I have a confession to make: until recently I’d never played Rayman before. Shameful, isn’t it? I mean he’s only a household name, an icon from the 32-bit console era renowned for his trademark helicopter hair, devious personality and curious lack of appendages. I can’t imagine why the limbless menace didn’t get a look in really, because according to my peers his games are reminiscent  of the 16-bit classics that cost me hours of precious childhood: Sonic the Hedgehog, Earthworm Jim, Dynamite Headdy and Bubsy the Bobcat.

Last month a demo of Rayman: Origins, developed by Ubisoft’s Montpellier studio, reached the PlayStation Store. Whether I was motivated by intrigue or some subliminal sense of guilt I cannot say for certain, but my decision to download it was strangely automatic. Once the install had completed I dove in, and was mesmerised immediately by the title’s charm, artistic style and sheer peculiarity. Several days and countless playthroughs later that feeling hadn’t dwindled; my fondness for traditional side-scrolling platformers had been reawakened, ironically by a series I ignored in its heyday.

For that reason I had to review the full game, and boy, am I glad I did.

As the title suggests, Rayman: Origins is the story of how this… whatever-he-is (conjured from the magnificent moonbeams of the second summer solstice, apparently) became the hero franchise fans remember from the original 1995 hit. The opening cutscene shows our chum kicking back in The Glade of Dreams, enjoying a rather noisy nap with best friend Globox and the Teensie Wizards. All is well until their rhythmical racket disturbs a cantankerous, underworld-dwelling granny who is none too pleased by their inconsideration, and before you can say “crotchety OAP” the protagonist’s sacred homeland is swarming with hideous beasties. Your mission? To restore the equilibrium of this sublime universe of course!

And sublime it is – a vibrant two-dimensional world so polished you would be forgiven for thinking S.C. Johnson was heavily involved in its development. Origins was created using Ubisoft’s newly-formed UBIArt Framework, a hassle-free and performance-friendly game engine optimised for HD resolutions, and it looks amazing. Animations are crisp, the hand-drawn characters and backdrops are vivid and colourful, and everything runs at a silky smooth 60 frames per second. The on-screen action is bolstered by an interactive soundtrack too, allowing players to unknowingly trigger spontaneous changes to the composition of each quirky, hummable tune as they explore a variety of desert, tundra, jungle and ocean settings. The experience is extremely dynamic, and though it sounds cliché the quality of presentation really does need to be seen (and heard) to be believed.

Aside from hopping ledges, collecting pickups and defeating enemies in typical platformer fashion, you’ll need to free Electoons in order to progress. These purple… thingamajigs, with their berry-like bodies and gravity-defying ponytails, can be found in cages littered throughout the each eccentric level. They can also be earned by gathering Lums, levitating golden… whatsits that populate your environment. The more Lums you collect, and the more Electoons you save, the quicker you’ll unlock content. Rayman will also encounter Nymphs on his travels that, once liberated from the jaws of menacing Darktoons, will endow him with new powers, for instance the ability to hover, shrink and run up walls. It is then possible to revisit previously cleared stages and utilise these skills to reach hidden regions, acquire further Electoons, and gain access to secret areas that will put even the most dexterous and patient individuals through their paces.

Thinking about it, there are many instances where Origins tests the player’s reactions and perseverance. Take the Tricky Treasure chases, which involve bounding over obstacles, swinging across chasms and dodging debris in pursuit of a nimble living chest containing a skull tooth (the importance of which you’ll discover on your own). These mercilessly fast speed-runs require expert timing as standard. Demonstrate anything less and you’ll either be outpaced or collide with something and die – not a big deal the first few times it happens, but when (not if) your failure streak enters double figures you will want to pay creator Michel Ancel a visit and shove his product somewhere unsavoury. Honestly.

While Rayman’s adventure might border on infuriating occasionally, its difficulty curve resembling more of a rollercoaster than an arc, the challenge softens significantly with friends in tow. Up to three additional players can join in the fun seamlessly at any time, and by doing so add co-op-exclusive moves to each character’s repertoire enabling cohorts to carry, hoist, revive and even slap each another when the situation calls for it. The only downside is that multiplayer is limited to local play, a risky omission taking into account the prominence and popularity of the online alternative. However, tackling the game’s outlandish locales with a group of physical friends is such an addictive, laugh-a-minute activity that this oversight is easily excused, and with no network latency to contend with it’s a blissfully fluid, uninterrupted affair throughout.

From the impressive graphics and responsive controls to the refined gameplay and imaginative level design, Ubisoft Montpellier’s IP is the epitome of excellence. Although the absence of online options and unexpected spikes in difficultly may be detrimental to the package’s overall appeal, Origins is indisputably one of the best platformers I’ve had the pleasure of playing, a faithful tribute to the 2D titles of days gone by that is lovingly-crafted, welcomingly refreshing and abundantly entertaining.

Is it worth the £40 price tag, then? Definitely.