It appears that the rumored sequel to last year’s acclaimed platformer, Rayman Origins, is no longer a rumor. A leaked trailer announcing Rayman Legends is making the rounds. It shows off numerous new features, and confirms at least one console that the game will release onto.
Though the sequel’s showcased gameplay still seems to play similarly to Origins, and is still restricted to a 2D plane, its graphics have received a makeover. As a result, Legends now looks more detailed, resembling a moving painting.
Previous playable characters are returning, along with new ones, starting with an unnamed Viking girl wielding a battle axe. Online play will be included, allowing players to cooperate in mini-games such as soccer, compete for high scores and presumably go through the main campaign together.
Finally, the trailer confirms the game for a Wii U release, along with some exclusive features that take advantage of the system’s new touchscreen controller. Players who use the controller for multiplayer will be able to interact with the environment via its touch screen, and perhaps most intriguing of all, the game will take advantage of the Wii U’s NFC sensor. In a method similar to such games as Skylanders, the trailer shows players placing physical items on the controller’s screen, which results in them appearing in the game. These will apparently range from items such as hearts to cameos from other characters, including the Raving Rabbids and possibly even Ezio Auditore of Assassin’s Creed fame.
Ubisoft representatives have released a statement saying that, while the video is genuine, it was made as an internal demonstration video for the developers and not meant for public display. For that reason, all features are subject to change. However, regardless of which features will make it into the final product, we know one thing: Rayman Legends is coming, and it looks to have a lot of potential to build on from its predecessor’s solid foundation.
We will keep you updated as more details come out.
