Originally intended as a Wii U exclusive, Ubisoft Montpellier’s Rayman Legends will now be available on Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and also Playstation Vita when it hits European stores on August 30th, the studio have confirmed. While a U.S. release date remains unverified, the cel-shaded game is expected to release in the States on September 3rd, according to reports. This will mark the beloved adventurer’s second outing on the Vita – following the excellent Rayman Origins last year – and Ubisoft also released a brief teaser trailer which you can check out below:
For Wii U owners, the news will act as light at the end of a long, meandering tunnel, given the convoluted journey Rayman Legends has experienced. The platformer was due to be available within the Wii U’s release window but, following Ubisoft’s decision to go multi-platform, the company pushed the game away from its original, but rather tentative February 26th release.
Now though, after prying the game away from the battleground of September, the publisher will hope to avoid the colossal presence of Grand Theft Auto V when it becomes available on September 17th – a tactic that Guerrilla Games also employed, after shifting their Playstation Vita title Killzone Mercenary forward to September 7th.
The Vita incarnation of Rayman Legends, however, will feature some exclusive content that utilises the handheld’s various touch-enabled features. While console owners can expect a range of bonuses, for the Vita, this limited content will include five additional maps that will challenge players to control a greenbottle fly named Murphy using the device’s rear touchpad. What’s more, Ubisoft have confirmed that certain costumes will only be available on Sony’s handheld – namely a Prince of Persia outfit for Rayman and some Splinter Cell apparel for Globox. The portable version of the game will also include a multiplayer component, including co-op play via Wi-Fi and a range of online challenges courtesy of an in-game leaderboard.
Boasting the beloved art style and polished animation that the series is known for, Rayman Legends looks poised to repay fans for their enduring patience in the game’s turbulent development period. We’ll just have to wait until August 30th – September 3rd for America – to find out if the game packs a disembodied punch.
Rayman Legends will be available for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and Playstation Vita on August 30th. Be sure to tell us what platform you’ll be hopping onto in the comments below.