Rayman Legends Retold were among the more interesting revelations of Sony's latest State of Play. Of course, it wasn't entirely shocking to those in the know. The public has long speculated that a Rayman Remake of the game is on the way, and Ubisoft itself said that it was looking into reviving the franchise as early as 2024. But seeing it in action is still different.
The original Rayman Legends launched in 2013 and is easily one of Ubisoft's best releases – arguably one of the best 2D platformers ever made, in fact. It's huge, with over 100 levels, but even so, it's consistently surprising and joyful. Creativity seeps out of every pore Rayman Legendsand with smooth, responsive controls and rock-solid design to boot, it's hard to think of the game as anything but exceptional. Even 13 years later, it holds up incredibly well, solidified as one of the best platformers you can buy on modern consoles. Naturally, this may lead some to wonder why it needs an ambitious remake in the form of Rayman Legends Retoldif it has already stood the test of time and is readily available.
Rayman Origins: Enhanced Edition Leaks Online
A new remaster of Rayman Origins has surfaced online from an official source, with the game reportedly offering a number of performance improvements.
Rayman Legends definitely doesn't 'need' a remake
No game really needs a top-to-bottom remake. For example, most modern gamers prefer the revised third-person shooting of 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake, but this does not invalidate the original's earlier gameplay RE2. The newer one Resident Evil 2 is closer to contemporary tastes, but to say it's “better” than the original is both reductive and a potential example of recency bias.
It's very strange because, aside from film and theater, I'm hard-pressed to think of any other artistic mediums that adhere to this “newer is better” philosophy. You'd be laughed at in an art museum for criticizing a painting for being too old, and you wouldn't be taken seriously by a jazz musician for saying that Miles Davis' music is too old. Conventions and means, such as game development technology or CGI software, evolve over time, but such growth does not describe a linear path of continuous improvement.
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In the case of Rayman Legendswe have a game that is very difficult to meaningfully improve. This is actually something that the game's developers seem to be aware of. In a conversation with Polygon, Ubisoft's brand manager Loïc Gounon said that Legends was chosen to be redone specifically because it is the most “complete” Rayman experience and describes it as having “the world's richest version, the widest set of characters.” Ubisoft says they want to reboot Rayman with this remake, establishing a new era for the series and welcoming new players in the process. And to be fair, if you're going to present Rayman for a new audience, it makes sense to start with the best in the series.
Rayman Legends Retold Does not replace Rayman Legends
For the record, I'm pretty much neutral about it Rayman Legends Retold. The new visuals look great, and the 3D Dragon Ride levels should be nice news (and, for what it's worth, a potentially clever replacement for the original Legends' level select), but again, Legends don't need a remake. If I had to form a hard opinion about RetoldI'd probably say it risks losing some of the magic of the original without the direct involvement of Michel Ancel (although he does consult).
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But even if this ends up being the case, even if Rayman Legends Retold is a disappointment on several levels, the original Rayman Legends still exists. As far as I know, Ubisoft isn't trying to pull one GTA: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition with this remake, to have it literally replace the original on digital storefronts, so even though Retold is a bit unnecessary, it's no harm, no foul. I'm always open to being pleasantly surprised, but for now I have it anyway Rayman Legends within arm's length, and it's going nowhere.
- Released
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1 October 2026
- ESRB
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All 10+ / Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, In-Game Purchases, User Interact
- Multiplayer
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Local Co-Op
