Rain World is many things, but if I had to sum it up in one word, I'd say it's beautiful. I'm not great at video games, and I try to stay away from especially difficult ones. I don't know what convinced me to get Rain World though. I mean hey, I managed to beat it in the end. It was incredibly frustrating at times, and there's even some mechanics in the game I absolutely hated, but despite the adversity and problems, and I can say I enjoyed it. It's unfair and unpredictable to a brutal degree, but the way it tests your intelligence and problem solving skills over your reaction speed and ability to press the attack button several times sets it apart from other games that are ridiculously hard. Knowledge is more valuable than anything else in Rain World and embracing failure and letting yourself learn is the key to moving forward.
Gameplay:
Rain World sees you playing as a slug cat, traveling through a world filled with danger around every corner. It'll teach you the basics, but it's up to you to learn how the world works. The game's a platformer at its core with elements of survival woven throughout. The movement system is simple to grasp but takes time to master. Chaining wall jumps, climbs, and careful leaps is something you'll be doing all throughout the game. Quick observation is constantly rewarded, as thinking fast and platforming well can get you out of a lot of situations. The game also spices it up sometimes like the segments with the grapple worms and jet fish. If I had to give one criticism, it would be that swimming feels awful. I feel like I'm in an all-out war against the controls just to go where I want to in the water. Doesn't help that the slug cat has the lungs of an asthmatic snail.
Rain World's world is ridiculously big and complex. You'll encounter a plethora of creatures on your journey, each with their own behaviors and mechanics associated with them. Some are friends, some are predators, and some are prey. There are even tons of interesting plants to interact with, for better or for worse. Learning what each one does can really take time. There were so many things throughout my playthrough that I didn't know were food until I accidentally ate them. Speaking of which, finding food is something you'll have to do on top of dodging danger. It's not too difficult to do, but it is mandatory for hibernating at a shelter. The game is technically on a time limit that is reset everytime you hibernate. Finding shelters is crucial as you travel through the world, as they'll protect you from the impending deadly rainstorms and act as a save point you go back to everytime you die. Locations of plants will stay consistent with every death, but you'll find it hard to find a creature in the same place twice. This is what truly makes the game so hard. You can play through an area several times and learn its layout top to bottom, but enemy placement is something you will always need to adjust for on the fly. You can get both extremely lucky and extremely unlucky with placements of enemies, which can be irritating when you run into unwinnable scenarios. This isn't a detriment to the experience on its own, in fact it might it might even enhance it because it means you can never get too comfortable, but the game has one simple mechanic that makes this dreadful...
I wouldn't call the karma system bad, but it is questionable and pretty counter-intuitive to the game's design. Karma is raised by surviving a cycle and lowered every single time you die. It can be controlled by karma flowers you can find to prevent your karma level from being lowered for one death, but it can still be a royal pain. Karma gates prevent passage between regions without a proper level of karma. This means in order to progress, you need to hope to heck you don't die by stupid stuff multiple times and hope you get lucky enough to make it to a karma gate with the proper level or else oops! you're probably going to die by the rain before you can return to your shelter, meaning you get to lower your karma. Hooray : D While a mechanic like this does encourage players to try not to die, this is Rain World we're talking about. Dying is inevitable, and for a game that behaves so inconsistently sometimes (looking at you, Farm Arrays), it can make the game a frustrating nightmare! I'd highly recommend newbies to play as the Monk slug cat first, as it will let you learn the game without having to have the right karma everytime you need to re-enter a gate, which trust me, you'll be doing a lot. Unfortunately, you still have to sit through the obscenely long gate opening sequence every single time you die. I absolutely don't blame anyone who feels like the karma system ruined the game for them because ugh. Easily my least favorite part of the game.
