Rayman Raving Rabbids 2

Metachronos overall score = 6.9 / 10

Positive
- More rabbids, this time crazier
- Over 50 minigames, with a few real gems
- The rabbids are still wonderfully psychotic
- You can play dress-up with the rabbids, if that's your thing
- Multiplayer is a greater focus in this sequel

Negative
- Most of the minigames are merely OK, and some are downright dull
- In-game graphics still have a crude look to them
- Shooting sequences aren't nearly as interesting this time around
- The single-player isn't very interesting

Ubisoft's Rayman franchise took a sharp and perhaps unexpectedly successful turn in last year's Rayman Raving Rabbids. The one-time platforming hero went the minigame-collection route, and in doing so introduced the world to the most dementedly entertaining bunch of lagomorphs since Bugs Bunny's heyday. The game was a success both because of its delightfully slapstick sense of humor and its solid use of the Wii's motion controls for a variety of twisted games. Now, one year later, Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 is on store shelves. This is an altogether predictable follow-up. It puts the rabbids in a mixture of familiar and different-feeling minigames that, unfortunately, aren't quite as engaging as what the first game offered. Likewise, the previous game's goofy humor isn't as spot-on here, with gags more inclined to elicit a mild smirk than any hearty laughter. Nevertheless, the increased multiplayer focus makes playing with your friends quite a bit more entertaining here than in the original game, and there are still some moments when the rabbids' unique brand of collective psychosis shines through.



Presentation hasn't seen a great deal of upgrading since last year's game. The cute, cartoony visual style is still a treat to look at, but at the same time, the in-game graphics can look pretty crusty, especially if you're running the game in 480p. Regardless, the animations of the rabbids are as humorous as ever, and all that stuff with the full-motion video actually looks pretty cool. The audio is practically identical to last year's game, with recycled rabbid screams and all. Granted, all anyone would ever want out of the audio from this game is screechy rabbid noise, and this one has it in spades. But just out of curiosity, why, exactly, does Rayman make rabbid noises in this one? Is he being driven slowly insane by his continued interaction with these barmy creatures? Or did the Rayman voice actor suddenly want too much money?
By no means is Raving Rabbids 2 a bad game, but everything about it feels a little bit slapdash, as if it's more an excuse to get another game featuring those daft rabbids out on store shelves by the holidays than a sequel that builds off of the success of the original and advances the series. The minigames are mostly decent, but few really inspire the same sort of cackling glee that the first game did. Maybe the onslaught of minigame collections for the Wii over the last year has as much to do with that as the quality of the game itself, but nevertheless, Raving Rabbids 2 can't help but feel a bit old hat. For those in serious need of a new rabbid fix, Raving Rabbids 2 is a sufficient way to feed the addiction, though it's probably better served as a rental instead of something to add to your collection.