Rayman 4

Rayman 4 is a 2022 open-world action game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It is the sixth main title in the Rayman series and the direct sequel to the 2003 video game Rayman 3. The game was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in July 2022. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions were released in September 2022. A Nintendo Switch version was released in April 2023, and the PC version, on August 2023.

The game was announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2021 set to release in September 2021, however, it was delayed to July 2022 due to the game not being finished in the original release.

While the game being highly antecipated by fans worldwide, The game broke various records and became the fastest-selling game on the video game industry's history, earning $850 million in its release and nearly $2 billion in its first week of release.

Rayman 4 received critical acclaim with critics praising the plot, script, controls, open-world, soundtrack, the return of 3D graphics, and gameplay. Considered one of the best video games ever made, it won various accolades including Game of the Year.

Rayman 4 is currently the best-selling video game of all time with an estimated amount of over 250 million copies sold all around the world and with a worldwide revenue of $7 billion.

Rayman 4 also features characters from Disney's animated show Star vs. the Forces of Evil, with Star Butterfly and Marco Diaz being two of the four playable characters.

Unlike any other Rayman game, this is the first Rayman game to have an open-world urban setting and to receive a Teen rating for Blood and Gore, Comic Mischief, Crude Humor, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol & Tobacco.

It is notable for being the first Rayman game since Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc to be not directed nor designed by series creator Michel Ancel, due to his departure, Floyd Parker took over the role of design and direction.

Cast

 * Kevin Andrew Rivera - Rayman/Michael Raymond
 * Stephan Watson - Globox/Trevor Globach
 * Eileen Montgomery - Star Butterfly/Sarah Butler
 * Dylan Minnette - Marco Diaz/Marquez Donato
 * Jake Gyllenhaal - Phil Walker
 * Michael C. Hall - Toffee
 * Richard Steven Horvitz - Zim
 * Willem Dafoe - REI-23/Raymesis
 * Billy West - Murphy

Gameplay
Rayman 4 's gameplay is completely different from the other Rayman games, The game is played in a third-person perspective, players can progress through the story and unlock more gameplay content playing missions. The player can also freeroam the huge open-world map of California which can be fully explored after the game's first chapter. Players can jump, run, swim, or use vehicles such as cars, unicorns, motorcycles, planes and boats to navigate through its open-world map, Players can also use melee attacks, swords and special attacks to fight enemies, If the player gets caught by an enemy, the enemies will go after the player with an "enemy" meter in the HUD display. Triangles will be displayed with the player is being chased by the "New Forces of Evil", diamonds for gangsters, and hexagons for "mewmonists".

Players can use four characters to play as, Rayman, Globox, Star and Marco.

Each character also has a different smartphone for contacting friends, and accesing an in-game Internet. Players can purchase cars, upgrade attacks and tune vehicles. Players also have the opportunity to access places such as cinemas, stores and car dealerships.

Synopsis
Toffee returns to destroy Glade of Dreams, Rayman and Globox must go to Mewni California to unite with Star Butterfly and Marco Dias to go on an dangerous mission to find the item that can destroy Toffee, but also have to take on new and old enemies.

Release
Rayman 4 was released worldwide in July 18, 2022 for the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5, then September 5 for Xbox Series X and the Xbox One, then April 8, 2023 for the Nintendo Switch, and in August 3 for the PC.

The customers who pre-ordered the game received a free acess to the "Extended Version" DLC, a downloadable content that adds more missions and develops more story for the game.

Classification

 * USA: T (Teen)
 * Australia: M
 * Brazil: 12
 * Europe: PEGI 12
 * Japan: CERO B
 * New Zealand: M
 * German: USK 12

Violence

 * You can fight enemies using melee attacks, weapons such as swords and special attacks, a little bit of blood is shown.
 * One interrogation scene is seen, it's a little violent.

Alcohol, Drugs and Smoking

 * There is one scene in a mission of Chapter 3, where Marco and Rayman are seen drinking wine and they end up being drunk.
 * Globox is seen smoking a cigarette in a mission of Chapter 4.
 * The use of alcohol and cigarettes were removed in Europe to avoid a PEGI 16 rating.

Profanity

 * One use of the s-word in a mission of Chapter 6.
 * The s-word was replaced by "crap" in the European and Australian version.
 * There are profane songs in the radio stations of the game, however, the curse words are censored.

Frightening & Intense Scenes

 * The scene where Glade of Dreams is seen being destroyed by Toffee might frighten young players.
 * The interrogation scene can be frightening for some younger viewers.

Development
Development of Rayman 4 began in May 20, 2019, one day after the finale of Star vs the Forces of Evil aired on television, Ubisoft Quebec developed the game with a team of over 1,150 people, with the game being developed with Unreal Engine 4.

Development of the game finished in June 2022, with the game taking over three years to make.

Reception
Rayman 4 was widely praised by critics and fans, earning a 96 rating on Metacritic for the PS5 & PS4 version, a 95 to the Switch version, a 94 to the XONE and Series X version, and a 98 for the PC version.

Trivia

 * Rayman 4 takes five years after the events of Rayman 3 and the fourth season of Star vs The Forces of Evil.
 * Rayman 4 is the best-rated Rayman game.