Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 94 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 94
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 94
  3. Negative: 3 out of 94
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  1. Harry210
    Sep 19, 2010
    9
    Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is a neat platformer. Despite being a sequel to Rayman 2, most of the characters from that game don't return like Razorbeard or Ly. The game play is also different to Rayman 2: Rayman attacks with his fists rather than shooting at his enemies, he can gain some really cool abilities from Laser washing powder (!) containers which can help him overcome obstaclesRayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is a neat platformer. Despite being a sequel to Rayman 2, most of the characters from that game don't return like Razorbeard or Ly. The game play is also different to Rayman 2: Rayman attacks with his fists rather than shooting at his enemies, he can gain some really cool abilities from Laser washing powder (!) containers which can help him overcome obstacles throughout the levels and he can also ride on a skateboard which make for some very eye pleasing and heart pumping stages in the game. The visuals (especially in the Skateboard stages) are nice and colourful and once again in a Rayman game, the music is just awesome. The main baddie in the game is Andre, a black lum which transforms the other red lums into black lums as well. The black lums then use animal clothing to create costumes for themselves which turn them into Hoodlums, the main enemies in the game. The dialog in the game is great although Globox's personality can be annoying sometimes but the teensies are funny. The laser washing powder grants you powers (for a limited time) like turning your fist into a guided rocket launcher or allowing you to fly. I do wish the game was more open like the PlayStation 2 remake of Rayman 2, Rayman Revolution; the game is quite linear. Unlike Rayman 2, the game has a scoring system and at the end of the level, you have a total points score. You get points by smashing piggy banks, defeating enemies and finding objects dotted around the level. This element adds a bit of replay value and like Rayman 2, there are teensie cages hidden in the levels which when you free 5, 10 etc, your heath bar will increase. The boss battles are also interesting to fight. Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc is a worthy successor to Rayman 2. Different but great!… Expand
  2. AidenO.
    Apr 26, 2003
    9
    The game is great it has loads of levels,bonuses and very action packed.it speaks for itself.
  3. sussekind
    Dec 11, 2013
    10
    Rayman 3: The Hoodlum Havoc It's the best game on the Rayman series. The gameplay is awesome, the game is better than Rayman 2 and the HD version for PS3 is also good.
  4. RobertoP.
    Jan 19, 2005
    10
    It's a great game, even better than Rayman 2.
  5. T.T.
    May 27, 2003
    10
    Good mix of types of play. flying, swimming, jumping, running, ect. and a very good mix of scenes to play in. very cool and different worlds!
  6. maxxy3000
    Mar 7, 2012
    8
    This game expands on Rayman 2, but at the same time, draws back to Rayman 1 for some inspiration; such as using his fists. I did like this game, Rayman always manages to show style and creativity, as well as variation in each of its games. And this one, is no exception. It holds new enemies, a new story, a new weapon system; and of course, many new adventures! The scenery is awesome, andThis game expands on Rayman 2, but at the same time, draws back to Rayman 1 for some inspiration; such as using his fists. I did like this game, Rayman always manages to show style and creativity, as well as variation in each of its games. And this one, is no exception. It holds new enemies, a new story, a new weapon system; and of course, many new adventures! The scenery is awesome, and the layout just seems right. Lot's of action and drama added largely to this game. But I found the story a little confusing at times, and the goal of a level a bit hard to find. All in all this game still has a lot of new features, and a fun new system; but I find that it could have been better.… Expand
  7. FSJ_973
    May 25, 2013
    9
    Se podría decir que está para pasar el rato. ¡Pero qué estilazo! Sus brillantes gráficos y sus simpáticos historia y personajes hacen de él un gran videojuego pese a sus fallos.

    Nota: 8.5/10
  8. ShayHacohen
    Feb 26, 2013
    9
    An amazing game, my 2nd favourite in this amazing series (the first being Rayman 2).
    I'm usually a PC gamer and barely use consoles, especially these days, but if I ever do use my old PS2 it's just to replay, once again, this wonderful classic.
    The gameplay's brilliant, the soundtrack is just awesome (like the soundtrack of most of this series), the characters, both the returning and    An amazing game, my 2nd favourite in this amazing series (the first being Rayman 2).
