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Rayman Jungle Run Review – Platforming Done Right

Google Play may not short of auto-running platformers, but Rayman Jungle Run is a welcome addition. Well, a more than welcome addition in fact. Powered by the same Ubisoft engine that Rayman Origins runs on and developed by Pastagames for mobile devices (I’m hungry already), Rayman Jungle Run is the kind of game you immediately appreciate the moment you start playing.

Name: Rayman Jungle Run | Developer: Pastagames | Publisher: Ubisoft | Category: Platformer | Players: 1 | Version: 1.1.8 | Size: 77 MB | Price: $2.99 |

At the core of Rayman is classic platforming gameplay mechanics such as jumping, wall running and gliding. Swinging on vines, getting blown by the wind and jumping on bouncy balls adds to the gameplay. Then there are the usual suspects that will try to derail your progress – thorns, bottomless pits and some badass creatures. Along each level, there are 100 Lums spread out, some of them hidden. Collecting all 100 of them will get you a perfect score and a tooth. Getting at least 5 teeth in each chapter will unlock a bonus level.

The game, like all platformers, starts of easily and then sequentially gets difficult. It’s broken into four chapters, with each chapter introducing a new ability (jump, glide, wall run and punch). The controls of the game are dead simple – all you need to do is tap. Tap once to jump, tap twice and hold to glide. Timing becomes a huge factor as you go along. At times, the margin of error is so small you’ll be playing the level over and over again to get things right. Thankfully, the game gives you a bit of an allowance in the sense that when you hit a thorn once for example, you don’t instantly die.

The game’s 2D art style is simply beautifully crafted. It’s got a Disney kind of vibe to it. The graphics also have a good amount of variety, with lots of differently themed settings. I cannot tell you how smooth this game runs. The framerate is high – probably one of the highest I’ve seen on Android – and there is no lag or stuttering whatsoever. Rayman’s sound effects and soundtrack are top notch as well. The soundtrack especially reminds me of cartoons I used to watch as a kid. The graphics and sound, when combined together, portray the game in a light-hearted manner, a necessary element since the game can be a tense affair when you’re chasing perfect scores.

Another thing is that Rayman has a lot of replay value. While completing a level itself may not be too difficult, the real challenge lies in getting all 100 Lums in each level. As mentioned above, there are also bonus levels to be unlocked by getting perfect scores. As a small reward, you get to unlock some nice looking wallpapers when you hit certain Lum thresholds.

With levels that can be completed in under 60 seconds, this makes the game easily accessible, more so for mobile gamers who usually want a pick-up-and-play title. Rayman Jungle Run is one of those games which are hard to put down – those that make you promise “I’ll start my work at 10” but unknowingly end up playing until 12. With a polished and challenging gameplay, intuitive controls, delectable graphics and fun accompanying audio, Rayman Jungle Run is well worth the $2.99. Not many games provide the same experience as this on Android. And oh, did I mention the game is devoid of any kind of IAPs?

Overall rating: 4.5/5 stars

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