Rayman 2 is a great 3D platformer that has a lot going for it. The movements feel smooth and effortless. It really feels easy to communicate the moves that you want to perform to the character and make him execute them exactly the way you want them done. Controlling Rayman is a genuine pleasure. The level design is quite good, and unlike most games of the genre, the emphasis isn't on exploration but rather on progression in more linear pathways, which has the happy consequence of making the game seem faster paced. The game isn't completely linear in itself since a lot of levels still have a tangled layout with intersecting paths, but you are mostly guided through the paths one after the other anyway. Not to say that there is no exploration at all, there is still stuff to collect in every level and it is sometimes well hidden. Unfortunately, these two aspects, linearity and collecting items, have an adverse consequence: some collectibles can only be picked up once, you have a single chance during your one way trip through the level. Indeed, you often can't go back on your tracks to explore as the levels are designed to make you go forward. If you want to complete the game at 100%, you'll most likely have to redo some of the levels a few times. The combats are a chore. They're dull, repetitive and easy. It mostly consists of spamming or charging the single attack that Rayman has and moving around a bit to avoid projectiles. The enemies are not very varied either. I only wanted one thing during the fights, that they end so that I could go back to the great part of the game which is the platforming itself. The game looks fantastic, the world is fanciful, colorful and beautifully designed. The characters are goofy and fun, their voices especially are very amusing. The soundtrack however is forgettable. I really liked Rayman 2, it has weaknesses, but fortunately it is excellent at the most important aspect of a 3D platformer: the platforming.
