Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc

The latest outing of the limbless one arrives on the Xbox a little more polished, but it?s ultimately the same coulda-been-great game as on the PS2.

Platform games are less than a dime a dozen these days, but three things help Rayman 3 stick out in the crowd. First off, it has a magical legacy?Rayman 2 was a sheer delight to behold and a joy to play, even if it didn?t break much ground gameplay-wise. Secondly, it has artistry coming out the wazoo?and the Xbox version?s graphics are even faster and cleaner than those of the already gorgeous PS2 version. Lastly, it even features some cool new ideas?most areas don?t subscribe to the usual follow-the-trail-of-coins/stars/peanuts pattern. Instead, combat triggers off a series of timed power-up costumes; donning the costumes enables Rayman to interact with certain parts of the environment that he couldn?t before (lowering platforms, smashing wooden barriers, etc.); and the game becomes a little nonlinear without the usual forced backtracking.

Unfortunately, a few slips turn Rayman?s latest outing into an overall disappointment. Most notably, the voice acting is obnoxious. Part of Rayman 2?s splendor was its innocence and fairy-tale charm?now, the once-magical land is a cacophony of wisecracks, poopy jokes, and John Leguizamo. In addition, the game?s controls aren?t nearly as perfect as its predecessor?s; the camera is sloppy; and combat is too frenzied to be fun.

This is an era where a game like Super Mario Sunshine doesn?t even raise eyebrows?it?s gonna take a helluva lot of creativity and effort to make people care about 3D platformers again. Rayman 3 could have been a contender, but ill-advised ?Americanization? and a strange step backward in terms of gameplay grace keep it from having a real shot. Perhaps it?s time for Ty-man the Vexxtremely Ratchety Thiefclanking Spacesweeper Bugbear to show ?em all how it?s done.

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