    I'm usually a PC gamer and barely use consoles, especially these days, but if I ever do use my old PS2 it's just to replay, once again, this wonderful classic.
    The gameplay's brilliant, the soundtrack is just awesome (like the soundtrack of most of this series), the characters, both the returning and the new ones, are just awesome...
    And there's also some nice humour in it :D
    I do think, though, that it had lost some of Rayman 2: The Great Escape's sort of mysterious and beautiful atmosphere, but it also retains some of it, which goes great with the soundtrack so this game definitely deserves a 9.
    And besides... such nostalgia :D
    Highly recommended.    … Expand
  9. EremitaJ
    Jul 30, 2014
    9
    This game is brilliant. You can take away Murphy and his stupid 4th wall DEMOLITION and you have a nice and solid Rayman title. Yes, in some parts the graphics are amazingly outdated but I think it's part of a certain charm that only Rayman games can give us. Alas, old friend.
  10. SuperkenGaming
    Jul 7, 2018
    6
    Rayman 3 HD
    From fun to frustrating
    Rayman 3 HD is an 8 hour long 3D platformer and revamped version of 2003’s Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc where you set out to stop these hoodlum punks running around the forest.. And we wouldn’t see another mainline rayman game until 8 years later with rayman origins, and going back to 2d that is this series routes was clearly the right call We all have    Rayman 3 HD
    From fun to frustrating
    Rayman 3 HD is an 8 hour long 3D platformer and revamped version of 2003’s Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc where you set out to stop these hoodlum punks running around the forest..
    And we wouldn’t see another mainline rayman game until 8 years later with rayman origins, and going back to 2d that is this series routes was clearly the right call
    We all have nostalgia of 3d platformers, but Rayman 3D is a reminder that this genre wasn’t as great as we remember them being…
    Rayman 3 comes from a time where frustrating equaled fun…
    that isn’t the case throughout the entiriety of this game.. but it rings true for the ultimate delivery…
    the first half of this game is very casual and fun..
    I was surprised how much I was enjoying this 15 year old game, collecting gems to unlock bonus levels, progressing through the levels with the different powers the game gives you, that all really bring you back, you have some tordano power, a fist power, a rocket power, and a flying power..
    these are for the most part used in great ways to keep the gameplay fresh through your 8 hour journey..
    a lotr of the times youll have to defea enenemies for them to drop this power that you need to progress…
    at first its really hard to die in this game..
    I was relieved thinking okay not every 3d platformer was some annoying obstacle to overcome…
    and then the game throws in annoying enemies that fly around and feel impossible to hit, dodging all of your attacks, and then I die trying to defeat them..
    In a modern game no big deal… ill start at the beginning of the room and try again..
    That isn’t the case here…
    The checkpoint system in this game is absolute garbage…
    I died twice in this spot befgore I figured the enemy out and I had tio start from the beginning of the chapter each time… running through the same areas, recollecting the gems, re fighting the enemies in between that spot, redoing the simple yet tedious environmental puzzle…
    and moments like this show up a lot in this game… dying in a boss battle will sometimes make you have to go through a series of platforming to get back into the room to give It another try..
    and the final boss is just a bunch of cheap pultiple stage garbage… the 2nf to last stage youre not only fighting the boss but youre fighting the camera and draw distance as platforms are loading back in as you fall trying to cimb to the top, taking damage… and getting to this point in the fight was frustrating enough.. but if you fall, its game over and you have to redo the 2 stages before it…
    theres just so much awful dated feeling delivery here during a itme where autosaving and checkpoints weren’t really a thing yet and it really makes the final stretch of the game feel hard to enjoy.. especially since it does that thing all platformers do where everything was fun and colorful, but not its all dark and lava, and ugly, full of steam, all mixed in a soup of unfun anxiety with credits at the bottom of the bowl.