To compliment the great movement system and wonderfully complex flora and fauna, Rain World brings great level design to the table. Though the world of the game boils down to a nonstop platforming and survival gauntlet, each region brings its own unique challenge to the table. Whether it be conquering verticality, braving the sea, navigating zero gravity, or whatever else, there's always something interesting and engaging to offer. The game gives you a lot to work with too. Every room is filled to the brim with areas to climb and items to grab. The game is nonlinear too, so there's tons of paths to take to reach your objective. Some paths are definitely easier than others though, so while you can't necessarily get lost, you can definitely end up getting stuck going in a direction that is 100x longer and more difficult than another. Still, the options for exploration are amazing. I'd definitely recommend playing this game without a guide, at least when it comes to figuring out which direction to go. I can't necessarily say the same for more confusing mechanics though (LOOKING AT YOU AGAIN, FARM ARRAYS)
Story:
I've already explained what the game is on the surface, but there is shockingly rich lore to uncover. It's best left to discover on your own, but I will say that the game has excellent visual storytelling. There is very little text throughout the game so it's up to you to theorize about what's going on for most of your first playthrough.
Sound and visuals:
Rain World has a "less is more" approach to sound design. The game's sound effects are very subtle, leaving a lot of silence that builds atmosphere effectively. Music is also subtle and infrequent. The game has adaptive tracks with layers that build on each other slowly. This approach to audio fits the game perfectly and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Rain World's visuals are wholly impressive. There's no shortage of gorgeous, wallpaper-worthy sceneries in this game. The environment design is somber and moody with gray backgrounds contrasted by the bright colors of the organisms that inhabit them. It not only serves a game design purpose but also makes for a distinct art style. The creature designs are also stellar. Each one is so unique and out of this world yet they all feel like believable animals. Their movement is almost uncanny, as animation in Rain World is done completely through procedural generation. I actually thought the game was made with 3D models made to look 2D at first, but nope. It's all some crazy complicated programming. The animation has its hiccups but I'd say that's a fair trade for the liveliness that comes from it.
Conclusion:
Rain World is beautiful. It perfectly captures what it's probably like to be a small creature in a big ecosystem. It's got great atmosphere, great visuals, great lore, and, for the most part, great gameplay. It's definitely not for everyone though. This game is daunting. I would recommend it if you're up for the challenge though, as this is one of the most unique and incredible games I've ever played.
I will end this review by saying that I do not recommend getting the game on the Nintendo Switch. It's an okay enough port if it's the only thing you got, but the performance in certain areas of the game can range from annoying to experience-ruining. Stutters, brutal frame drops, input delays, the works. Though not exceptionally common, crashes are definitely something you gotta worry about too. In a game like Rain World where exiting the game will take your karma and send you back to you last save, there were many times where I had to hold my breath and pray that my hard work and luck wasn't about to be erased. Yeah, just please get the game elsewhere if you can.
Gameplay:
Rain World sees you playing as a slug cat, traveling through a world filled with danger around every corner. It'll teach you the basics, but it's up to you to learn how the world works. The game's a platformer at its core with elements of survival woven throughout. The movement system is simple to grasp but takes time to master. Chaining wall jumps, climbs, and careful leaps is something you'll be doing all throughout the game. Quick observation is constantly rewarded, as thinking fast and platforming well can get you out of a lot of situations. The game also spices it up sometimes like the segments with the grapple worms and jet fish. If I had to give one criticism, it would be that swimming feels awful. I feel like I'm in an all-out war against the controls just to go where I want to in the water. Doesn't help that the slug cat has the lungs of an asthmatic snail.
Rain World's world is ridiculously big and complex. You'll encounter a plethora of creatures on your journey, each with their own behaviors and mechanics associated with them. Some are friends, some are predators, and some are prey. There are even tons of interesting plants to interact with, for better or for worse. Learning what each one does can really take time. There were so many things throughout my playthrough that I didn't know were food until I accidentally ate them. Speaking of which, finding food is something you'll have to do on top of dodging danger. It's not too difficult to do, but it is mandatory for hibernating at a shelter. The game is technically on a time limit that is reset everytime you hibernate. Finding shelters is crucial as you travel through the world, as they'll protect you from the impending deadly rainstorms and act as a save point you go back to everytime you die. Locations of plants will stay consistent with every death, but you'll find it hard to find a creature in the same place twice. This is what truly makes the game so hard. You can play through an area several times and learn its layout top to bottom, but enemy placement is something you will always need to adjust for on the fly. You can get both extremely lucky and extremely unlucky with placements of enemies, which can be irritating when you run into unwinnable scenarios. This isn't a detriment to the experience on its own, in fact it might it might even enhance it because it means you can never get too comfortable, but the game has one simple mechanic that makes this dreadful...
