Once upon a time Rayman lived in a harmonious world, where creatures and nature lived together in peace. The Great Protoon held everything in positive balance. Then evil Mr. Dark came along, stole Protoon and spoiled it all. With the world out of balance, the Electoons scattered everywhere.
But hold on! It's Rayman to the rescue! His job: Free the Electoons and the Protoon from Mr. Dark's grasp and restore world harmony.That's the premise of "Rayman," a game from Ubi Soft Entertainment now available in a PC version. The video game versions of Rayman have been top-sellers and racked up numerous awards.
The PC version is just as good.
"Rayman" has the stunningly colorful and detailed look that is quickly differentiating Ubi Soft from other competitors in the game/edutainment market.
As Rayman moves through the "Fantasia"-style world he encounters more than 60 bizarre creatures, ranging from giant percussion drums to fierce musical notes. Rayman is no ordinary guy (in fact, I'm not quite sure what Rayman is) - he can hover, fly and turn himself into a flying object. Whatever it takes to get the job done and rescue his friends.
Players have 70 different, nonlinear game levels to work through. They have the option of playing Rayman in three languages: English, French and German.
There are hidden passages and traps along the way that add unexpected challenges, and enemies have the ability to figure out and adapt to your playing style.
In other words, don't count on solving the game in a single session.
I count on Ubi Soft programs to have a brilliant look and to be a lot of fun to play. But I also appreciate the subtle pro-environment and world-as-family messages of its programs. Rayman has that theme, as did Ubi Soft's other PC game winner - "Kiyeko and The Lost Night," which takes place in a rainforest.
Minimum system requirements: IBM-compatible 486 or higher computer, a VGA monitor, Windows 3.1, double speed CD-ROM and 4 megabytes of RAM. Suggested price is $49.95. Contact: Ubi Soft, 415-464-4440; or on the World Wide Web, (http://www.ubisoft.com/).