Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/83694
Gaming n n n n over the years since Ubisoft Montpellier introduced the character in 1995 for a sprite-based game played on the original PlayStation. During the decade that followed, Rayman, his friends, and his worlds would be ported to 3D as new consoles were introduced, while the titles for the various handheld devices retained the property's 2D style. With Rayman Origins, however, the game has shifted back to its 2D 'toon roots, despite its release on a range of the latest platforms (including the PS3, Xbox 360, and the new PlayStation Vita). Nevertheless, the character does have an updated look in Ray- The main character, the quirky Rayman, has evolved only slightly man Origins, thanks to a new animation engine and high-resolution graphics that are stunning and vibrant. But the more things change, the more they remain the same. Rayman is still limbless—he has no neck, legs, or arms, so his simply shaped head, his large, white- gloved hands, and his oversized sneaker-clad feet float in midair. He rescue imprisoned Electoons, which is done by gliding in midair, shrinking in size, and even riding on the back of a mosquito. If an enemy or obstacle hits a character, it will inflate into a ballooned state until another player can bring the character back into the game by slapping it. Sound ridiculous? It is. But that's all part of the game's charm. Creating Art While Rayman Origins' visual and play styles are based on those of the original 2D release, this is by no means a game built upon a 17-year-old game format. "The first Rayman was really art-oriented. So we worked with artists from the cartoon industry, and painters and illustrators, and developed new tools that enabled us to recon- nect with those people," says Ancel. One of the tools that Ancel is referring to is the new UbiArt is joined in this new adventure by his longtime friend, the blue, blobby Globox—another squash-and-stretch character. In addition to Rayman and Globox, the game features two addi- tional main characters, the Teensies, as well as more than 100 others with which they can interact. In addition, there are 12 diverse en- vironments (60-plus levels), all filled with rich, hand-drawn imag- ery—whether a steampunk-type of factory, a lush jungle, a candlelit temple, a snowy mountain, or a pond teeming with fish. Each envi- ronment proposes a different type of immersion and emotion based on its imagery, theme, music, and friends and enemies. "We began the project with the idea of going back to the artistic dimension of Rayman's universe. We wanted to work with artists outside the video game industry—people in animation studios, traditional painters, and illustrators," says Creative Director Michel Ancel, who created the Rayman franchise. "We believe that the com- bination of art and gameplay can create the kind of surprises that every player would like to experience." While Ancel and a team of artists at Ubisoft Montpellier are actu- Rayman Origins is part of game series developed by Ubisoft Montpellier in 1995. Conceived first in 2D, the franchise eventually migrated to 3D as new game consoles were introduced. Recently, though, the developer returned the series to its 2D heritage, a move that became easier with the new UbiArt Framework engine. Framework, a proprietary graphics engine that allows artists to easily create content and use it in an interactive environment. "With Ray- man Origins, we tried to get rid of the constraints and let the artists work easily, without thinking about polygons or textures or sizes, so they could just concentrate on the art," says Ancel. UbiArt Framework's flexible architecture limits the repetitive ally responsible for Rayman's universe, the game's lore purports that it is created by the title's highly sensitive supreme being, the Bubble Dreamer, who conjures up the so-called Glade of Dreams world into existence each time he falls asleep. When the Bubble Dreamer begins to have bad dreams, players must ease the being's fears and stop the nightmares with hilarious antics. "While there is a deeper story to be unearthed, much of the ex- perience in this immersive platform is about visual storytelling: the hundreds of different stories players will tell one another as they romp through this cartoon playground, interacting with the envi- ronment," says Gabrielle Shrager, lead story writer. More specifically, the game pits the baddies, the Darktoons, against the good Electoons. Players must battle enemies and try to tasks required in making a game, enabling artists to create HD ani- mation and imagery from limited original artwork, without having to worry about the technical aspects of game development. Rayman Origins is the first title to use it. "As the engine and the technology came together, it became clear that this was the right approach and time for Rayman to make his comeback," says Ancel. "When we saw what we could do in 2D, the worlds we could create [with the engine], I naturally thought of Ray- man. For the first Rayman, a major focus was on the art. Rayman was born in 2D, so this seemed like a great way for him to be reborn." With the UbiArt Framework, artists can create animated images from any kind of artwork that can be scanned, photographed, or digitized. The engine separates the imagery into individual pieces, and applies a skeleton and bones to the assets to provide pivot points for animating movements. Then, the animator simply poses the model and edits the silhouette, and the system deforms the image automatically. As a result of the UbiArt Framework, Ubisoft Montpellier was able to keep the Rayman Origins team small and nimble. "I believe August/September 2012 19