Rayman Fiesta Run is a game released on iOS and Android in 2013, as a sequel to Jungle Run. It features additional gameplay elements from Rayman Legends. Just like Jungle Run, the first thing that strikes you is how pretty the game looks. It contains a fantastic aesthetic and looks absolutely beautiful. The game has smooth animations and runs flawlessly. Likewise, the music retains its charms and suits the game well. The core gameplay remains the same in that Rayman runs from one side of the screen to the other. The twist here is that Rayman runs automatically and you can only control other actions such as jump, glide and punch through tapping the screen.
While you only start off with the ability to jump via tapping the screen, you will eventually earn other abilities such as gliding and punching through holding the finger onto the screen and tapping another area respectively. In each level, there are 100 "lums" to collect; these appears as yellow glowing balls (with eyes and wings). Most of them are easy to get but a few will require precision timing to execute jumps and maneuvers. Therefore, the challenge lies in executing the correct moves with the correct timing.
You will invariable replay some levels many times as you slowly learn the level layout off by heart. While this is definitely a downside of the game, being so reliant on the timing of presses, there is a sense of satisfaction in completing a level properly and it looks great in motion. It gives you an idea of how great a perfect run can feel to someone who speed runs. Level designs are definitely a step up compared to Jungle Run. It's much more varied and a lot more fun.
Levels now include falling platforms, lums that move around, riding on vines and jumping from the foreground to the background. Even though you know that these are all timed such that Rayman will definitely make that jump, it causes your heart to skip a beat and doubt yourself wondering if you maybe jumped just a bit too early or late. This makes the game slightly more challenging but ont he whole, all levels are easy to complete but getting all 100 lums requires effort. Fiesta Run takes ona food theme and in some cases, Rayman himself even shrinks. There'll be sausages, stoves and mushrooms scattered around the levels. There isn't a proper story though.
The game contains 80+ levels (including updates which added more levels) and each one is fun, there are no duds here. The levels spread across a map which has nodes. In each level, depending on how many lums you get, you can free up to four "teensies". These teensies serve to advance the nodes of the map, in order to unlock more levels. You can challenge the levels out of order which adds a bit of freedom. As you travel across the nodes, various collectibles are unlocked, such as pieces of artwork and additional characters. You use the lums you've collected as currency to purchase these items. Note, that while it may seem like there are a lot of levels, various levels have a similar layout and they just different by the amount of enemies and obstacles.
To make the game easier, there are several power ups that you can us (which costs lums), such as a magnet to attract all nearby lums, a guide which shows the optimal path, a checkpoint, a projectile attack and extra health to allow you to survive more than one hit. To be honest, using them feels like cheating and completing a level with their aid just does not feel right, but the option is there if you wish. There is a feature called Nightmare Run in which you try and finish off as many levels in a row without dying as you can. While it doesn't offer anything new, it increases longevity and presents a nifty challenge.
There are challenge levels which are extremely hard and requires very precise timing. You cannot use any help items in these levels and it can frustrate. However, once you complete it, it is satisfying. the game supports achievements, so you'll gain XP for Google lay. As well as that, there is controller support which is pretty cool. The game supports in-app purchases, mostly for lums, you'll find that the unlockables such as additional characters does cost a significant amount which forces you to grind levels again and again if you don't want to spend any real money. Overall, Rayman Fiesta Run is a worthy sequel to Jungle Run that improves upon it in every single way. The levels are more fun, Rayman is as wacky as ever and all the minor additions make this a very good game.
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