As far as video game designers go, one of the most celebrated is Michel Ancel. Best known for the work he’s done withUbisoftover the years, Ancel has been involved in game development since the 1980s, and has produced some truly remarkable work. Ancel has created some of the gaming industry’s most recognizable and iconic characters, and had a major role in developing some of the most critically-acclaimed games ever made.
Ancel’s latest projects wereBeyond Good & Evil 2with Ubisoft, as well asWild, an open world survival game that was originally revealed as a PlayStation 4 exclusive. However,Ancel has retired from game development, leaving those two projects in the hands of their current developing teams, so that he can open his own wildlife sanctuary.
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Ancel’s presence will certainly be missed in the gaming industry, but fans can still play his greatest games. Here are the best video games created by Michel Ancel over the course of his extensive career.
Rayman
While Michel Ancel has been developing video games since the 1980s, he didn’t have a truly big hit until 1995’sRayman. Serving as the game’s lead designer, Ancel created the titular Rayman character, based on designs that he originally made when he was a teenager. Despite being a 2D side-scroller,Raymanwas too visually-intensive for fourth generation gaming consoles, and so focus shifted to systems like the Atari Jaguar and theoriginal PlayStation, becoming a launch title for the latter.Raymanwas a massive success, standing out as one of the best games in the original PlayStation’s launch lineup and becoming the best-selling PS1 game in UK history.
Rayman 2
Whereas the originalRaymanwas a 2D side-scroller,Rayman 2was a 3D platformer in the vein ofNintendo’sSuper Mario 64. Like the originalRayman,Rayman 2was visually impressive and earned widespread critical acclaim. Ancel filled multiple roles during the game’s development, playing a major role in its success and establishing himself as arguably one of the video game industry’s few “auteurs.”
Beyond Good & Evil
Following the major success he achieved with theRaymanfranchise, Ancel set out to make a new IP for the sixth generation video game consoles. The result wasBeyond Good & Evil, which was a critically-acclaimed adventure game with gameplay similar to Nintendo’sThe Legend of Zeldafranchise, but in a science-fiction setting. Despite achieving near-universal acclaim from video game critics, though,Beyond Good & Evilstruggled to find an audience, and its weak sales threw Ancel’s plans of trilogy into disarray. Ubisoft is finally moving forward withBeyond Good & Evil 2, but the project has been trapped in development hell, and with Michel Ancel retiring from game development, it’s understandable that some fans may be worried about its future.
Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie
Michel Ancel teamed withworld-famous movie director Peter Jacksonto create the video game adaptation of the 2005King Kongmovie. Likely thanks to Ancel’s expertise, theKing Kongvideo game managed to be much better-received than the majority of licensed movies based on games. It earned strong reviews from critics, and was also notable for being a launch title for the Xbox 360.
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Rayman Raving Rabbids
Ancel wasn’t actively involved in the development ofRayman Raving Rabbidsin its final form. However, the Wii launch title’s titular Rabbids were designed by him, and so he still had a direct part in theRaymanspin-off series. The Rabbids have since gone on to star in games of their own,cross-overs with Nintendo’sSuper Mariofranchise, and even their own TV series. Needless to say, Ancel’s character design contribution to the project was hugely important.
Rayman Origins
Michel Ancel properly returned to hisRaymanfranchise with2011’sRayman Origins. A gorgeous 2D platformer with co-op play,Rayman Originseven managed to exceed the critical acclaim earned by the original games, standing as one of the most highly-rated games of the past decade. Virtually every aspect ofRayman Originsearned high praise from critics, making it one of the most impressive titles in Ancel’s gameography.
Rayman Legends
Considering how successfulRayman Originswas,Rayman Legendshad a lot to live up to. However, few would say that it didn’t just meet those expectations, but completely obliterated them.Rayman Legendswas a massive critical success, winning multiple year-end awards from various publications, and is considered by some to be one of the best platforming video games that has ever been produced. Ancel would go on to help make mobile games based onRayman Legends, but if it truly ends up being his last full-fledged console release, then there’s probably no better title to end his career on.
