➤ Rayman Mini, the review 🎮

With this Rayman Mini review we are undoubtedly going to deal with one of the most popular names of this initial batch of video games offered by Apple Arcade, the new subscription service of the Cupertino house dedicated to mobile gaming. The aubergine man did not show up on iOS systems since December 2015, the release period of that Rayman Adventures who tried to embrace the prevailing free to play formula, managing to do so in a more than dignified way: this time, however, things are different, because the policy of Apple Arcade provides only and exclusively experiences free of microtransactions and similar, and so Rayman Mini presents itself as an old-fashioned platformer from many points of view, with all the positive and negative aspects that this entails.

Winning gameplay doesn't change

Developed by Ubisoft Montpellier in collaboration with Pastagames, Rayman Mini immediately stands as a product that does not lose much in chatter and goes straight to the point, so much so that it does not even contemplate a real plot: we only know that the protagonists (in addition to Rayman you can select the old acquaintances Barbara and Globox) have been reduced to microscopic dimensions and must face a journey through a thousand vicissitudes to return to their original forms, which is little more than a pretext to justify i 48 levels divided into six different settings that make up the offer of the title.

even the gameplay does not require huge introductions, considering that it is good or bad what has already been seen not only in Rayman Adventures but also in the previous Rayman Jungle Run and Rayman Fiesta Run: the character therefore automatically runs from left to right of the screen, and the user must act on the touchscreen to make him jump, glide, hit opponents or crash to the ground, with the aim of reaching the finish line of the stage unscathed by collecting as many as possible Lum. Moreover, these perform an ever so accessory function in the game economy, since getting 100 in a level simply allows you to receive a token to be spent in exchange for a new costume for the desired character: a purely aesthetic functionality that perhaps lightens the structure of Rayman Mini, unable to offer great stimuli to those who want to aim for the perfect score in every scheme.

However, it's all part of an obvious choice of design aimed at proposing a playful experience even more streamlined and immediate than its predecessors, for a platform that can be easily consumed even for short sessions in the spare time: for this purpose extremely concise levels concur, which can be completed in less than a minute and which have a coefficient of challenge medium definitely calibrated downwards. In short, do not expect to ruin your fingertips with Rayman Mini, to the point that you do not feel the real need to use a external controller, as far as it is fully supported by the software. The Ubisoft product therefore lets itself be played with pleasure but struggles to involve as the best outputs of the aubergine man, also thanks to a level design that does not shine in any particular aspect: you rarely encounter a truly memorable stage, the solutions adopted know all of already seen and moreover, some interactions with enemies or objects are unclear and end up being discovered by chance or by dint of attempts.

On the other hand, it is impossible to be disappointed by the component graphics of the title, thanks to that wonderful two-dimensional style inaugurated by Rayman Origins and which is presented here more defined and detailed than ever: the scenarios are rich and colorful, the animations of the protagonists are worthy of a cartoon and everything moves at a remarkable speed which never gives any sign of abating. To want to nitpick it can be said that the settings do not exude variety and that the sound accompaniment does not remain very impressed, but Rayman Mini remains a technically excellent product.

Comment

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7.5

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It can be said without a doubt that Rayman Mini is a 100% apt name for this debut of the Ubisoft character on Apple Arcade: not only because the game sees Rayman and associates reduced to an ant size, but above all because it is an evidently minor chapter, that does the homework well but without touching a formula that has already been widely tested and, moreover, lacking a bit of creativity in terms of design and inventiveness. A simple and fun platform to play in your spare time, in short, but from Rayman it was legitimate to expect a little more.