Continuing from the console reboot of Rayman Origins, this is the mobile take of the Rayman formula. As you would expect, it is a running game in which Rayman automatically runs and you can control when he jumps by touching the screen. What makes Rayman Jungle Run stand out from other runners is that this is not an endless runner, there are separate levels, each with a starting and ending point, and a distinct path/environment in which he traverses. This is a great direction as it means that it won't get monotonous and there's always something else to look forward to. You won't be playing and thinking that you wished something you haven't seen would come up. It also means you can play Rayman in short bursts.
Having a set level length means that it doesn't run into the problem of having to play for a long time in order to get to the point of beating your high score like for endless runners. Being on touch screen mobile phones, naturally it changes the classic Rayman formula a little bit. Rayman is still a 2D sidescroller in which he runs from left to right, but he will now run automatically. The player can only control other actions such as timing his jumps correctly. There are 70 levels in total and every 10 levels there will be a theme change whether it be that Rayman gains an additional ability or the environments change, adding in features such as falling platforms. Therefore, while it starts off simple as you can only control Rayman's jump, eventually you gain the ability to punch, wall run/jump and glide.
The controls and actions feels very natural in a Rayman game and I am surprised that it managed to be so faithful to the roots of the Rayman series. However, as tapping the screen is the action you do for both jumping and punching, the difference being that you tap in a different section, sometimes the controls muddle up and you punch instead of jumping leading you to your death. As mentioned, there are 70 levels in all and they are all fantastic. From the moment you enter the first level, you are struck by how amazing the environments look. The animations are so smooth, the colours vibrant and how much it looks like a piece of artwork. This is one of the best looking games and even rivals the console versions.
When you take into account that its performing on a smaller screen with higher pixel density, coupled with phones these days having HD resolution screens, it is so crisp and smooth. The levels start out easy; the aim of each level is not only to reach the end but to also collect all 100 lums which is where the challenge is. Collecting all 100 lums in five levels for each set of nine will unlock a special challenge level, which is noticeably harder to get through. The difficulty slowly increases to the point where it will be a challenge just to finish the level, let alone gaining all 100 lums. Collecting the lums is all about timing when to jump, glide, punch etc. It is very satisfying when you execute a level perfectly as you feel as if you have good skills and it looks amazing in action.
That said, since Rayman can only run forward, if you missed an action you will have to replay the whole level in order to try again. The levels are short enough that it isn't too much of a problem but in the harder levels, playing it for the 50th time to get those actions just perfect will start to frustrate you. The game spices things up by presenting different environmental obstacles, you get monsters to beat up, platforms that start to collapse and boss chase sequences (which are quite fun). You can finish a level typically from 30 seconds to 5 minutes depending on how many times you retry, so you can breeze through all 70 levels very fast. The longevity comes from the replayability of each level to collect all the lums and getting shorter and shorter completion times.
Not only are the graphics and gameplay good but the music is too. It complements the gameplay, look and feel of the game really well. It's catchy but not in your face annoying. There are unlockable pieces of artwork to view, while they're not essential to anything, it is a nice bonus and gives you incentive to keep collecting the lums. One thing to note is that the game drains a decent amount of battery. It is not horrible but you'll be surprised after one session how low your battery has gotten to so it's something to keep in mind. Since a lot of console/PC franchise's transition to mobile isn't spectacular, it's fair to have doubts about Rayman Jungle Run. However, it has been executed perfectly and is such a fun game to play. It keeps the platforming aspect intact while adapting it for smartphones. This is a fantastic game and one that should be played.
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