courtesy of ign
Ubisoft's Rayman Raving Rabbids represented a dramatic departure from the traditional platformer nature of the franchise, but Wii fans didn't seem to mind. Case in point, the game remains one of the best-selling third-party titles on Nintendo's new console, which is why it should come as a surprise to nobody that a sequel is underway. Rayman Raving Rabbids 2, unveiled for the first time only a couple months ago at an official Ubisoft event, follows the Rabbids as they prepare to invade Earth. As Rayman, you're charged with the task of infiltrating the bunnies' camp and the only way to do that is to become one of them. In Rabbids 2, you effectively play as the critters, a fact sure to suit fans since it was the Rabbids that were collectively the star of the first game -- not Rayman. Of course, there is a huge selection of new mini-games, nearly all of them designed to accommodate as many as four-players. We recently sampled approximately five new minis ripped directly from the E3 2007 build of Rabbids 2 and we think that anybody who enjoyed the first outing will find more to like here.
The E3 2007 version of Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 is still early. You will hear in videos that some of the sound effects are missing and that the music is hot, which means that it can sound distorted at high volumes. Also, the majority of the gameplay modes and minis are locked at this point. The interface is designed around what looks to be a shopping mall complete with a few stores. If you let the interface idle, you will eventually see bunnies go screaming by in a grocery cart or peeking at you from the corners of the screen and the presentation of these anti-heroes is as humorous now as it was in the first title. You can hear elevator music playing in the background as you look around, but you can't do much because you have only two options: The Plaza or Training.
Going to the Plaza enables you to enter a dressing room where you can first select and then customize your Rabbid. There are an initial 10 different Rabbid designs to choose from, including one donning a football helmet, another in warrior attire, another in a dress and one more that looks like a zombified critter. Once you've chosen your base model, you can equip him in various styles of hats, clothing or full-blown costumes. You might add a pirate hat or a police helmet to him, slap on a pair of cowboy gun belts, or forego all of the above and opt for a costume. You can effectively become Superman Rabbid, or wear the skeleton outfit from the Karate Kid, which pretty much rules. Since the title is so multiplayer-centric, these different costumes help define your different personas. If you'd rather not deal with any of the customizations, you can randomly generate a bunny, too. And if you're a glutton for the old-school, Rayman himself is also a selectable character, although he cannot be customized in the E3 build.
The E3 iteration of Rabbids 2 includes a spoof on football, a swim contest, a mini called 9 to 5 Rabbid that pokes fun at the development work environment, a laundry washing contest, and finally, a new music game inspired by titles like Guitar Hero. All of the minis are compatible with up to four players and are, in fact, best played with as many people as possible, in our experience.
In Rabbid Football, the goal of mini is not to score a touchdown, but simply to hold onto the ball. Using the analog stick, you guide your football-carrying Rabbid around the field and attempt to dodge out of the way from would-be-tacklers. Actually, three other critters chase you around and will dive often as they try to knock you down and secure the ball. The longer you hold onto the football, the more points you gain, and the person with the most points at the end of the round wins the match. If you're playing defense, you control your Rabbid with the analog stick and shake your Wii remote once to make him dive forward. The controls couldn't be more basic, but they work just find and this particular mini is surprisingly fun.
In swim contest, your objective is to compete in swim races against opponents. You dive into the water and off you go. On-screen cues tell you to make different gestures as speedily as possible in order to maintain your momentum. For instance, you might have to repeatedly thrust the Wii remote and nunchuk up and then back down again, or make a double stabbing motion with the devices. This particular challenge can deliver a workout, as you will find yourself intensely gesturing with the controllers in order to stay in the race. If you fail, you will sink into the water.
One of the funniest minis in the E3 build is 9 to 5 Rabbids. We can tell that the game's designers had a little too much fun with this particular mode because it seems to be inspired by the creation process. The setting looks to be inside the offices of Ubisoft. There are four computer terminals occupied by four Rabbids, all apparently doing some kind of office work. (Given that there are Splinter Cell posters on the wall, we like to think these are developer bunnies.) Every so often, a Rabbid manager type enters the room to make sure the bunnies are doing their jobs and therefore the objective is to goof off when he's not in the room. To do this, all you do is shake the Wii remote. Your Rabbid will jump out of his chair and begin bellowing or dancing on his desk, at which point you will begin to earn points. If you're not careful, though, the manager will re-enter the room and catch you messing around, and you'll lose points. It's all about timing. Shake the Wii remote when he's gone and if a doorway or window frame begins to flash white, that is your indication that the manager will be coming in at any second. With four players, this mode is pretty hilarious to watch, but it is far less intoxicating with a single gamer.
In the laundry washing mini-game, there are four Rabbids in a Japanese garden and they are hand-washing laundry in a nearby pool of water. (Don't ask because we don't know.) To play, you shake the Wii remote and nunchuk back and forth and the Rabbids will furiously scrub pieces of clothing in the water. Then, you raise both controllers up to examine the laundry. If it's clean, the Rabbid will toss it backward and you can begin scrubbing the next piece of clothing. If it's still dirty, you'll need to plunk it back into the water again for more washing. The mode is a bit on the surreal side, but it's arbitrary presentations like these that have become a staple of the franchise.
It is, though, the new music mini that is sure to induce the most smiles. In the mode, which is undeniably inspired by Guitar Hero, you shake the Wii remote and nunchuk in sequence to on-screen cues, as you might in any Dance Dance Revolution game, for example. The bunnies, however, are in a rock band and they are playing a squealing Rabbid version of the classic Deep Purple song Smoke on the Water. It's a bit ridiculous, but it's funny. Up to four participants can "play" different instruments - guitar, drums, organ or vocals - by shaking their Wii remote and nunchuk to the on-screen cues. Obviously, mastering the music is not nearly as difficult as it is in Guitar Hero - you need only shake two components and the on-screen cues are fewer and farther between - but it's still enjoyable as a multiplayer endeavor. According to Ubisoft, Smoke on the Water is just the beginning when it comes to the selection of songs. Look out for other popular music both on the rock and pop side.
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 is shaping up to be a worthy sequel to the original game. The minis so far are fun and engaging with the added advantage that most of them are compatible with up to four players. Also, although the videos today don't show it, the title appears to be running in a cropped 16:9 mode this time around. We'll have much more on the game in the months following E3 2007.
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