Rayman Raving Rabbids

The PC version of Rayman Raving Rabbids came out in 2006 alongside the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 editions and offers exactly the same gameplay - platforming action with an ongoing story in which Rayman faces an invasion of Rabbids, interspersed with shooting segments using a cork gun and a range of short minigames including races, rhythm sequences and precision tasks.

Thanks to scalable graphics requirements, the game ran on PC at various levels of detail depending on the performance of a given setup, so it could reach a higher resolution and smoother framerate than the console versions on sufficiently powerful hardware of the time, provided the player had a strong enough computer; on weaker setups, on the other hand, it could look worse than the console editions. The controls were adapted for keyboard and mouse, which handled the shooting segments with the cork gun differently than the gamepad-controlled console versions - aiming with a mouse was more precise but less intuitive for players used to an analog stick.

Similar to the PS2 and Xbox 360 edition, the PC version too represents the original, content-richer take on the game with a story and platforming levels - unlike the Wii version, also released in 2006, which replaced most of these elements with a collection of minigames controlled by motion with the Wii Remote and turned Rabbids more into a multiplayer party brand than an action platformer with a clear story arc.

For personal computer owners, the PC version also meant the ability to play without needing to buy a new console - a reasonably equipped machine with a supported graphics card was enough. Keyboard and mouse weren't the primary intended control scheme the game was designed for, but they offered an alternative to a gamepad for players who preferred playing at a computer. In terms of content, length and level structure, the PC release remains entirely identical to the console editions released the same year.

Why play it: For PC owners who don't feel like buying a console just for one game - content-wise the version is entirely identical to the console releases, just with the option to play on keyboard and mouse instead of a gamepad.