This underrated 2013 video game has the greatest levels I've ever played

On a lark, I picked up a copy of 2013's Rayman Legends for my Sony PlayStation 4, looking for a fun cooperative game to play with my girlfriend. 

On that front, I hit the jackpot: Rayman Legends is a real diamond in the rough — it looks like a playable cartoon, and plays like a dream.

If you've ever played a Mario game, you know what to expect. Run from left to right, collecting fairy-like Lums while evading deathtraps. Like the recent Mario games, too, you can play with up to three other people, which makes it a great couch game even for the inexperienced (or younger) player.

But the best part of Rayman Legends are its musical levels, where every jump, run, and slide is timed to to the snares, guitar, and vocals of world-famous rock songs. It's an insane idea that works incredibly well in practice.

Here, check out "Mariachi Madness," a level where you have to dodge trumpet-wielding skeletons and spiny worms while rocking out to "Eye of the Tiger:" 

 Or "Gloo Gloo," an underwater chase set to the 5 6 7 8's "Woo Hoo:" 

There are a dozen of these levels in the game, most of which I haven't even discovered yet. You get the chance to play one of these musical levels after beating each episode's boss, making it a really fun reward for making progress in the game. 

Despite winning a ton of critical acclaim (it holds a stellar 90% score on review aggregation site Metacritic), Rayman Legends was apparently a sales disappointment for publisher Ubisoft. It's a shame Rayman Legends didn't go on to be a massive hit, because it's loads of fun and has some great, crazy ideas. 

If you want to play, Rayman Legends is available for the Nintendo Wii U, the Microsoft Xbox 360, Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 3, Sony PlayStation 4, the Sony PlayStation Vita, and the PC. At the time of writing, Amazon is selling the PlayStation 4 version for $31.50, which is a real bargain for such a fun game. 

SEE ALSO: Why the Xbox One is losing to the PS4, according to the guy who made Xbox matter

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