Gamers Evolved

Ubisoft is trying its best to create party games for the large families, the gathering of friends, and the college students who need a break from all the mayhem. Earlier this week we reported that they were turning Cranium, the team party game, into a game for the Wii. There new game Rayman Raving Rabbids has been released and is sure to be a great party game.

Ubisoft has taken its popular Rayman platformer franchise and turned it into a party game. There is a major single-player component to Raving Rabbids; however, this single-player game doesn’t use any of the traditional Rayman gameplay. The entire package consists of different minigames, with many layered throughout the single-player game and also built out into multiplayer.

Rayman Raving Rabbids marks the return of the iconic video-game hero, Rayman, in his funniest and zaniest adventure ever. When the world of Rayman is threatened by a devastating invasion of crazed, out-of-control bunnies Rayman must rise up against his furry foes to foil their wicked plans.

The premise is a flimsy one, but it’s a good-enough way to get you into those dastardly minigames. Every single minigame in Raving Rabbids takes advantage of the Wii’s motion-sensing technology in some way or another. As generally fun as the motion controls are, the comedy of the game is what sells it. The rabbids themselves are almost exclusively responsible for this, as they are, without a doubt, hysterical. They’re adorably designed, with their dumb stares, high-pitched shrieks, and a penchant for taking comedic bumps.

Wii really isn’t about next-generation graphics. At roughly twice the horsepower of GameCube, it isn’t quite ready for the high-definition era. That noted, the BG&E team has pushed style and art in favor of cutting-edge graphics techniques to give Rabbids a look that is pleasingly atmospheric. The bunnies are fabulously designed and frequent levels complete with remarkably varied and moody backdrops.

Ubisoft is taking a definite risk in hoping that this game will take off without a hitch. But don’t let that discourage you. While it may not be the best game ever it is still a great game to get the part started.