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Party games are a dime a dozen now, but quality ones have so far been limited to the Mario Party series. Rayman Arena, what was formally Rayman M(for Multiplayer), is a pleasant surprise. It's different that what you would except in a Rayman game, but in my book, innovation is better than doing rehashes any day. However, it isn't different enough for you to say it's simply a Mario Party clone with the Rayman franchise on it. There are several platform elements and you'll meet characters seen in previous Rayman games.
To play you can either pick Rayman, Ly, Globox, or five other characters. While the game lacks a story mode, and the objectives seem to be simple, you shouldn't be discouraged by it. As is usual for a Rayman title, the game has innovative and ultimately fun objectives. The AI is 'smart' enough to adjust itself to your playing level, making for some unique experiences even in single-player mode.
The graphics are very nicely crafted and animated. The game flows naturally and keeps up with the action. If you have played a Rayman game, you can except the same quality here. For people who will start their adventures here, the graphics will blow you away more often then not. A lot of work went into making this a visually appealing game, and the work wasn't paid off. The sound effects make the game more enjoyable, but like the background music it neither adds nor subtracts from the game's setting.
Race Mode, has players taking part in a foot race. You race through twelve courses, but only three of which can be accessed from the outset of the game. The remaining nine have to be unlocked, with each level having its own level of difficulty. Other factors, such us power-ups, affect the outcome just as much as speed. There's plenty of shortcuts, switches and traps in the game. They allow you to have some strategy in your gameplay and make the game more interactive. You can expect your favorite Rayman-isms, such as the slide, climb and most importantly the helicopter.
Shooter Mode's gameplay mirrors a shooter mixed with classic Rayman-isms. The basic premise of shooter mode is to shoot your enemies and collect the orbs they drop. Traps, power-ups and projectiles are available to maximize your lum-gathering experience. The lums you collect can you be used to 'buy' levels, skins, characters and bonus modes. Completion of the first three stages will result in the unlocking of a bonus stage and the next three stages, a process that continues throughout the game. The difficulty level rises as the game progresses though, so it's easier said than done.
In both Shooter and Race modes, players share the same abilities, and weapons. It makes you be able to pick your favorite character without worrying about its weakness. Platform fans will find enough in this game to stay interested and people who use this as a party game will have no worries. The graphics and concept are very good, and impressive. With Mario Party 4 just around the corner, one wonders about Rayman Arena. Overall, Rayman Arena is a perfect game in between Rayman 2 and 3, and a great multiplayer game to boot.
-- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Oct 23, 2002
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