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[More_Badass]

Developer: Videocult | $19.99 (Steam, GOG, Humble, PSN) | PC, PS4
Releases March 28th
Site | Devlog | Kickstarter

Launch Trailer | PSX Trailer | PAX Trailer | Kickstarter Trailer
Soundtrack preview: Grumblebum | Else
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You are a slugcat. The world around you is full of danger, and you must face it – alone. Separated from your family in a devastating flood, you must hunt for food and shelter between terrifying torrential downpours that threaten to drown all life. Climb through the ruins of an ancient civilization, evade the jaws of vicious predators, and discover new lands teeming with strange creatures and buried mysteries. Find your family before death finds you!

Inspired by the simplicity and aesthetics of 16-bit classics, this survival platformer requires fast-paced sneaking, both upon your own prey and past the jaws of hungry predators. Each ravenous foe in your path will be cunning, vicious and always on the hunt – eager to sink their teeth into you, or even each other. As a small, soft slugcat you must to rely on stealth and wit rather than force: learn the ecosystem and turn their strengths to your advantage. Maybe then you can survive... Rain World!
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• Sneak, climb, and pounce your way through a dynamic, ever-changing ecosystem of predators and prey
• Explore a vast world of over 1600 rooms, spanning 12 diverse regions filled with ancient secrets and undiscovered dangers
• Nimble movements and procedurally generated animation gives slugcat a natural fluidity of movement and unique sense of weight
• Intense, primal predator encounters will challenge your reflexes
• Limited resources and the constant, impending threat of rain will test your nerve

Relentless hunters, camouflaged stalkers, creatures at home in the murky depths and open skies, things lurking in places where the sun never shines...
Rain World's industrial jungle is home to predators and prey of all kinds

An intelligent civilization existed before, but now only the decayed ruins and eroded infrastructure remain as remnants of that long-gone culture.
Oppressive darkness, dank rusting cisterns, rolling hills of detritus, metropolitan ruins, and much more are waiting to be explored

Reviews

BrashGames - 10/10

Rain World is a vastly solitary experience and you will probably feel lonely at times, especially considering completing this game will take most players about 30 hours. There are plans to introduce local co-op and versus multiplayer too as a free update. Co-op would greatly change the experience, for better and for worse, but it's impossible to say for certain until I try it for myself. However, no game has had me glued to the screen like Rain World has. I don't know how Videocult have managed to preserve such a fascinating simulation of an ecosystem, while maintaining playability. Rain World is the definition of emergent gameplay, Slugcat will go down in history.

GameSpew - 9/10

Not since Mark of the Ninja have I played a stealth game that felt so impactful, lingering in my thoughts long after I put the controller down. It doesn't wait up for you or make sure you're comfortable. It forces you into a corner, snarls its teeth and dares you to try again. It can be frustrating, God knows I cursed plenty of times while playing it. Yet at the end of the day, Rain World does what it seeks out to do with such finesse and vision that it feels like a game that was meant to be made.

Medium (Portuguese) - 8.3/10

Rain World to me is an example of how independent projects can advance some of our basic conventions of fields like animation and design, but how they can ward off some players with their quirks as well. It is a game that instigates you all the time to experiment but also reminds you how risky your mistakes can be, keeping you always alert and focused. At times I was extremely annoyed with the game but for the most part I would soon see that I was the one to blame for most of my deaths and realized that I could abstract knowledge from my mistakes to conquer the world. The subjectivity here sure can be a problem for many, and it even was for me in some moments, but in the end I feel that experiencing Rain World is not so much about progressing in this world to reach the end, but to understand and to experience vivdly how this world works.

PC Gamer - 8/10

Rain World requires improvisation and smarts, and there's no way to trick it into being easier. The early hours are taxing, and in all honesty, it continues to be taxing. It's not relaxing. It's not a game to wash away your daily worries with. But the variety of the world's barren landscapes will keep the determined pushing on, and the seemingly insurmountable challenges are, well, surmountable, but not thanks to 'tricks' per se. You just have to be smart about it. You have to learn—and then very vaguely know—how to survive. You have to accept that sometimes you'll be unlucky. Is that too demanding? For the vast majority of players, I expect it is. For those with the time and patience, Rain World will prove unforgettable.