    I still do believe this game is worth playing through..
    its has its moments of fun, decent level design, a great feeling of discovery and exploration.. it just would’ve been so much better with modern staples and a respect of the players time and effort,
    I give Raman 3 HD
    a 6/10    … Expand
  11. KayVen17
    Jan 4, 2017
    8
    Deutsche Review - Kritik

    Der folgende Test ist in 5 Kategorien zusammengefasst. Diese 5 Kartegorien ergeben die Gesamtpunktzahl von 0 - 100 Punkten. Um einen passenden Userscore zu geben wird auf oder abgerundet. Bei 84 Punkten ergibt das einen User Score von 8. Bei 86 einen von Userscore von 9. Falls eine 85 kommt entscheide ich ob ich es eher positiv oder negativ nehme. Regeln    Deutsche Review - Kritik

    Der folgende Test ist in 5 Kategorien zusammengefasst. Diese 5 Kartegorien ergeben die Gesamtpunktzahl von 0 - 100 Punkten. Um einen passenden Userscore zu geben wird auf oder abgerundet. Bei 84 Punkten ergibt das einen User Score von 8. Bei 86 einen von Userscore von 9. Falls eine 85 kommt entscheide ich ob ich es eher positiv oder negativ nehme. Regeln verstanden?
    Dann sind hier meine Punkte.

    Mein persönlicher Score = 76/100
    Mein User Score = 8/10    … Expand
  12. Lament
    Jul 12, 2016
    10
    This game took a humorous story-telling and made the Rayman series big in my eyes. The game is action-packed, fun and has stunning graphics despite it's age. The PC version is equally good as well, but playing it on a PS2 really gives you chills.
  13. frederik1478
    Dec 14, 2021
    10
    One of my favourite platform of all time, I love the music I can get it out of my head and the snow level music is the reason I played this every Christmas, rayman have found a way to make Combat in a platformer fun is amazing. The art style and riding holds up amazingly well and interesting move and movement mechanic is so well done that are i moved back to this game every year at Christmas
  14. JhonasCritic
    Jul 3, 2020
    10
    Muy buena jugabilidad, banda sonora y personajes. Buenos gráficos para la época en que salió.
  15. GameDudeGuy
    Jan 25, 2021
    9
    again i find this to be better than rayman 2 its fun acutally had power-ups and its likely one of my favorite games ever made buy the Ps2 Xbox and Gamecube the gba one is just rayman 2 anyways its a good game
  16. Metaluke11110
    Jan 15, 2021
    9
    Secondo me il gioco offre veramente tanto divertimento,anche se in alcune sezioni,come ad esempio quando si sta per arrivare alla fine il gameplay diventa un pò difficile da controllare,ma è pur sempre piacevole da giocare.La grafica aveva dei livelli altissimi per quel tempo per ps2.La trama è abbastanza semplice,ma riesce a differenziarsi tantissimo dai capitoli precedenti,perchè siSecondo me il gioco offre veramente tanto divertimento,anche se in alcune sezioni,come ad esempio quando si sta per arrivare alla fine il gameplay diventa un pò difficile da controllare,ma è pur sempre piacevole da giocare.La grafica aveva dei livelli altissimi per quel tempo per ps2.La trama è abbastanza semplice,ma riesce a differenziarsi tantissimo dai capitoli precedenti,perchè si trasforma in una specie di open world,senza livelli.Se si completa il gioco al 100% collezzionando tutti i cristalli e gemme,si sbloccano nel menù dei minigiochi anche giocabili in co-op,ma non sono un granchè,risultano molto semplici rispetto al gioco.Io non metto 10 perchè non è eccezionale come gioco ma si prende un voto che si avvicina abbastanza,quindi io darei un 9 per la storia,per lìesplorazione,gameplay e la difficoltà ma sopratutto il divertimento.… Expand
  17. ibblue07
    Aug 18, 2021
    8
    Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc was a joy to play especially as someone who isn’t too familiar with the series.
  18. HildaSimp5
    Jan 30, 2022
    8
    Rayman 3 is very nostalgic for me. Its one of the earliest games i remeber playing. But childhood memories might not reflect what i think about the game today.
    So after many years, i booted it up again for the first time in many years, but to my suprise, it was actually almost as good as i remember. The camera is abit annoying from time to time, especially in the Bog of Murk. Its abit too    Rayman 3 is very nostalgic for me. Its one of the earliest games i remeber playing. But childhood memories might not reflect what i think about the game today.
