Rayman 4: Darkness Returns

Rayman 4: Darkness Returns (Also known as Rayman 4) is a 2024 Platform Game developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and published by Ubisoft it is the sixth Mainline title in the Rayman Series and is a direct sequel to Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc. The game was released for the PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5, Xbox One Xbox Series X and Series S and Microsoft Windows. The game's story follows Rayman, Globox & Barbara as they travel through the Glade of Dreams and into the Nightmare Vale to stop the returning Mr Dark and the new 7 Deadly Sins to take over the Glade of Dreams and infect their friends.

The game retains the series' core platforming gameplay, and adds new elements through the use of the Elemental Masks from Rayman 2: The Greater Escape, who have a much bigger focus and can alter levels and provide means to traverse or overcome obstacles. It also includes additional game modes for replaying levels, and the ability to control other characters, such as Globox, Barbara, Ly The Fairy & Murfy. The development team intended for the game to be a direct continuation and finale for the original trilogy in both narrative and gameplay.

Rayman 4  was directed by Davide Soliani whose goal was for this installment to be his best work. He aimed to create a game that both allowed newcomers and returning players fun in terms of interesting world & level design with also a more complex combat system by providing various difficulties and challenges while also acting as sendoff to the Rayman series. The plot was written by returning David Neiss from Rayman 3 & newcomer Tim Schafer (Founder of Double Fine Productions) both wanted to create a more cohesive world and a perfect balance between the comedic humour from Rayman 3 and the more dier and serious Tone from Rayman 2 while also writing a perfect finale to the series but can still be open-ended if Ubisoft wanted the series to continue.

Rayman 4 received highly positive reviews from critics & fans alike, highly praising the gameplay, depth of it’s combat, portrayal of its returning characters, and handling of the narrative & story with the controls, amount of content and replay value, visuals, music, voice-acting, were also commended, though the Open World mechanics & multiplayer received criticism. The game succeeded sales expectations and managed to sell over 4 Million copies worldwide.

The game serves as a tribute to Michel Ancel after he left the company & gaming industry in 2020.

Plot
See also: Characters of Rayman

Following their defeat from Rayman, Mr Dark & The Magician tries to escape from the Nightmare Vale (a Banishment area for Nightmares & Villains) he fails once again but accidentally opens a portal to another part of the Vale, which houses the 7 Deadly Sins & the Darklings, an evil race of Nightmares who vow to spread despair & chaos everywhere in the Glade of Dreams. They make a deal to free themselves from the Nightmare Vale by using the power of the Magician and 7 Deadly Sins but unfortunately fail once again leading to Mr Dark thinking of another Plan.

Meanwhile, Rayman has longed to live the glory days as a Hero once again but has been resting and hasn’t done something greater, when suddenly a group of Hoodlums and a Xowar have been spotted in the plains by Ly the Fairy. Rayman defeats them but sees that a Dark force up in the mountains, Ly warns Rayman that it’s a powerful source which the Faries can only stop and he can't stop them, Rayman disobeys her orders and goes to the Mountains and finds a portal to the Nightmare Vale, he then accidentally let's Mr Dark, The Magician, Darklings and 7 Deadly Sins into the Glade of Dreams after being tricked to let them free, after a Battle between the 7 Deadly Sins & Mr Dark, Rayman gets defeated and losses a majority of his powers.

He is then woken up by friends Murfy, Globox & Barbara who tell them that people all around the Glade have been captured by the Darklings, Rayman comes clean and tells them that he caused them to escape. While Globox forgives him, Murfy (more so jokingly) and Barbara are more critical of him doing this, despite this, Ly The Fairy warns them that Polokus and the Nymphs are in danger from Mr Dark’s army in the Citadel of Wonders. They make it to the Citadel where the Darklings have already destroyed the entire Citadel, have captured the Nymphs/Ly/Tenesises there and have infected Polokus in a dark energy which is supposedly incurable, he gives Rayman the Elemental Masks & a Silver Lum to aid him on his journey and to also save the Nymphs across the Glade to open the Nightmare Vale, Rayman apologies for unleashing the Darklings but Polokus forgives him, saying that everyone makes mistakes and should always rectify it no matter what and Rayman will do so no matter the sacrifice, Polokus tells them goodbye and turns into a Giant Nightmarish Monster.

The group explore the Glade of Dreams to find all 7 Faries while also encountering the 7 Deadly Sins who are guarding the Fairies, At the start of their journey they meet Clark the Giant who has once again been poisoned by the Darkling energy which turns them evil, just like Polokus. Rayman vows to find a cure for the infection but told by his friends is incurable (Even by Murfy who is reading the Dreampedia on his for anything and says there’s nothing). Rayman is determined to save Clark & Polokus after he caused the mess.

The group first save Ly the Fairy from Wrath who hears of the state both Clark & Polokus are in and tells them that there is a cure but is from her younger cousin, Tily the fairy who hasn't been heard from in quite a while after the events of Rayman Arena as her last citing was in the deeper parts of the forest where supposedly the Robot Pirates have resided. Rayman & Ly go there and find her with the help of Sssam the Snake who tells them that she’s been captured by the Pirates, They make it into the largest Pirate ship where Tily is being held captive, they save her after a run-in with Admiral Razorbeard. Tily (Who is now a teenager) gives Rayman a Silver Lum that allow to cure anyone under the dark influence through the use of energy orbs similar to Rayman 2.

The 2 of them visit where both Clark & Polokus were in and battle them using the orbs to cure the 2 of them, who thanks Rayman, leading them to go on the journey to cure the infected, defeat the now remaining 6 Deadly Sins and save the Nymphs and Tensises.