minutes of our limited time preview trying to complete one of these levels, repeatedly failing, but I wanted to keep going.

Every jump, every helicopter move with Rayman’s hair, every punch, every kick, and every slide feels so refined that those speed-running levels are perfectly tuned to make you say “one more.” Stepping back into normal levels after that feels like a breeze, though I won’t lie and say the updraft mechanic in the “Stinkbog” can provide enough of a challenge as you bounce, jump, and helicopter your way around puzzles and avoid hazards. Each level also plays host to its own hidden secret rooms with their own puzzles.

Each level is accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack which – according to the preview we got before going hands-on – is a score composed by Christophe Héral, who did my favorite Ubisoft game, Beyond Good & Evil, as well as the score for Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends. However, he is joined by a Scottish composer who did some of your favorite games too, including GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Perfect Dark, and Yooka-Laylee: Grant Kirkhope. It is a video game version of Hans Zimmer and John Williams joining up to score a film.

By the end of our time with Rayman Legends Retold, when we had to give up the controller, I wanted to shout “No!” and just keep going. I was excited to play more; I was excited to repeatedly make the same mistakes, falling into the same hazards, and I was excited to go find more Teensies and pick up more collectibles. Beyond the visual glitz of this remake, which is stunning in 4K, the charm of the original is still there.

I actually played the original Rayman Legends a little before and after our preview with the same controller, and it didn’t feel the same. Admittedly, playing with a PS5 controller for a 2013 game means hardware and software conflict a little, with circle being jump and Triangle being the button for Murfy, and it wouldn’t remap for love nor money. It felt off. Both visual styles have their place, of course, and I won’t compare them because they are doing two different things. Yet, by god, I was slightly stunned when I first saw Retold in action.

Rayman Legends Retold is set to release on October 1st for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC running on the Snowdrop engine. Rayman Legends Retold will also feature all that you loved before, including Kung Foot, Cave of Trials, of course the music levels return with four new licensed tracks, and most importantly, 4-player couch co-op. Rayman Legends Retold is everything you knew before, but with new additions to the story, gameplay, and a new level towards the end. I cannot wait to play more in the future.

Ubisoft reached out and hosted a remote hands-on preview of Rayman Legends Retold, which we attended and participated in.