chapotraphouse

I kinda like the "Captain Lazerhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix" but one of the biggest problems I think the series runs into is that the material it is remixing just doesn't have the substance or depth needed to do a good remix. I really like the artstyle, animation, and color design of the show, but the more I think about it the more I realize Ubisoft creative bench is pretty weak.

Outside of their Assassin's Creed games (which have been been lackluster since I'd say 3), Splinter Cell (again lackluster after the 3rd game), and maybe Far Cry (lackluster after 3 as well) there aren't a lot of names and faces for this sort of remix. Most katz can't name a the protagonists or any side-characters in the later entries of the series, and even characters in the new series are extremely one dimensional. WATCH_DOGS i think is the biggest offenders as I think would name the hacker group DEDSEC before I would remember the name of any of the members outside of the protagonist Marcus. Sure these Ubisofts game have capital "L" LORE but I can't think of a single story worth remixing from Ubisoft vast but utterly shallow catalog.

Rayman ironically is one of the only Ubisoft characters to really have a whole identity, one where that could warrant a remix. His adventures in the Rayman games actually have some unique identity and creative texture, and he stands in contrast all of Ubisofts later games. The creativity (and subsequent IP) of Ubisoft has been pretty plateaued since the mid 2000s. Far Cry 6 I think shows you everything you need to know about Ubisoft's lack of creativity in modern age.

So much of Ubisoft is the semi-realistic shoot 'em up games like Ghost Recon, The Division, Rainbow Six which don't really have the necessary characters or creative identity for a remix of them to work. The only thing a writer can do with special operations teams is just have them the big super government. Again there aren't really any characters from these games I could name that had any sort of lasting impact on me as a player. They can't be remixed because they are at best something you can sample (to attempt to make a music analogy).

So many of Ubisoft's games are really like that sort of substance and character driven appeal needed for this sort of show. Characters who are three dimensional enough like Jade and Pey'J from "Beyond Good & Evil" (which are by the way is a sick ass game, go get a copy and play it!) are kinda a sad reminder that their games and their characters don't really have a place in modern Ubisoft, perhaps the larger gaming culture which is just a bummer. I can see why they did what they did with Rayman (still think it's a kinda boring remix, dark and edgy is so on the nose and in Rayman's cause very large nose) but it's really the only character they have.

I'm no show writer man but I think you could have done a lot more by playing into Rayman's descent into obscurity. Explore it's like to be forgotten, to have it all and lose it to all at no real fault of your own. I'm not sure how it work in this remixed cyberpunk Blood Dragon inspired world, but it could a much more interesting exploration of what a mascot character is in today's gaming world. Rather than doing "dark and edgy" you could something like "sad and somber", which I think would contrast against Rayman's upbeat and optimistic attitude. Really push the limits of his belief in himself to the edge. Just a thought, maybe have him learn that he is still cool and good and being a happy guy in a sad world is a power in itself.

Don't get me wrong I know this is probably way too much thought to go into a what is effectively a show to build brand strength for Ubisoft, but it's just kinda of a bummer to see how creatively flat Ubisoft has become and honestly I don't see that changing. Whenever you have to go "dark and edgy" I think you have already lost.