    So after many years, i booted it up again for the first time in many years, but to my suprise, it was actually almost as good as i remember. The camera is abit annoying from time to time, especially in the Bog of Murk. Its abit too easy even for my taste and it could have needed abit more platforming segments.
    That being said, i still really enjoy this game. The levels are so fun, Clearleaf Forest, Bog of Murk, Land of the Livid Dead, Desert of the Knaaren and Summit Beyond the Clouds being my absolute favorites. The soundtrack is also excellent and catchy, Hoodoo, Land of Livid Dead, Summit Beyond the Clouds, Hoodbomber and using those big legs being some of my favorite scores. I also really love the Hoodlums, even if i am not the biggest fan of having just the same enemies, the Hoodlums work very well. Their descriptions online are just hillarious. I feel the plot could have been abit better though, but it still work. I also wish many of the levels the much longer. The ones that i mentioned as my favorites are ones i seriously wish where twice as long. Though this game also has some very bad continuity, which actually all Rayman games have. Despite being the third game in the series, many or most characters introduced in the previous games are not here, not even mentioned. This does`nt take away from the game, but some more continuity would be nice. Combat is also very good and fun. This games collectibles are nice Gems that makes a neat sound when collected, so they are addictive to collect.
    Rayman 3 is one of the games i loved from my childhood that still mostly holds up today. I found this game very difficult as a kid, but no i breeze past those challenges i struggled with no problem. While there more problems than i remember, its still a wonderful game that i adore playing.
    A true shame it is, that Ubisoft have all but forgotten this Limbless Legend. My inner child still holds on to the hope that Rayman 4 will one day happen, but chances are very slim that it will.    … Expand
  19. VegeST
    Apr 10, 2022
    8
    The most memorable platformer on PS2 in my opinion. This atmosphere, this gameplay, this story - it's rad!
  20. SAN4TH
    Jun 28, 2022
    10
    being completely honest, the best Rayman game I've seen or played. It ran on the PS2 like a charm and I wish I could experience it once more like I did the first time. One of the first games I've played and am I glad that the first game I played was the best one I've played yet. No platformer tops this game for me.
  21. BLEACHdc
    Nov 20, 2022
    10
    This game was amongst the first games I ever played, and 17 years later I can still say to this day it’s genuinely my favourite game of all time. The quick gameplay, the whacky visuals, the gripping characters, all make rayman 3 in my eyes the perfect game. For most of us in our 20’s, 3D platformers are a huge part of our gaming childhood, from Conker’s bad fur day to Spyro, there was aThis game was amongst the first games I ever played, and 17 years later I can still say to this day it’s genuinely my favourite game of all time. The quick gameplay, the whacky visuals, the gripping characters, all make rayman 3 in my eyes the perfect game. For most of us in our 20’s, 3D platformers are a huge part of our gaming childhood, from Conker’s bad fur day to Spyro, there was a period of time where they ruled the gaming world. And in my personal opinion, Rayman 3 tops the list. Maybe it’s my nostalgia glasses with the memories of playing the PlayStation 2 sat on the floor in the living room with all my family, but the game seemed to have everything going for it. Power-ups, mini games and unique missions like surf boarding across a musical magic mushroom trip. Let’s be honest, who else got a bit scared roaming the desert of the knaaren and realising you can’t actually damage these monesters, the feeling of helplessness creeped me right out! But defeating Reflux at the end of the level felt like the biggest achievement of my life… at the time! Rayman 3 is a game that every so often I still pick it up and take a trip down memory lane. Still waiting to see you in Rayman 4 Murphy, although I have a feeling that ship may have sailed…… Expand

Awards & Rankings

80
#80 Best PS2 Game of 2003
70
#70 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. GameSpot
    79
    What Rayman 3 does is re-create much of the same lighthearted whimsy that made Rayman 2 so incredibly enjoyable, while differentiating the action enough for the game to stand up on its own.
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  2. Gamers' Temple
    81
    A nice platformer with good style and funny moments. Unfortunately, the camera and lock-on problems are no laughing matter.
    Read full review
  3. GameZone
    85
    The only drawback for this the fact that it will take only ten hours or less to beat, not including the bonus quests that are won through out the game.
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