Rain World is a strange game and a wonderfully unique experience. You must navigate the dangerous and alien landscape that is constantly trying to kill you. There are predators, the need to feed, and the ever-present threat of torrential rain coming to drown you out. You play as a “slugcat,” traversing the world looking for food and shelter. But there is clearly something else to this game, something more lurking beneath the surface.

Developer: Videocult

Publisher: Adult Swim Games

10 Hours Played // Review Copy Provided // $19.99

I’ll be honest, I had a tough time getting into this game at first. If I weren’t reviewing it, I likely would have given up on it. The controls are strange, and there is next to no purpose or direction given. It didn’t click with me, and I became frustrated quickly. “Where am I supposed to go?” and “What should I be doing?” were constant thoughts playing through my head. However, as I pushed on and kept with it, I realized the issue wasn’t necessarily with the game, it was with how I was playing it.

Rain World is a slow and deliberate game. It wants the player to take their time and immerse themselves in the world. It is a survival game first and foremost, and not meant to be played by rushing forward. I was trying to play it like a standard platformer at first. I was running and jumping, trying to get to the next checkpoint as quickly as possible. The inclusion of the rain system (more on that in a bit) also made me think speed was intended. However, I learned that caution and deliberation were key to this game, and I had to slow down my approach.

The art in this game is so cool.

The rain is a constant threat. As you make your way throughout the world, a timer slowly ticks down. When this timer gets to the end, a severe downpour occurs, killing you outright. When you rest at a save spot, the timer resets. I took this timer as a challenge; get to the next save before the time depletes. However, it there more for pacing. I started to learn that it is better to stay close to your current save spot, scouting routes and learning the area. The map begins to fill out, similar to a Metroidvania game. To survive, you true need to learn and heed your surroundings before pushing forward. Only when you feel comfortable, should you venture further. Otherwise, you’re going to die. A lot. And dying does have consequences in this game.

Again, none of this information is readily apparent. Rain World explains very little to the player, leaving most of the systems and mechanics to discovery. This is the same for the story and what the character’s true incentive is. For example, every time you find a new save spot, you will “hibernate” through the downpour. Granted you’ve eaten enough beforehand, you’ll move up a ladder of weird symbols. Every time you die, you move down that ladder. There is no indication of what the symbols are or why it would matter where you are on the ladder. Then, you may discover a symbol in the wild, and a piece of the puzzle is unlocked.

This is a small portion of the giant map of this game.

Much of the game is about exploration and discovery. Not only are you exploring the world, looking for food and shelter, but you are also discovering the secrets behind the world. To keep things mysterious, the game gives the player little to no direction. There is a small flower-like creature that will pop up and give cryptic hints, only using symbols and strange light effects. Aside from those strange symbols you’ll also find tools, such as spears, that have more than just the obvious use, and even hidden mechanics and character moves. Rain World definitely succeeds in making the player feel lost in this alien world, but it can be so frustrating at times as well.

Part of the frustration is that Rain World does such an excellent job at making your slugcat character feel incredibly small. You start as pure prey, and will most likely want to crawl in a hole and hide from every shadow you see. However, as you progress, the façade of insignificance starts to fade. You’ll learn there is an active hierarchy, a “food chain of creatures”, if you will.

The environments and creatures become varried after you get through the first area of the game.

You learn to attack, to lure, to trap, and use every inch of the environment to survive. Sometimes this means sacrificing other creatures. Other times it will mean losing progress. It’s a process. In that process you’ll get eaten, scooped up, suffocated, drowned, and just downright manhandled. It’s the discovery of your own grit and ingenuity that keeps you coming back to try and progress to the next save zone.

Speaking of save spots, it’s amazing how massive the map really is yet how easily you can feel trapped. Just as you start to think you’re making meaningful progress, you encounter a dead-end. Ledges will taunt you, shying away just out of reach. Ropes to climb from are woven from false promises, leading to nowhere but disappointment. Lizards will stalk you, camouflaged by your own self-doubt and waiting for you to make a single mistake for them to capitalize on. It’s a glimpse into a cruel reality, and Rain World puts you in the fragile shoes of an existence of which you’ve never known.

When time runs out, the rain comes. You better not get caught in the downpour.

It’s really the art direction and music that make it easy to become absorbed in the world. As you struggle to figure everything out, you become enveloped in this unfamiliar land. It is industrial and overrun, evoking a post-apocalyptic eeriness. The creatures and landscapes you encounter are bizarre and even magnificent at times. The haunting music brings it all together. The world that has been created here is fascinating and frightening.

Rain World also implements procedurally generated movements. It is another piece that is difficult to get used to at first. The character movements are not precise, but that is intentional. The animations are more realistic; your slugcat jumps, runs, and grabs like a real creature. The physics force your moves to be more calculated and perhaps even require a bit of luck at times. The predators and prey you encounter have the same realistic, fluid movements as well. I can honestly say I’ve never experienced a game with movement quite like this. At first, I thought the controls were garbage, but they’re not. They are just different and require readjusting to master.

I’ve got my spear, I’m ready to push on.

There are some amazing aspects to Rain World, and the game should be applauded for them. Everything about this game feels intentional, and the devs succeed at everything they attempted. However, the deliberate pacing and unforgiving environment can be draining. I liked exploring and experiencing the alien world, but the anxiety the game caused at times kept it from being a fully enjoyable experience for me. It is something like the Road by Cormac McCarthy; a wonderful piece of art that I’m not sure I ever want to experience again.

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