And invest you will, for Rayman 2‘s gameplay is simply brilliant, boasting some of the most novel approaches to a platform game since the original Prince of Persia. In addition to trouncing Razorbeard’s gang and collecting lumes, Rayman will have to find a number of items scattered about the worlds he’ll explore, including spheres that open new places to investigate and switches that trigger specific events and reveal what you need to do next. The age-old trick of having to aim your weapons at nearby objects to indirectly cause the demise of your opponents is incorporated into the design, as is the need to seek help from the characters you’ll encounter when it comes to getting across bottomless chasms and other daunting areas of passage. What’s more, you’ll find you have to use your head as often as your fingers, because although sequences such as the lava-rafting bit are about action, other bits require some thought, such as determining how to catch a speedy character on a rocket who’s only going to help you if you can lay hands on him.

Included as a helping hand–and a way to increase the depth of gameplay–are Rayman’s multi-faceted abilities, most of which will come as a surprise to longtime fans. I doubt most of us knew Rayman could shoot projectiles at his opponents and use his hairpiece as a device by which to hover and glide high above the ground for short distances. On that same note, I wonder if anyone knew he was something of a sharpshooter, as he can even target specific enemies and strafe them with shots like a hardened Doom veteran. When he’s not running, jumping, swimming, skiing, or swinging along on a vine, he may actually be found riding rockets and even stranger fare in a rodeo. Previously somewhat introverted, inexperienced at combat, and possessed by no more personality than the smile plastered to his face could convey, the Rayman we encounter here is a far cry from the armless, legless man we knew from days gone by.

Not only can the new Rayman and the inhabitants of his world act like champions, they look pretty snazzy, too. Alone, the vivid colors and lighting effects are incredible, but pop in the expansion pak and Rayman’s world comes to life in cartoonishly bright tones. Rayman 2 runs in a high resolution mode that allows you to take in every aspect of the steamy swamps, gloomy caves, sparkling seaside areas, and smoky lava-filled rooms that await. Each level has been designed with a particular theme in mind and, unbelievably, you won’t find any repetition in this regard. The presentation also benefits from the inclusion of cutscenes through which the plot unfolds, although these are blended into the course of play so as not to interrupt the game’s flow.

And flow it does, in a majestic stream of content that will have you anxiously awaiting the opening of every new area and tirelessly combing through the places you’ve already explored. That, of course, is provided you don’t get a bit frustrated by Rayman 2‘s camera problems, as the title suffers from the panning issues that have been the bane of many a 3D platformer. Hopping from platform to platform high above while there is lava bubbling below, and avoiding the robotic thugs that cross your path are easy enough tasks on their own, but you can’t avoid problems you can’t see coming, as is occasionally the issue. Nevertheless, these troubles aren’t characteristic of the overall functionality of the title, and they do not hugely detract from the larger gaming experience.