One of the hardest things about reviewing video games is explaining how a game actually feels to play. We’ve all likely played games that control perfectly, enabling us to become one with the character and feel great doing so. We’ve also all likely experienced the opposite, where something feels off and it just spoils the whole game. That’s unfortunately where I stand with Rusty Rabbit, which has a hell of a lot of good ideas, but simply controlling your character just doesn’t feel right.
Rusty Rabbit has a post apocalyptic setting, but one unlike anything I’ve ever seen. In this future the humans are gone due to a new ice age, and only rabbits remain. There’s a whole rabbit religion that follows the book Peter Rabbit as if it’s a religious text, but alongside those who follow these teachings there are just bunnies trying to survive. One of these bunnies is crusty old timer Patch, our unlikely scrap obsessed hero on a mission to save his daughter.
Before any sort of heroism can happen though, Patch needs to hop in his trusty mech. In this he can jump all around the underground caverns where the best scrap is found, and of course drill through dirt. Pretty much immediately I realised that this metal monster you ride is clunky, and that’s just something you’ll have to deal with to play this game. The weighty jumps are unwieldy, and even as you add wall climbing, boosting, and big boost jumps it continues to be awkward to get around in the Rusty Rabbit’s rusty mechsuit.
The drill you use though is much more satisfying, as when you use it to destroy a block of dirt you’ll gain experience. Early on especially, it feels worthwhile to clear out every block in every room, and the little completionist chunk of my brain was very happy with this. The drill is also used in combat, and it’s flat out awful for this. With a tiny range and slight lunge forward accompanying each jab, you’ll end up taking damage almost every time you attack with it. I cannot stress enough how annoying this is, making especially early game combat a massive chore.
So there are some pretty core parts of Rusty Rabbit that are undesirable to say the least, and this only makes it more frustrating how good the other aspects of the game are. For example levelling up to gain skill points always feels good, with everything from easier ways to find secrets, to bonus health available to unlock. Another way to keep yourself strong against the metal foes lurking in every room is by crafting better gear, which is done by taking parts back to base. It’s simple but absolutely effective, and makes each trip into the depths worth it.
You’d better believe with this being a Metroidvania that there are plenty of new abilities to gather too, which will help you access new areas as well as secrets back in previous ones. Getting to dash across gaps or grapple up sheer vertical walls is great, as is breaking through tough blocks with a hammer. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before of course, but that doesn’t stop it from being satisfying.
Most of what I’ve talked about in this review takes place in the dungeons, but Rusty Rabbit has a hub area full of things to do too. This includes the basics like shops and your workshop where you do all the crafting, but also a bar full of side quests (which will grant you extra money and even skill points on completion), a diner where you can get to know the other bunnies you live alongside, and even a church that’ll show you cutscenes about the rabbit religion in exchange for carrots. Not all of these extra narrative elements are top tier, but they flesh out the world a bit more for those who are interested.
The best feature of Rusty Rabbit though is the one saved for last though, certainly in terms of when you unlock it. The town features a random dungeon generator, which you can jump into at any time to explore a new area full of extra crafting parts. It’s such a good idea, and one that means you can always ensure the parts you need if you’re willing to spend a bit of time drilling.
Rusty Rabbit has some good ideas and decent Metroidvania hooks, but the clunky movement and combat really let it down. No matter how hard you try to focus on the positives these issues constantly detract from your good time. If you’re particularly hungry for a Metroidvania you’ll likely get some enjoyment from this game, but in a crowded genre that’s having somewhat of a renaissance of late, it’s hard to suggest playing this one over better examples.