I wouldn't call the karma system bad, but it is questionable and pretty counter-intuitive to the game's design. Karma is raised by surviving a cycle and lowered every single time you die. It can be controlled by karma flowers you can find to prevent your karma level from being lowered for one death, but it can still be a royal pain. Karma gates prevent passage between regions without a proper level of karma. This means in order to progress, you need to hope to heck you don't die by stupid stuff multiple times and hope you get lucky enough to make it to a karma gate with the proper level or else oops! you're probably going to die by the rain before you can return to your shelter, meaning you get to lower your karma. Hooray : D While a mechanic like this does encourage players to try not to die, this is Rain World we're talking about. Dying is inevitable, and for a game that behaves so inconsistently sometimes (looking at you, Farm Arrays), it can make the game a frustrating nightmare! I'd highly recommend newbies to play as the Monk slug cat first, as it will let you learn the game without having to have the right karma everytime you need to re-enter a gate, which trust me, you'll be doing a lot. Unfortunately, you still have to sit through the obscenely long gate opening sequence every single time you die. I absolutely don't blame anyone who feels like the karma system ruined the game for them because ugh. Easily my least favorite part of the game.
To compliment the great movement system and wonderfully complex flora and fauna, Rain World brings great level design to the table. Though the world of the game boils down to a nonstop platforming and survival gauntlet, each region brings its own unique challenge to the table. Whether it be conquering verticality, braving the sea, navigating zero gravity, or whatever else, there's always something interesting and engaging to offer. The game gives you a lot to work with too. Every room is filled to the brim with areas to climb and items to grab. The game is nonlinear too, so there's tons of paths to take to reach your objective. Some paths are definitely easier than others though, so while you can't necessarily get lost, you can definitely end up getting stuck going in a direction that is 100x longer and more difficult than another. Still, the options for exploration are amazing. I'd definitely recommend playing this game without a guide, at least when it comes to figuring out which direction to go. I can't necessarily say the same for more confusing mechanics though (LOOKING AT YOU AGAIN, FARM ARRAYS)
Story:
I've already explained what the game is on the surface, but there is shockingly rich lore to uncover. It's best left to discover on your own, but I will say that the game has excellent visual storytelling. There is very little text throughout the game so it's up to you to theorize about what's going on for most of your first playthrough.
Sound and visuals:
Rain World has a "less is more" approach to sound design. The game's sound effects are very subtle, leaving a lot of silence that builds atmosphere effectively. Music is also subtle and infrequent. The game has adaptive tracks with layers that build on each other slowly. This approach to audio fits the game perfectly and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Rain World's visuals are wholly impressive. There's no shortage of gorgeous, wallpaper-worthy sceneries in this game. The environment design is somber and moody with gray backgrounds contrasted by the bright colors of the organisms that inhabit them. It not only serves a game design purpose but also makes for a distinct art style. The creature designs are also stellar. Each one is so unique and out of this world yet they all feel like believable animals. Their movement is almost uncanny, as animation in Rain World is done completely through procedural generation. I actually thought the game was made with 3D models made to look 2D at first, but nope. It's all some crazy complicated programming. The animation has its hiccups but I'd say that's a fair trade for the liveliness that comes from it.
Conclusion:
Rain World is beautiful. It perfectly captures what it's probably like to be a small creature in a big ecosystem. It's got great atmosphere, great visuals, great lore, and, for the most part, great gameplay. It's definitely not for everyone though. This game is daunting. I would recommend it if you're up for the challenge though, as this is one of the most unique and incredible games I've ever played.
I will end this review by saying that I do not recommend getting the game on the Nintendo Switch. It's an okay enough port if it's the only thing you got, but the performance in certain areas of the game can range from annoying to experience-ruining. Stutters, brutal frame drops, input delays, the works. Though not exceptionally common, crashes are definitely something you gotta worry about too. In a game like Rain World where exiting the game will take your karma and send you back to you last save, there were many times where I had to hold my breath and pray that my hard work and luck wasn't about to be erased. Yeah, just please get the game elsewhere if you can.