CGMag - 8/10

Think Limbo, but more haunting and with better controls, and you'll have a basic idea of what Rain World is about.
I think people are going to be looking at Rain World in years to come as a milestone in animation. While that open-ended nature doesn't always translate to a stellar gaming experience, it's always mesmerizing to look at. Rain World is a tough game that's going to alienate those without proper platformer training, but as long as you're willing to adhere to its rigid ruleset, the juice is worth the squeeze.

IGN - 6.3/10

Rain World is a maddening thing, because of quite how special it could have been. Beautiful environments, incredible animations and enticingly hazy mechanics are fantastic, but the sheer cruelty of how it's pieced out to the player transcends challenge and becomes an unwanted trial.

Push Square - 6/10

Rain World has massive world that can be pretty easy to get lost in and enables some real survival adrenaline rushes. Unfortunately, these positive aspects – alongside its exquisite art direction – are at odds with some of the less satisfying aspects: the slightly awkward controls, the overwhelming feeling of almost too much freedom, and the fairly constant threat of losing large chunks of progress take away from the experience. The end result is complicated: it's a game we bounced off quite a lot but one we still greatly appreciate. The game does something new with the genre and it does it well for the most part, making the game worth at the very least giving a look

Azralynn - 66/100

When I first started the game, I felt sort of bored and think others may feel the same way. I kept playing though, and realized this game is not as easy as it looks; since then, the game has really grown on me. Despite my innumerable deaths, I keep wanting to try again. Rain World is a niche game, and will certainly not appeal to everyone. However, those who love somewhat challenging exploration platformers, and don't mind that there isn't much in the way of combat are sure to get a lot of enjoyment out of Rain World.

Polygon - 5/10

There's pleasure to be found in a challenge. There's pleasure to be found in difficulty, and in failure, and in obscurity too. I just can't say that I found any of that pleasure in Rain World. I can't fault anyone who does, because there is something to that awkward little slugcat and the grimey, mean world it calls home. But I never felt properly equipped to discover, to improve. With core systems opaque and unnecessarily limited, all I ever felt equipped to do in Rain World was fail.

Two Left Sticks

Putting players on a journey of survival, Rain World is a game whose simple appearance shouldn't discourage players. Aside from controls that add unrequired difficulty, Rain World is a fantastic game thanks to its execution and imagination. Rain World proves that appearances can be deceiving in the best way since it's another standout title for 2017.

RockPaperShotgun

First: I am certain it's going to become a cult hit with a crowd of hardcore, mystery-loving obsessives behind it. But secondly, it has also left me with the impression of a badly missed opportunity. Equal parts astounding and hands-tearing-out-your-hair frustrating, this adventure, like the slugcat itself, is a bit of a mix.

Click for larger images

 

[Granjinha]

i'm finishing my video review right now (not gonna have it ready for the embargo hour tho ) but in short: It's my GOTY so far

I am curious about the media's reception in general for this game, though. It's really unique and it has some flaws, and it's by far one of the hardest games i have ever played.

So much for keeping my hype in check!

do bear in my mind that i have a quite different taste in games than the general public

 

[WoolyNinja]

i'm finishing my video review right now (not gonna have it ready for the embargo hour tho ) but in short: It's my GOTY so far

So much for keeping my hype in check!

 

[robotrock]

Can't believe it's finally happening

 

[BoxManLocke]

Preordered it on a whim a couple of days ago because the trailer on ps store just looked so good.

Very excited for this.

 

[jack_package_200]

For some reason, the aesthetic of this game reminds me of Samurai Jack

 

[Stoze]

Nice OT Badass, I'm guessing this is one of your most anticipated releases in years. Wouldn't have known about if not for your dev blog thread, I'm very excited.

Might be a while before I get to sink time into this, going to try and stay away from threads and videos (like I still am with Zelda). I'm interested in seeing reviews and impressions though.

 

[More_Badass]

Nice OT Badass, I'm guessing this is one of your most anticipated releases in years. Wouldn't have known about if not for your dev blog thread, I'm very excited.

Might be a while before I get to sink time into this, going to try and stay away from threads and videos (like I still am with Zelda). I'm interested in seeing reviews and impressions though.

Not one of. The most anticipated, indie or AAA. I learned about Rain World around the same time I got into indie games and PC games back in 2013, so the game has been pretty much emblematic of indie gaming as a whole for me, and defined my perspective on indie development.

So in other words, any impressions by me should be taken with several grains of hyperbole. At least around launch

 

[Granjinha]

it's funny, i clocked in 63 hours in the game and yet i didn't find this creature

makes me wonder what else i missed in the game

 

[Poimandres]

I think this game is going to be something very special for me!

