If you’re anything like me, you’re just about sick of those freaking Raving Rabbids.  Sure, they’re cute, and I generally have a soft spot for extremely stupid things, which they are, but ever since they spun off from the Rayman series, it’s been all about them.  Every year, they get a new crappy Wii title, while the core Rayman franchise is utterly ignored.  At this year’s E3 press conference, Ubisoft did exactly what was expected and announced yet another Rabbids game.  Then they went and redeemed themselves by announcing Rayman: Origins, a 2D platformer that returns Rayman to his roots while throwing a whole new element into the formula; co-op.

Rayman: Origins uses a charming, hand-drawn art style that’s evocative of Rayman’s original adventure, but still has a visual flair that keeps the 2D game from looking dated.  The art style is lovely, but most die hard Rayman fans will be more intrigued by the presence of Globox, Rayman’s cowardly sidekick from Rayman 2 and 3.  He looks to be playable in co-op mode, providing Rayman with a partner who serves as a living trampoline, among other uses.  This would mark the first time that Globox will be playable in any game, instead of serving his usual role as “idiot who manages to ruin everything for Rayman.”  The role suits him well. 

Ubisoft explained that Rayman: Origins was built by a team of five developers, headed by legendary Beyond Good & Evil creator, Michel Ancel.  Due to the somewhat confusing presentation by Ubi, it was unclear if the game will allow for user-created content, but it seemed like a possibility.