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Originally designed for the Jaguar, the first Rayman demonstrated how sharp a 2D action game could look given powerful enough hardware. With Rayman 2, UbiSoft now releases a similarly impressive game, only the sequel takes place in a 3D world. Although Nintendo 64 owners certainly have no shortage of 3D platform games to select from, Rayman 2 does stand out as one of the finer choices.

As in the first game, players control the odd-looking hero Rayman, who must restore the world to its former peaceful state. In addition to the mostly generic story, Rayman uses largely standard techniques as well. However, the creative worlds make the overall play experience more memorable than that of many similar games. Each large level offers plenty of areas to explore and hidden items to uncover. Rayman must also solve a few puzzles from time to time in order to progress. All the puzzles seem natural for the world, rather than random obstacles that exist solely to impede the player. Players feel a great sense of satisfaction upon discovering a new area or conquering an old one. Although many games allow players to return to old levels, players may actually wish to re-explore in Rayman 2, since it does not come across as tedious labor, as it feels in many other games. Gamers familiar with the first Rayman probably remember its extremely odd humor. The second game isn't quite as bizarre, but it still exudes a light-hearted atmosphere.

The first Rayman looked outstanding for its time, with extremely colorful and detailed characters and backgrounds. Rayman 2 still compares favorably to other 3D games, though it doesn't amaze as much as its predecessor did, largely because few comparable 32/64 bit side-scrollers existed before the original Rayman's release. Just as before, levels and characters show off plenty of color as well as a few nice effects. Perhaps best of all, very little to zero fogs lurks in the worlds, which allows players to see a good distance into the horizon. Surprisingly, even without fog as a crutch, pop-up and draw-in do not present problems either. As with the graphics, music generally sounds soothing, though sometimes none plays at all. Plenty of background sounds add to the overall mood, such as roaring waterfalls and the noises of various creatures.

For the most part, control feels precise. Rayman aims with ease, and his ability to strafe allows him to dodge enemy fire while engaged in battle. Rayman also grabs cliffs and climbs automatically, so players don't die from not pressing a button in time.

Despite the overall solid control, Rayman 2 still suffers from one of the original problems with 3D games: the erratic camera. Although it manages to keep up pretty well in wide-open areas, enclosed and semi-enclosed ones frequently cause it to misbehave. The camera gets stuck on walls, and as a result completely hides Rayman behind the barrier. Players then have to maneuver him slightly so the camera returns to a usable position. The camera also swings unpredictably when Rayman stands in smaller covered areas, such as under cliffs. As a result, jumping out of such areas presents more of a challenge than it should, since the camera often rotates just before or while the player attempts to aim for the target platform.

Despite its camera problems, the overall atmosphere and generally cooperative control make it a more entertaining experience than many similar games. Gamers who enjoy 3D platformers should definitely consider purchasing Rayman 2.