Too busy working on a new project for the moment classified top secret, the developers of Ubisoft Montpellier have finally passed the baton to their colleagues from Montreuil (XIII, 187: Ride or Die, Red Steel, GRAW 2) to put on the long-awaited Rayman vs Rabbids MORE Rabbids. If it is no longer the same team in charge of the project, some people from the original team, such as Loïc Gounon (marketing coordinator) and Nicolas Normandon (Lead Game Designer), have responded a second time present in order to oversee the production according to the rules of the art.
traveling bunny
Taking up the winning concept of the first episode, namely a succession of mini-games to be chained in joy and good humor, Rayman against the Rabbids YET More Ravings relates this time the invasion of Earth by the Rabbids. If the developers have taken the trouble to invent a pseudo scenario for this party-game, they have on the contrary omitted to offer us a "Story" mode this year, although present in the first issue. There is however enough to be fooled at first sight, since the game invites us to embark on the adventure either solo or in a group, that is to say accompanied by three other zigotos ready to share the same video game delusions. Admittedly, the “Story” mode of the first Rayman against the Rabbids was anecdotal, but it at least had the merit of existing and of proposing a pseudo progression in the adventure. This year, it's the punishment and you have to be content with stupidly chaining the tests according to a journey undertaken. Travel is the theme chosen by the designers to justify the attack on Earth by these stupid bunnies, but also to transport us from one continent to another, where each culture conceals its own challenges. United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Tropics, the change of scenery is there, which is not always the case with fun, decided to turn their backs on us this year.
Where the first Rayman against Rabbids managed to generate many giggles, its sequel is content to just smile, at best. There are several reasons for this: first of all, the number of mini-games has been reduced. By counting the challenges in FPS mode, accessible in the Plaza part (who knows why such a separation), the total number of mini-games amounts to 50, or 25 less than the previous episode. Something rather surprising when you know that in general, the suites rely on digital one-upmanship. In the absence of a substantial figure or at least equal to the first opus, we can then hope to obtain high quality proofs. Here again, the shoe pinches severely since, with the exception of about fifteen events, the whole thing is sorely lacking in imagination and originality to be on a par with the first Rayman versus Les Lapins Crétins. This is all the more regrettable because certain ordeals such as phoning the cinema (the objective is to make a phone call in the middle of the screening without the knowledge of the projectionist), washing your clothes (you have to scrub your dirty clothes as as quickly as possible, without damaging it), the spitting throw and a few more, are enough to make us have a great time. Unfortunately, the too large number of challenges without much interest, both in terms of challenge and fun level takes precedence over the rest. Even the musical tests turn out to be boring in the long run, because there is no diversity (the different instruments offered are all identical) and above all repetitive in the course of the movements to be made. Worse still, some mini-games are duplicates or repeats of the first episode, minus the genius.
There's no point in running, you have to start on time
The disappointments don't stop there, given that, to our greatest surprise, Rayman v Rabbids Even More Raving is much less graphically attractive than its elder. In addition to showing us rabbits with angular ears, the game has the nerve to throw textures at us devoid of details and above all of a maddening blandness. The argument of the Wii, the least powerful console on the market, does not work here, since it is capable of offering us games such as Super Mario Galaxy or even Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Of course, let's compare like-for-like and when in doubt, we brought out the first Rayman vs. Rabbids, and there's no doubt that it's more brilliant in terms of execution. There remains the personalization aspect of the characters. Tuning enthusiasts can now customize Rayman and his soft-haired sidekicks from head to toe by donning suits too. The possibilities are numerous but limited, not to mention the withdrawal at the last minute of the parody outfits of the heroes of Marvel, Star Wars or even Naruto, which risks disappointing superhero lovers. Decidedly, fate has decided to go after him.
Since Rayman vs Rabbids AGAIN is a party game, its main interest necessarily lies on the multiplayer side. On that side, improvements have been made since last year. From now on, the game has been built around multiplayer, so that four people can participate in the events simultaneously. This of course adds good humor to the whole, but the blatant lack of jubilant challenges brings the general mood down, especially when compared to its elder brother, once again more likeable to play, even in turns. Those who relied on an online game mode can immediately stop fantasizing, only the possibility of uploading their scores is allowed. A feeling of waste and hasty development? Certainly.
