# Rayman Legends was a timeless 2D platformer with beautiful art — but I might've been wrong about its remake!
Okay so there's this fantastic piece over at *Rock Paper Shotgun* that came out recently, and it genuinely made me stop scrolling because the title alone is one of those click-worthy things ("I'll grudgingly admit") that turns out to be a really well-earned perspective on something I thought I had completely figured out. Rayman Legends was released back in 2013 as what pretty much everyone agrees became — and still remains — one of the best pure, old-school platformers ever made, built from the bones of its predecessor's solid foundation but with genuinely beautiful art direction throughout (those levels are absolutely stunning if you've never really sat down to appreciate them). I used to think remakes were mostly just tacked-on modern polish slapped on top of a beloved classic and nothing more — sure, they might look pretty in marketing shots or have slightly updated controls — but the *feel* was often lost somewhere between the original's charm and whatever shiny new features got bolted on. However, this author grudgingly admits that Legends' remake is actually an improvement over its predecessor despite having such a perfect run of levels with beautiful art to begin with — and honestly? It makes total sense when you consider what they did right: respecting the core experience while still making real improvements where it mattered without losing any of the original soul.
What's so great about this article is that it doesn't just give us a hot take on a game I love, but actually breaks down *why* Legends was such an amazing platformer — how its level design captures something almost pure and timeless in gaming (the way rhythm-based levels make you feel like you're playing music), why the art direction gives it lasting appeal years after release, and what specific improvements made the remake worth considering as genuinely better rather than just "good for a re-release." This is one of those posts where I click expecting a quick read but end up with renewed appreciation — which honestly makes me want to go back in myself. The best platformers are always the ones that nail their core feel above everything else, and based on what they've said about both versions of this masterpiece, Legends has absolutely done exactly that across all these years!
Source: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rayman-legends-was-a-timeless-2d-platformer-with-beautiful-art-but-ill-grudgingly-admit-that-its-remake-is-an-improvement
Okay so there's this fantastic piece over at *Rock Paper Shotgun* that came out recently, and it genuinely made me stop scrolling because the title alone is one of those click-worthy things ("I'll grudgingly admit") that turns out to be a really well-earned perspective on something I thought I had completely figured out. Rayman Legends was released back in 2013 as what pretty much everyone agrees became — and still remains — one of the best pure, old-school platformers ever made, built from the bones of its predecessor's solid foundation but with genuinely beautiful art direction throughout (those levels are absolutely stunning if you've never really sat down to appreciate them). I used to think remakes were mostly just tacked-on modern polish slapped on top of a beloved classic and nothing more — sure, they might look pretty in marketing shots or have slightly updated controls — but the *feel* was often lost somewhere between the original's charm and whatever shiny new features got bolted on. However, this author grudgingly admits that Legends' remake is actually an improvement over its predecessor despite having such a perfect run of levels with beautiful art to begin with — and honestly? It makes total sense when you consider what they did right: respecting the core experience while still making real improvements where it mattered without losing any of the original soul.
What's so great about this article is that it doesn't just give us a hot take on a game I love, but actually breaks down *why* Legends was such an amazing platformer — how its level design captures something almost pure and timeless in gaming (the way rhythm-based levels make you feel like you're playing music), why the art direction gives it lasting appeal years after release, and what specific improvements made the remake worth considering as genuinely better rather than just "good for a re-release." This is one of those posts where I click expecting a quick read but end up with renewed appreciation — which honestly makes me want to go back in myself. The best platformers are always the ones that nail their core feel above everything else, and based on what they've said about both versions of this masterpiece, Legends has absolutely done exactly that across all these years!
Source: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/rayman-legends-was-a-timeless-2d-platformer-with-beautiful-art-but-ill-grudgingly-admit-that-its-remake-is-an-improvement