Once Ubisoft announced the delay of the Wii U version of Rayman Legends from two months ago to September 3rd, fans were not too pleased, but the publisher did have something in mind as an apology. While they were able to announce the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions, more levels and challenges were also made for all the versions. For Wii U owners and fans, Ubisoft recently released the challenges app for those wanting some Rayman that were originally supposed to get last February. This challenges app not only features the same three levels the first demo provided when it came out around launch time, but also daily and weekly challenge levels players can play for high scores on the leaderboards. What is surprising about these challenges is how addicting they are and if this is an indication of what to expect on the final game, then Ubisoft has another big hit in their hands with Rayman Legends.
The three levels that were from the last demo were unchanged for the most part as it is still a taste of the main game’s offering. The main reason you’re downloading this free app is indeed the challenges. Rayman Legends’ challenges are split into daily and weekly ones. How these last are pretty self-explanatory and there is indeed a new daily challenge every day, so I hope Ubisoft keeps this up as long as they can before the game’s September release. These challenges range from collecting a certain number of lums as fast as you can to going as far as possible in levels that require the Wii U gamepad’s touch screen. These levels are pretty short to beat, which is why it is so addicting to retry over and over again to improve your high score on the game’s leaderboards. That addiction personally reminds me of playing quick levels on iOS games to beat my friends and that is the same feeling I have against thousands of players that are also playing the app.
During gameplay, ghosts will also appear with you that are players racing at the same time. This specifically reminds me of SSX’s online approach with their ghosts so you can get a glance of what other players are doing to improve their times. The touch screen mechanics are easy to grasp right away with simple finger motions to move platforms to keep going, touching the screen to take out enemies and collecting lums, and taking out certain obstacles that are blocking your path. With such simple mechanics that require fast reactions and runs ending in seconds, this challenges app would be perfect for tablets and smartphones, so we’ll see if Ubisoft actually takes advantage of this idea.
The lum collecting mechanic from Rayman Origins remains the same in Legends as collecting purple lums in an orderly fashion is the key to success especially in getting fast times in specific challenges. Being high on the leaderboards after a challenge ends gets you trophy cups (platinum, gold, silver, and bronze) and a certain number of lums. Getting a specific number of cups increases your awesomeness rating, which also unlocks extreme versions of the daily and weekly challenges. These lums can also unlock more characters to play as as well.
The randomly generated levels that will pop up every day and week also can make or break the game. For the app so far, there are only four environments where the levels will take place. The lack of environments may become an issue later on after a month or two, but I don’t think it would be a big deal as long as the level design is top notch by the developers. Also, the addictive and competitive aspects of these challenges are unmatched compared to any other Wii U game out now. Honestly, this is the only thing out on Nintendo’s newest console that makes me wanna play for just ten minutes every day to see how the daily challenges pan out. Along with the crisp and beautiful art style that was first established in Origins, Legends is shaping up to be one big game filled with content that will keep players busy for weeks and even months.
The Rayman Legends Challenges App on the Wii U’s eShop is arguably the most addictive thing out on Nintendo’s system right now. With competitive challenges, simple controls both with regular buttons and the gamepad’s touch screen, and the drive to keep retrying to get that high score you’re satisfied with, it is shocking that this app is free to download. This is an amazing gift by Ubisoft to give fans to make the wait for the final game much easier. Rarely do demos give a good taste of what is come for the final game, but developers should take notes because this is how to make an amazing demo that players will still play months from now. It is also the perfect formula for a possible iOS or Android version once Ubisoft realizes they already have a hit in their hands with this app alone. If Ubisoft maintains the consistency of releasing these daily and weekly challenges on a regular basis, then they really do have something special with Rayman Legends when it comes out on September 3rd for the Wii U, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3.
