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Rain World is not a game for the faint of heart. This unbelievably cruel title offers little guidance as it kicks your ass repeatedly. What’s more, everything is out to get you as you learn your place in an inhospitable land. However, when the chips are down, you must make your own luck. This is exactly what happens as you learn the fundamentals and use the environment and your foes to your advantage.
This classic Metroidvania title is developed by Videocult and published by Akupura Games. What’s more, this tough experience relies on classic platforming elements and a huge slice of stealthy mechanics. Accordingly, you must be patient and learn as you go. If you cannot do this, the game will beat you within an inch of your life. Additionally, you will soon tire of its harsh gameplay and often unfair endeavours.
Rain World tells a sobering story.
You are a Slugcat. This cute but strange worm-like creature has been separated from its family. However, it won’t let this hiccup ruin its day. Instead, it allows vast numbers of predators to take that role. Consequently, every element you face will annihilate you in minutes. Alongside this, the brutal vegetation and intelligent AI are often too much to handle. Therefore, you must study your foes and memorise the labyrinthine world if you wish to survive.
To make matters worse, the world evolves as you fail. Subsequently, you must adjust your approach and be ready to learn new skills during every playthrough. I found this idea to be a step too far! A cruel and unkind game isn’t an issue. However, constantly moving the goalposts was almost too much to bear. As such, Rain World will turn off many gamers before they’ve had a chance to truly experience what is on offer.
Don’t get caught in the rain.
If predators and Slugcat-munching plants weren’t enough, you have to put up with flooding and starvation. These elements are key to your progress and your survival. If the rain begins, you must find a nest to hibernate. However, if you have not eaten enough food, you will not be able to rest and you will die. As such, time is of the essence and remembering where the food supplies are located is essential.
What impressed me, though, was the vast number of environments and rooms to trawl through. There are 12 diverse regions that host many unique creatures and plenty of problems to overcome. Alongside this, there are secrets to discover and a maze of pathways to traverse. In order to explore each area, you must learn new skills. Whether you are lobbing rocks at your foes, hurling spears to create new ledges, or wall jumping and crawling through pipes, it never gets old.
Rain World looks fantastic.
The varied biomes ensure that you are wowed at every turn. Moreover, Rain World has wonderful stylised pixel art that oozes an odd but captivating charm. Alongside this, the weird neon-infused lizards and horrendous plants will impress and disgust you equally. Furthermore, the insanely large map is overwhelming and awe-inspiring. At first glance, the enormous world is too much to take in. However, once you become familiar with the mechanics and the evil predators, you recognise each twist and turn. As such, the world isn’t as big as it seems, and you soon love the odd subterranean environment.
The audio was a little understated for my liking. Though the music does a great job of adding drama and suspense, there are too many moments of silence. This was disappointing, especially when you’ve died for the nth time. It would have been pleasant to have some mindless background music to take away the bitter taste of defeat.
Not enough guidance.
The sheer brutality of Rain World isn’t helped by the lack of a tutorial and virtually no hand-holding. I found this approach to be odd and quite off-putting. With no focal point and an unbelievably harsh environment to explore, it was tough to wade through the soul-destroying action. However, if you can put up with this approach, you experience a rewarding, yet strange Metroidvania title.
Ignorance and stubbornness make Rain World a moreish title. Additionally, every baby step and enemy that you overcome inspires you to keep coming back for more. On top of this, the ever-evolving predators and random spawn positions keep you on your toes. Now, this wasn’t exactly fair, but I couldn’t help but enjoy the action because of its sadomasochistic tendencies.
Rain World is an exceptionally cruel game.
I found Rain World to be oddly addictive and exceptionally cruel. Yet, I still loved everything it offered. The ever-changing enemies keep you on your toes, whilst the sinister flooding adds a layer of terror and suspense. Moreover, the vast world and diverse regions are stunningly beautiful and horrifically harsh. Accordingly, though it nearly broke me, I still recommend that you buy it here! Can you traverse the devastating landscape to reach your family? Study your surroundings, stay in the shadows, and keep out of the water.
