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When you hear someone like Gen Urobuchi is attached to a project, it might be enough to help you push through other issues just to see what the writer cooked up. Rusty Rabbit feels like that type of game. It’s not as memorable as something like Puella Magi Madoka Magica, for example, but Stamp and his world are interesting, and maybe that’ll help keep players invested even though the gameplay is only okay.

Stamp the rabbit lives his life heading into Smokestack Mountain in hopes of digging up rust to get by. He doesn’t have anything else. He knows he’s past his prime. So is the Junkster mech he built and uses to explore. It feels like he’s treading water when he meets the BBs, a group of much younger rabbits determined to get to the bottom of the mountain to uncover what the unknown, legendary race left behind there. Is it a chance at redemption? Perhaps. Does it give him a new sense of purpose? Definitely.

The big selling point in Rusty Rabbit is that Gen Urobuchi is involved. You probably know him for his work on Fate/Zero, Kamen Rider Gaim, Psycho-, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, andSaya no Uta. I hate to disappoint, for those looking for some sorts of amazing twists and storylines, but what we experience here is just fine. Oddly enough, much of the deeper cuts and actually fascinating writing comes when Stamp is at his workbench, crafting upgrades. Which I appreciated! It ended up being an unexpected bonus when making things and suited the situation. I enjoyed the story and Stamp as a character, but I didn’t find it as memorable as any of the other Urobuchi works I mentioned above. 

Likewise, the gameplay isn’t remarkable either. It’s weird and I’m not sure if it is intentional, but Rusty Rabbit feels clunky. The controls aren’t as smooth and fluid as I’d expect from a Metroidvania game. They’re jerky instead, and I really needed to take time to adjust to how jumps and dashes feel compared to other games. (Especially when it comes to positioning and landing on platforms.) I found it especially uncomfortable when I needed to face enemies, most notably the bosses. The more I played, the more I felt it is a deliberate (and bad) decision on Nitro Plus’ part to emphasize we’re in the Junkster mech piloted by an old man and not an agile, combat-ready bunny. But it makes the encounters less fun, especially since ones that aren’t bosses look and feel repetitive too. 

As for the exploration, the control scheme coupled with rather straightforward maps mean Rusty Rabbit feels quite tedious. Your goal is to go through weaving dungeons left behind by a mystery race (that isn’t all that mysterious) collecting what was left behind by destroying blocks. Aside from the actual story-based dungeon, there’s a randomized one. But… since the actual resource gathering isn’t much fun and I didn’t like piloting Junkster, I felt no need to explore it beyond a few tests so I could say that I did. 

Also, as much as I enjoyed the asides that would come up when crafting, actually building up Stamp and Junkster is tedious too. You gain experience from defeating enemies and digging through the junk found in levels. However, the general digging means it feels so tedious as you gradually level up, and none of the upgrades in the skill tree felt exciting or inviting since the combat and exploration didn’t captivate me. 

It doesn’t help that the dungeons and enemies don’t even look inviting. The rabbit characters themselves are great! I really loved their designs. I’d even call many of them charming, though Stamp is my favorite. But everything else feels so bland. The enemies aren’t exciting. Smokestack Mountain’s locations are boring. These parts look dated compared to the scenes when the rabbits talk about the mysteries of their world, learn about the past, and deal with more minor situations.

Considering Rusty Rabbit got delayed to 2025 to improve things like gameplay, it’s disappointing that the finished product is so disappointing. I appreciate the tone Gen Urobuchi went with and feel like Stamp is a good character, but the gameplay is a real letdown. What’s here is pretty tedious though, and I get the feeling you’d need to really like Urobuchi’s work or fall in love with Stamp to commit to it.

Rusty Rabbit is available for the Switch, PS5, and PC.

The post Review: Rusty Rabbit Feels, Well, Rusty appeared first on Siliconera.

We now have a release date for Rusty Rabbit. Nitroplus’ lapin side scroller will come out on September 23, 2024.

Rusty Rabbit is a side scrolling action game in which you play as Stamp. Stamp is a rabbit who make look cute, but he’s an “old soul” who pilots a mech suit. One day, while collecting junk like usual, he discovers some clues about his missing daughter. In order to search for more, he starts to explore underground ruins and discover the secret behind the world. Gameplay will let you use your mech to destroy blocks, loot treasure, and dash through the various mazes. You can also improve both Stamp himself and his mech with a progression system similar to an RPG.

