I’ve already played Rayman Legends Retold, and you’re not ready for the 3D sections

Yes, the rumors are true – Rayman Legends is getting a 2.5D remake with 3D sections called Rayman Legends Retold. It’s coming out on October 1 on Nintendo Switch 2, among other platforms, and the trailer is out now. It features new and old fun, including dragons, a new world, and voice-acted cutscenes. And, in case you want more juicy details firsthand from someone who’s already tried it out, I’m here to give you my thoughts and feelings as a true Rayman Legends fan. 

I played a lot of Rayman Legends when I was younger, so when I heard about the remake, I was pretty excited. My sister and I would sit for hours in front of our Wii, arguing over whose fault that one death was, or who should play as Rayman versus Barbara. Rayman Legends Retold lives up to the hype, for both people like me who love the original and, I suspect, new players. It’s an amplification of all the elements I loved about the game, and when I tried to get my head around how a new player might feel about it, I realized just how great the remake will be to people who didn’t catch it the first time around.

One thing that jumped out right away was how much more dynamic the game feels. I put this down to more in-depth graphics, including a more immersive and moving background, even as Rayman Legends Retold stays mostly a 2D or 2.5D game. The moments where I felt the most like I was playing something completely new, apart from the 3D levels, were when the map came alive and, naturally, the new cut scenes. These, while fun and sometimes a provider of laugh-out-loud moments, also added a new layer to the lore, which will probably divide players depending on how you feel about a universe expansion 13 years later. They weren’t for me, personally, despite being well-executed in terms of graphics and sound.

Speaking of the universe, I enjoyed the new Glade of Dreams map, an essential for all the best Switch adventure games, which both conceptualizes the world more and allows you to jump easily between levels. There are also new characters and a whole new world, the World of the Livid Dead. The storyline focuses on corruption spreading throughout the lands, as Rayman uses a brand new power, the power of light, to put a stop to it. I didn’t get to try this yet, as the build wasn’t ready, but I did get to try the other major new feature, the dragon ride levels.

Built in 3D, these levels appear towards the end of each world and allow you to move on to the next. The aim is to transport the Lums on a dragon’s back until they safely reach their destination – but if you lose all of them, you’ll have to start again. These levels test your flying, shooting, timing, and spatial awareness, with fireballs, dodges, and charged attacks at your disposal. It stretched my abilities pretty far, but it’s probably a matter of getting used to it, so I won’t add it to our list of hard games just yet.

Ubisoft says that the team designed the experience of playing dragon ride levels to feel like you’re on a rollercoaster, and I got that. I imagined myself on a moving simulator like Soarin’ in Epcot or Flight of the Sky Lion in Legoland as I played, feeling very immersed and free as I repeatedly, and of course, accidentally, killed my Lums. Sorry, guys, but no regrets – the 3D levels are awesome to play and re-play. I feel confident in saying that they’re the best part of Retold.

There are also new musical levels, though I didn’t get to try any this time. My hopes are high for these, as my sister and I loved the musical levels back in the day. The wider soundtrack has also been added, via collaboration between original composer Christophe Heral and new addition Grant Kirkhope. It does everything it needs to, although it didn’t blow me away – hopefully, the new musical levels will provide a ‘wow’ factor and allow us to recommend Retold to you as one of the best Switch rhythm games, at least in part.

On the subject of sound, the game is now voice-acted for the ten characters that appear the most, and, alongside the cutscene voices, you can hear David Gasman’s Rayman quipping in response to gameplay errors or environmental changes in the level, too. The audio design remains pretty faithful to the original game, which I was pleased about. Some of my fondest memories of the original involve hearing those cheers when you free a Lum, or the song they play for you at the end of a level.

Ultimately, most of the changes and improvements made in Rayman Legends Retold elevate the experience of playing it. Some of them also create a slightly different experience, which blends well, if not seamlessly, with the original content. I was pleased when I came away from my time with Rayman Legends Retold, because it’s a great way to get new and younger players involved with the magic.

For 45 bucks, it’s worth picking up, especially if you’ve never played Rayman Legends before. Plus, now that it’s coming to the Switch 2, it’ll be more accessible than ever, and could be considered one of the best Switch platformers. If you’ve got any more specific questions about my time with the game, head to the Pocket Tactics Discord to ask away.