This one is on my Christmas list. I'm looking forward to it.

I am looking to play this game in four player couch co-op but I am scared by all of this talk about it being too difficult. I liked LBP2 and its difficulty level (very fun, not very frustrating and only one person had to make it through to finish a difficult section). Can you help me out by comparing the two games?

Nice review. I liked the demo quite a bit.

What scares me is that you said its the most difficult platformer you have played this year, and then you mentioned Super Meat Boy in the next paragraph. I've played super meat boy and it gets ridiculously challenging at the end. Especially some of those warp zone levels.. I'm terrified of this game if its more challenging then that.

I was wondering if you could share some of the dynamics of the co-op. Specifically, how are you able to assist the other players. What happens if everyone but one person in the group dies. Can you save them or bring them back somehow? Are there limited lives/revives or anything?

@kevinclough
Little Big Planet is a casual player's dream, whereas Rayman hearkens back to the days of when platformers were challenging. Kirby's Epic Yarn was too easy, Donkey Kong Wii was too difficult - this sits somewhere in between. Only one player needs to make it to each checkpoint, so you can have less skilled players and experts playing together.

@blakepro
It is the most difficult platformer this year, but it is by no means daunting. The gradual learning curve is great in preparing you for the later levels. This is not difficult like Super Meat Boy, but like I said - challenging. It is no cake walk, and will test your skills as a gamer.

As for co-op dynamics, if someone dies they turn into a bubble. They can then float around freely and to get rezz'd, another player has to touch them. Simple as that, and it makes some of the tougher spots easier because only one person has to make it through. No limited lives, and the checkpoints are really generous - the game doesn't set you up for failure.

The bubbles sound like a cool way to handle respawns. I'm going to add this game to my buy list.

--- Replying to Locke -----

Sounds like the borrowed from Super Mario Wii a bit. (which is a good thing IMO)

Thanks for answering my questions. It really does sound like a great game for co-op. I do love me some couch co-op. I hope to get this game sometime down the road when my wallet is less injured. If it were in this game it would be floating in its own bubble right now.

Gah. Wish this game supported online co-op and mixed local and online. And why no trophies for multiple profiles? Otherwise it sounds very cool.

Bought this day one with Assassin's Creed Revelations and Saints Row 3...after buying Skyrim too. I couldn't stop playing!

This game is not just beautiful for the eyes and ears, it calls back to why I LOVE games! Forget all of the shooters and games going for a realistic look and feel...escapism is in full force here and it's an absolute blast!

Yes, this game is a challenge, but that's only if you want to get EVERYTHING from it...and you will want to, no matter how frustrated you may become. It's an interesting thing too, because I was getting annoyed and cursing in spots and then I realized something, todays game design is shockingly simple-minded. If I played Rayman Origins back hen I was getting into gaming...I'm 34 currently...I would never have thought twice or been bothered by the challenge. Rayman returns me, forcefully but with great joy, back into a true video game experience. No more forced M rated moments and language. No b.s. making me think I am having fun with war. Just great level design, brilliant music and a challenge worthy of an amazing game!

I miss these games so much...and it's true, this game doesn't stand a chance. Today's gamers are mindless in their desires for entertainment more than ever...this is one rare game I want a sequel to, because I know it deserves it and it wouldn't be more of the same either.

this thread was going way off topic... i spun it off here: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13813

--- Replying to smurphster -----
No, I don't think it was.
But I suppose there's some value in getting a discussion like that away from the main page.

Editing the video review (will be up tonight) and I cannot help but smile at the music. It is so darn good that I hope they make the soundtrack available.

GS has this on sale for all consoles $30.

Sent from my PI39100 using Board Express

I had heard this was like the Dark Souls of platformers, but that's a good thing. These days platformers tend to be too easy and therefore boring. Super Meat Boy was awesome because it was hard. Kept me coming back for more. I loved the demo for Rayman and I'll probably get it soon. It's a nice break from M-Rated shooters and gloomy RPGs.

EDIT: Got this as a Christmas gift, and I'm loving it. This is easily the best 2D platformer I've played since NES era Mario. It gets everything right. I do wish it had online co-op, but even as a single player game it's brilliant. Don't let the challenge intimidate you; it's gradual enough to where you won't really notice.

Nice review! I am a bit scared by the difficulty as I just don't care for high challenge, despite growing up as an NES gamer. But it's so pretty, I know I won't be able to hold out for long.

I wound up getting this for Christmas too. It's an exquisite game, a visual and auditory feast, with tremendous gameplay that's every bit as polished as the art, animation and soundtrack.

My only disappointment — and unfortunately, it's a substantial one — is that there's no online co-op, because there are few games that would be more ideally suited to playing with friends, and yet I have no local gaming friends who'd be into this sort of game. I guess since Ubisoft failed to exert their usual pernicious influence on the gameplay, they had to be content with applying it to the game's feature set. But like Raines says, it still works excellently as a single-player experience, though I think it is probably harder that way.

There's a demo available on the PSN (and presumably on XBL) that I highly recommend all of you who don't have the game check out, but other than that, there really doesn't seem to have been any promotion to speak of for this game. I have a feeling if they'd included online co-op and done some advertising they could've sold a lot more copies, but I guess we'll never know. It's really too bad. Artistry and gameplay like this should be rewarded.

Managed to get through the whole game solo, excellent stuff through and through. Grabbed all of the hidden Electoons and even finished off the REAL last boss (secret one). Only missing the cheevos for speed runs and perfecting every level which I have no interest in grabbing. Cannot recommend this game enough.

For those of you turned off by the mention of difficult platforming, just remember they give you all the tools and teach you how to use them before you need to combine the different abilities. The game does a perfect job of easing you into the difficulty.

This game is currently $20 new at gamestop online. I went ahead and grabbed it. Anyone else on the fence might want to take the chance to jump in.

--- Replying to blakepro -----

Wow. That's a fantastic price for a fantastic game. Anyone who's even conceivably interested ought to pick it up ASAP!