Gen Urobuchi is the writer who came up with the concept for Rusty Rabbit. People may be familiar with his past work on Fate/Zero, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and The Song of Saya. Urobuchi’s nickname in fandom is “Urobutcher” due to his dark stories, tragic plot twists, and tendency to kill off characters. Not all of his works are like that though, so there’s a chance that Rusty Rabbit might be yet another outlier from urobuchi’s usual style.

Rusty Rabbit will come out for the PlayStation 5 and Windows PC via Steam on September 23, 2024. Pre-orders will open on June 4, 2024.

The post Rusty Rabbit to Come Out in Late September 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

During TGS 2023, Nitroplus and NetEase Games revealed Rusty Rabbit, an platforming game written by renowned anime screenwriter Gen Urobuchi. The game sees an adorable hard-boiled rabbit called Stamp setting on a journey to try to find his daughter, while piloting a mech. Siliconera spoke with writer Gen Urobuchi about his work in Rusty Rabbit, Rusty Rabbit’s protagonist Stamp, and how different it is creating narratives for anime or visual novels compared to video games.

Daniel Bueno: Aside from being a hard-boiled, adorable but cool character, what would Urobuchi-san say is Stamp's biggest strength as a protagonist?

Gen Urobuchi: I think it's the experiences that Stamp has gained (even for a rabbit!) as a result of the rich life he’s led. Those traits feed into his stubbornness and overall charm as a character, and that all feeds into his strength and storyline as the game’s protagonist.

How different is writing for anime and visual novels compared to a platformer game, where the action is not as character and dialogue-driven?

Urobuchi: In anime, the viewers are not responsible for the fate of the characters. But in games, players are often responsible for the life and death of characters, and ultimately, the game's ending. So as a creator, there are significant differences to be mindful of that I considered in Rusty Rabbit’s story.

Since Rusty Rabbit is being marketed for ages seven and up, has that changed Urobuchi-san's approach in his writing?

Urobuchi: No, my process hasn’t changed in working on Rusty Rabbit’s story. The completed story happened to fall into the rating of ages seven and up, but I didn't consciously aim for that during the writing process.

Has writing for shows like Kamen Rider Gaim, where the target audience is usually younger, informed the way Urobuchi-san writes for games with a younger audience, as is the case with Rusty Rabbit?

Urobuchi: The production process for Kamen Rider is extremely unique, and I felt that the knowledge and skills gained from it couldn't easily be applied to other media or teams. However, because of its uniqueness, there were valuable lessons that I wouldn't have experienced elsewhere, and those lessons may have indirectly affected my process with Rusty Rabbit.

Finally, is there anything you would like to share with fans of your work about Rusty Rabbit?

Urobuchi: While it may seem like a lighthearted story with cute characters on the surface, the core of Rusty Rabbit delves into a quite serious human drama. I hope it can serve as a source of comfort for those who may feel a bit exhausted by the rapidly changing landscape of our world and lives right now.

Rusty Rabbit is currently in development, and it will release on the PS5 and Windows PC via Steam sometime in 2024.

The post Interview: Gen Urobuchi Talks About Writing for Rusty Rabbit appeared first on Siliconera.

Nitroplus and NetEase Games have announced the title of their new collaborative work, Rusty Rabbit. In it, you take control of a rabbit that goes on a rampage in a post-apocalyptic world. Gen Urobuchi (known for Fate/Zero, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Psycho-) is the writer. But since it’s for ages seven and up, it’s likely that the story will be softer fare in comparison to his previous works.

You can watch the trailer for Rusty Rabbit here:

In of its genre, Rusty Rabbit is a 2.5 belt scroll action game. The main character, Stamp, is a rabbit living in a mysterious post-apocalyptic world. He mostly spends his days collecting trash from ruins and fiddling with machines. One day, while collecting junk, he falls into the lower levels and finds clues to his missing daughter. Thus, Stamp sets out on a journey to find his daughter and discover the secrets of the world. 

Since the trailer is a CG concept one, it might not reflect the finished product. You can also check out some of the other characters who will appear in Rusty Rabbit. As you might expect, they’re all rabbits. Some allies that Stamp will meet on the way include Lucas (the barkeep), Jed (the parts shop owner), Eliza (a waitress), and Amelia (the shopkeeper of the general store).

Rusty Rabbit is in development for the PS5 and Windows PC via Steam. It’ll come out sometime in 2024.

The post Gen Urobuchi Wrote New NetEase Game, Rusty Rabbit appeared first on Siliconera.