| Rayman 4: Reign of Dark | |
|---|---|
| No image available. | |
| Video Game | |
| Released | 2024 |
Rayman 4: Reign of Dark is an upcoming open-world action-adventure video game developed by both RaymanLover Studios and Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the sixth main entry in the Rayman series, following 2013's Rayman Legends, and a reboot to the Rayman franchise.
Set in the fictional futuristic city of Thristown, the game is played from either a third-person or a first-person perspective and its open world can be navigated by foot or vehicle. Players control four protagonists: Rayman, Finn, Phoebe, and Globox, whom are four rebels who each other unite in the group "The Sentinels" to take down the country's fascist totalitarian regime led by a species of vampires referred to as "Darkwooders".
The complicated development of Rayman 4: Reign of Dark began somewhere in late 2020. The game was announced somewhere in 2021 by RSBProjects as a crossover between Rayman and Star vs. The Forces of Evil, but was canceled by RSB itself in late 2021 as a result of mental health issues and the project's antecipated negative reviews. A few months later, RSB's friend Rogue Studios got the publishing rights but later handed it over to EZStudios due to some development issues. After EZStudios suffered attacks over art theft accusations on Reddit, the project was transferred back to Rogue Studios (now called RaymanLover).
Despite its difficult production, the game received generally favorable reviews from critics; praise was directed at the combat system, characters, story, gameplay, and mission variety, while criticism was expressed towards the open-world design.
Gameplay[]
Rayman 4: Reign of Dark is an open-world action-adventure video game that incorporates tactics from both hack and slash and shooter games.
It is presented from the third-person perspective, showing the playable character on screen and allowing the camera to be freely rotated around it. The game is set within the fictional city of Thristown, which is open to the player from the beginning of the game, allowing them to travel freely anywhere within its boundaries.
One can also choose from a set of background stories and combat classes (Superhero, Mercenary, or Furtive) and other elements to fully flesh out their characters (like combat type, the protagonists' backstory and key life events).
Synopsis[]
Setting[]
Rayman 4: Reign of Dark is set in the year 2063, where the United States is now governed by the Darkwooders after "World War V" occured, an evil government led by the vampire dictator Zachaeus, who controls the population through propaganda and imprisons or executes those deemed "undesirable".
Story[]
After Rayman and his best friend Globox are banished from the Glade of Dreams and defeated by their enemy, André, they are sent to a place that, after a world war, is now occupied by an evil government and lives under a totalitarian regime led by vampires.
Rayman and Globox then both join a freedom-fighting rebel group known as The Sentinels, whom use anti-violent tactics to confront society's oppressors.
Voice cast[]
Main characters[]
- Hugh Jackman as Rayman
- Noah Schnapp as Finn Mertens
- Sadie Sink as Phoebe Ember
- Dave Bautista as Globox
Recurring characters[]
- Bill Skarsgård as Zachaeus the Vampire Dictator
- Zoë Kravitz as Marceline Abadeer
Production[]
Early development[]
The complicated development of Rayman 4: Reign of Dark began somewhere in late 2020. The game was announced somewhere in early 2021 by RSBProjects as a crossover between Rayman and Star vs. The Forces of Evil, but was canceled by RSB himself in late 2021 as a result of his mental health issues and the project's antecipated negative reviews. A few months later, RSB's friend Rogue Studios got the publishing rights but later handed it over to EZStudios due to some development issues.
Controversy over attacks against EZStudios on Reddit[]
Reddit attacks[]
During EZStudios' development on his other project named Minecraft Story Mode: The Rebuilt Trilogy, EZ published a image made by another person without permission in order to announce his project on Reddit, however, that did not go right when someone called him out for "stealing".
While stealing is not the case, he still therefore suffered attacks by other Reddit users over accusations that he somewhat "stole" and failed attempts to defend himself misunderstood by the users for death threats.
After that, EZ went to a mental asylum for unknown reasons, therefore the project was transferred back to Rogue Studios (now called RaymanLover).
EZStudios' return to the project[]
After EZ was discharged from the asylum by his doctors after two months of his undeserved stay, he returned to the project (this time as a producer, illustrator and designer). Alongside that, the brother of late RSBProjects, George Parker, also later then joined the project as a producer.
Reception[]
Critics[]
The game received generally favorable reviews from critics; praise was directed at the combat system, characters, story, gameplay, and mission variety, while criticism was expressed towards the open-world design.
Public response[]
On the other hand, public response to the game was overwhelmingly negative, with criticism directed towards the issue of Rayman's new limbs and overall body, open-world design, the caring dedication to the infamous so-called "art thief" EZStudios, and overall storyline what was deemed as an "unnecessary crossover".