Can someone do me up a cool profile pic related to it somehow?

 

[BigDes]

Just got my key this morning. Game looks amazing

 

[NateDrake]

People are in for a real treat with this game. Enjoyed my time with it and all the challenge it offered. The sense of exploration was really refreshing.

 

[Kientin]

Just barely got my key and plugged it into Steam. It's been a long wait fellas and to simply say I'm excited for this is an understatement. I'll be avoiding all news, screenshots, ect. past this point. I'll see you all on the other side.

 

[Cyanity]

Ugh. Another 2017 must-buy to add to the list. My poor wallet...

 

[Jawbreaker]

Bah, I'm gonna have to choose between starting Hollow Knight or buying this and playing it first. Not a bad predicament to be in, mind you.

 

[Anustart]

Bah, really interested I the game but ringed city is launching, only played a tiny bit of zelda, have dishonored 2. Maybe in 2018!

 

[More_Badass]

Just barely got my key and plugged it into Steam. It's been a long wait fellas and to simply say I'm excited for this is an understatement. I'll be avoiding all news, screenshots, ect. past this point. I'll see you all on the other side.

I'll say this. I've been following this game for four years, and know about quite a few mechanics, several regions, and maybe 20 species.

And yet the devs were able to keep the last year and a half development relatively secret, including all the changes they've done to regions that were already known. It's pretty exciting that even the long-time devlog followers will be able to go in as blind as newcomers for sections of this game

 

[fargofallout]

I don't really know anything about this game, but it's one of those games where I've seen it come up often enough and from the right people that I'm interested. I with I was done with Zelda, which seems sort of odd as I say it, but I want to move on with my life. But assuming this game didn't turn out to be crappy, I'm definitely going to give it a go. Eventually.

 

[joe2187]

Any news on the Vita version?

 

[anddo0]

I still don't know what this game is...Gonna need reviews/impressions for sure.

 

[Stoze]

Not one of. The most anticipated, indie or AAA. I learned about Rain World around the same time I got into indie games and PC games back in 2013, so the game has been pretty much emblematic of indie gaming as a whole for me, and defined my perspective on indie development.

So in other words, any impressions by me should be taken with several grains of hyperbole. At least around launch

Damn dude. And now we're < two days away (or less if you got a key early). Hope it delivers!

I'm just glad to see we've been getting a lot of stuff that drops hand-holding, traditional instructions, and linearity and focuses on actual exploration and discovery (not saying those things are inherently bad, it's just incredibly refreshing). The Witness, Hyper Light Drifter, or even Stephen's Sausage Roll to an extent really blew me away last year in that regard, as did Hollow Knight. Rain World seems like it's right up that alley, especially when I heard that they were doing things like not trying to have any actual language for text.

 

[taco543]

great OT can't wait to play it tomorrow night! got it preloaded and ready.

 

[silva1991]

Game looks interesting. Might check it out after I'm done with Persona 5.

 

[Neuromancer]

Looks cool but is it going to be insanely difficult?

 

[Poimandres]

Looks cool but is it going to be insanely difficult?

All signs point to... yes.

 

[Stoze]

Looks cool but is it going to be insanely difficult?

From the old thread, a dev posted this on twitter:

So yeah kind of, but considering it's a game focused on actually surviving I'd say it's fitting. I haven't played it yet, but the brutality sounds much-needed considering most "survival" games released in the past few years are designed around you quickly becoming safe, overpowered, and nearly self-sufficient, and in doing so never feel threatening outside of the first hour.

 

[More_Badass]

Looks cool but is it going to be insanely difficult?

Impressions in the other thread described it as brutal but fair.

yeah I have, and its really tough. But not in any unfair way though, you know how you screw up when you die.

My first couple of hours were really brutal, like basically making no progress at all until I undestood better the rules of the world. Now Im more into it, but I still dont get a lot of stuff and Im dying a lot lol

yeah i agree, it's really fair once you understand the rules. What i love is how much stuff there is to discover. I'm 20 hours in and still finding out about things that i could do or use right at the beggining

It should be noted that the devs designed this with the intent of feeling like a "de-empowerment fantasy". You're prey and you're towards the bottom of the food chain

At least until you get the machine gun

Spoiler

Not really, dev's April Fools joke from a few years ago

 

[MUnited83]

Looks cool but is it going to be insanely difficult?

