Ubisoft Director Wants to Develop a New Rayman Game
Could Ubisoft finally look to bring back Rayman in the coming years?
Davide Soliani, the creative director behind Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle and its Sparks of Hope sequel, has expressed a desire to make a new game in the Rayman series. Despite being one of Ubisoft's oldest properties, Rayman hasn't been seen for the past decade. The last mainline entry in the franchise, Rayman Legends, was released back in 2013 to widespread acclaim from both fans and critics. Despite this, Rayman has been on ice since this time, which has prompted fans to begin asking for a new game. Luckily, it sounds like Soliani is trying to deliver on this hope in the future.
Speaking to Nintendo Everything, Soliani said that he "would be crazy" to not want to make a new Rayman title if the opportunity presented itself. Soliani went on to say that one thing that he finds alluring about the property is that it's not rooted in realism, which leads to a lot of creativity from those on the development team. Outside of this, Soliani also previously helped develop the original Rayman's Game Boy Color port, which indicates that he would like to work on the series once again.
"If I had the opportunity, I would be crazy to not take that chance," Soliani said of the idea. "I mean, Rayman is the type of game that has no realistic element. And because there is no realism, everything that you create in the game comes from your fantasy and the fantasy of the team. And so, [everything] from a chair to a table to an enemy to the environment is a form of art, is creating something from scratch. So to me as a developer, it's the pinnacle of all the possibilities. You can go crazy and create your own stuff, as we did in Sparks of Hope. I think I would be crazy to not take that opportunity if given the chance."
Rayman's Appearance in Sparks of Hope
Even if Rayman doesn't return with his own proper game in the coming years, Ubisoft has shown a larger desire to put the character back in the spotlight. Specifically, Rayman made an appearance in the third DLC expansion for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope titled Rayman in the Phantom Show. This add-on was released back in August and received some mixed reviews. Still, the highlight of the expansion was Rayman himself, who was a playable character alongside Mario, Peach, and the game's eclectic cast of Rabbids.
Depending on the reception seen with Rayman in the Phantom Show, there's a chance that Ubisoft could look to embark upon developing a new Rayman installment of some sort. The question involved with a new Rayman title, though, involves the nature of such a project. While Rayman's own individual games have been platformers, the character did also serve as a springboard for the Rabbids series, which has been far more popular in recent years. Regardless of what Ubisoft may end up doing, having Rayman back in his own individual game would surely be a big deal to many fans around the globe.
