Ubisoft has unveiled Rayman Legends Retold, a full remake of the beloved 2013 platformer that transforms its hand-drawn charm into living, breathing 3D worlds — and after several hours with the upcoming title, critics are already calling it one of the year’s most exciting surprises. Set to launch December 3 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, the game reimagines Rayman’s grandest adventure yet while keeping the series’ signature whimsy firmly intact.
The story follows our famously limbless hero — who, in true form, is missing his arms and legs but somehow retains his feet and hands — as he embarks on what promises to be his most ambitious journey. For longtime fans, Rayman Legends remains a touchstone of the genre: a rollicking platformer that followed closely after Rayman Origins, which revitalized Ubisoft’s dormant franchise in 2011. Both titles shared a hand-drawn art style that impressed audiences at the time, resembling a living cartoon in the best possible way. While other games of that era eventually fell into the mire that consumes titles chasing raw technical specifications, those classic Rayman entries still catch the eye thanks to their impeccable art direction.
A Visual Reinvention That Respects Its Roots
Rayman Legends Retold draws directly on that classic media as inspiration, but it reworks the visuals to take advantage of 3D models. As reviewers sat down for extended demo sessions, one natural reaction was resistance — a curmudgeonly part of the audience simply loved the original package and questioned whether an update was even necessary. The whimsy of the release went down so easily more than a decade ago that many felt Ubisoft might have merely sanded off a few rough edges to produce another gorgeous masterpiece.
But that is not the direction the team took — and, according to early impressions, there are no complaints. The stages now feel alive in ways the originals simply did not. They are packed with beautiful scenery, with light and shadow playing across detailed textures that provide a more convincing illusion of depth, even though players still navigate classic 2D platformer mechanics.
In one realm, a jungle setting features crumbling ruins in the background, with well-trodden paths winding between ferns that stretch into a mist-shrouded distance. In another, Rayman leaps along ledges built from giant bits of food: frankfurters, waffles dripping with syrup, and even towering layers of cake. A massive cheese grater provides the backdrop, its many holes offering glimpses at grinding gears and mountains of spoiling waste. Every new stage appears to have been redesigned with an eye toward crafting a world worth cherishing rather than merely enduring — a bold step forward for a franchise that still keeps one hand firmly planted on its roots.
“We wanted Rayman Legends Retold to feel like the original, but better. The magic of that game lived in its worlds and its sense of play, so we rebuilt those from the ground up while keeping everything players loved about the character’s charm.”
Ubisoft
The presentation is a significant leap forward for a beloved series, echoing the kind of revitalization that Super Mario Bros. Wonder delivered for Nintendo in recent years. It remains difficult to appreciate the full impact through static screenshots alone — seeing it all in motion, with a controller in hand, is another matter entirely.
Don’t assume Rayman Legends Retold stops with its impressive visual overhaul. The game introduces an entire new realm carrying a darker vibe that functions as a grim counterpoint to the lush, vibrant worlds Rayman explores during much of his adventure.
Looking Ahead
The studio has also restructured how players access older content. For the original Rayman Legends release, Ubisoft bundled a generous selection of stages from Rayman Origins. This time around, those older stages have been pulled from the main adventure and are instead presented as Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition, a separate title players receive with their purchase. During demo sessions, reviewers spent only a few minutes running through some of that bundle’s stages — enjoying them, but finding the experience less exciting after having grown spoiled by the retold content.
Beyond the standard platforming stages, Rayman Legends Retold also features lively events to keep monotony at bay. In one stage, reviewers hopped onto the back of a flying dragon and rode it through a bustling village, pelting swaying enemy towers with their mount’s fiery breath. In others, they raced along ledges to the beat of the background music, jumping and punching their own little symphony on the way to the finish line. There is just no telling what the next stage will introduce.
Long-time fans know that the Rayman universe represents the closest thing Ubisoft has — or needs — to its Super Mario franchise. Rayman Legends Retold is an imaginative platformer offering vibrant worlds, engaging platforming sequences, and endearing personality that oozes from every beautiful crack in its wacky world.
Rayman Legends Retold will be released on December 3 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.
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