It can be quite frustrating at the beggining to be sure, as you don't quite get some of the gameplay mechanics. But as you progress along and start understanding them, learning the creature behaviours and how to move around the world, it starts feeling a lot more fair.

I can definitely think people will have a rough time in the first couple of hours because of a game mechanic which isn't exactly explained, but I really recommend soldiering on. Once you get into the flow of it, it's amazing.

 

[bronk]

it's funny, i clocked in 63 hours in the game and yet i didn't find this creature



makes me wonder what else i missed in the game

Damn thats alot of playtime. Nice!

 

[CharminUltra]

Already on my Steam wishlist!

 

[Granjinha]

Damn thats alot of playtime. Nice!

the playtime of others is clocking around 30-40 hours so don't take that as the actual time it takes to finish the game

Looks cool but is it going to be insanely difficult?

once you understand the rules of the game's world and what you can use to your advantage: no, it isn't

until then, it's pretty fucking hard. And some areas even with all the knowledge you have will be really challenging. Especially near the end of the game.

 

[BeeDog]

Preordered and preloaded on my PS4, can't wait.

 

[Shinjica]

Now even indie game have embargo?

 

[sheaaaa]

I'm excited for this but worried about 1,600 rooms - does it feel like padding?

 

[MUnited83]

Now even indie game have embargo?

Why wouldn't they? Embargos are pretty common across the board. For what is worth, the Let's Play/Walkthrough embargo has lifted 10 days ago, so there is plenty of footage out there.

Having a review embargo is very benefitial for the marketing of a game. By having all the reviews drop at the same time, you can get maximum exposure and mindshare.

 

[More_Badass]

Now even indie game have embargo?

Been like that for a while, especially when a publisher is involved

===

One of the joys of following this game through development was seeing the creatures come together. Here are three creatures from the OT

 

[spineduke]

I'm on the hype train day one!

The rumoured game length time sounds insane though, not sure I'll have the patience to beat it if it takes that long.

 

[B-B-Bomba!]

Congratulations to the guys for finally getting us here. Can't wait to try the full game, although I'm not done with Horizon yet ... Wonder how that's going to play out ...

Basically though this feels like a pretty special moment.

 

[Glen Tennis]

I've been also waiting for this, looks damn good. This is only single player, right? There's no co-op or anything like that?

 

[TheVisualizer]

great job on the thread More_Badass

ive been highly anticipating this game, and am almost as hyped to follow this thread to see what crazy gifs are posted of the full game

 

[eyeball_kid]

Congrats to the dev team for pushing through and finishing* the game. Looks really good.

Is this going to work better with a controller or keyboard/mouse?

 

[Crispy75]

I am now a little worried that i have nowhere near enough time in my life to play this properly, but i don't care and i don't regret my preorder

 

[SomedayTheFire]

Now even indie game have embargo?

what? most games with hard release dates would have one, yeah.

 

[Dantero]

After Hollow Knight consumed my life for a couple of days, I kind of hope this game does it as well. It's rare for me to really get into a game to the point that I spend every free minute on it. Feels nice, somehow.

 

[baudelinog]

Where is the Vita version?

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Unlocks in about 14 hours here in the UK! I'm currently playing Horizon, but I'm not sure whether to juggle them or finish up with that and then move on to Rain World.

 

[noomi]

Is this one of those very difficult games?

I want to play it for the art style, but I dont really want an extremely challenging gamy in my life right now.

 

[BetterThanNothing]

Pumped. Best devlog of all time.

What's up with controller support? Steam claims it has "Full" support but I don't really know what that means, don't normally play games like this on PC. Have the devs mentioned any preferred control methods in particular? I'm assuming a PS4 controller is preferable as the game is also on PSN. Trying to stay on blackout because I feel I've spoiled enough already. Is keyboard/mouse acceptable?

 

[woopWOOP]

Can't wait to explore that beautiful 2D world!

...if I live long enough to do so anyway!

 

[Crispy75]

Pumped. Best devlog of all time.

What's up with controller support? Steam claims it has "Full" support but I don't really know what that means, don't normally play games like this on PC. Have the devs mentioned any preferred control methods in particular? I'm assuming a PS4 controller is preferable as the game is also on PSN. Trying to stay on blackout because I feel I've spoiled enough already. Is keyboard/mouse acceptable?

It has defaults for the main controller types (and asks you which one you're using on first run). One (or both?) of the devs play on keyboard, so you shouldn't worry about that being a 2nd-class experience.