At first glance, there seems to be very little original in Rusted Moss. When playing it, we are faced with a 2D two-controller shooter with pixel art graphics and set in a post-apocalyptic world. The structure is the classic one of a metroidvania, the weapons are not surprising for their uniqueness and the plot is the usual story of a "different" protagonist who had to rebel against the pre-established order due to her mysterious past.
However, after a very short time of play, the adventure created by faxdoc, happysquared y sunnydaze and published by PLAYISM has completely revolutionized the way we perceive and approach gunfights and platforming thanks to the introduction of a grappling hook. This elastic hook is the basis of combat, exploration and even part of the narrative and will force all fans of the genre to reprogram their brain to face this adventure.
In this Rusty Moss Review We will try to answer a fundamental question: can a single mechanic, no matter how revolutionary, justify the purchase of a complete video game? Because if on the one hand the experience is really challenging, on the other hand everything that surrounds it can seem like something you have already seen.
A hook for all tastes
As the game itself points out, what it will give you after beating the first boss is not easy. hook, but a kind of hybrid between a hook and a bungie jump rope. This is because it is elastic, it retains the initial momentum of your jump and the more energy you give it by launching yourself from higher platforms or around some obstacle it will take you. The game recommends using the mouse and we would like to share this recommendation because you will soon realize that aiming for the grappling hook attachment point is essential to being able to explore and fight.
As soon as you get the grappling hook, you will go to a level where you will be immortal and will be able to experience all the ways the developers have imagined their creation to work. This ability is the basis of the entire game because you will need it not only to cross chasms but also to rise using its elasticity and even counterattack some of the bosses' moves. To master it, it is essential to choose the most comfortable one. three settings available regarding the claw attachment: press to attack/press to detach, press to attack and hold to stay attached and release to throw (holding shows you the range) and press again to release the grappling hook.
Combat and exploration
Once you understand how the grappling hook works, the game takes flight by opening the doors of its large Metroidvania-style map and starting to give you more weapons and passive abilities. The combat is reminiscent of Metroid Dread and the weapons available, without giving too many spoilers, are whatever you can imagine including automatics, snipers or shotguns. At first we were annoyed that the starting weapon had limited range, but once you mastered the grappling hook, getting in and out of enemies was no longer a problem.
Fight It's inherently fun, but the risk of frustration is quite high because once in 20, due to too many pixels, the hook doesn't stick where it should. Also a little annoying is the design of some platforms made up of black metal blocks, some of which are slightly lighter than others to indicate that they are not a solid surface that you can grab or land on, which will often lead you to mistake.
These dissonant elements are particularly felt during the beautiful battles with the boss that this game has to offer. The design of these special enemies is not exactly unique, you can see references to NieR: Automata and other classics, but the combat with hooks has forced our brain to completely rethink the strategies that the Metroidvanias of the past have taught us. The boss armed with a whirlwind of swords was an incredible challenge that killed us several times, but defeating him gave us satisfaction comparable to that of a soul.
Unfortunately, the standard enemies encountered during exploration. They are not so varied and after about ten hours you feel like you've met them all. However, defeating them is essential because the energy spheres they throw fill the gauge needed to heal in combat. Exploration, then, is also encouraged by the passive abilities that are scattered around the game map. There are 34 in total and each one will provide you with a combat or mobility bonus by occupying between one and six of the ten available spaces.
A protagonist already seen
Where he feeling of already seen Unfortunately, it gets more intense in the narrative department. The protagonist Fern is a girl who is rebelling against what remains of human society after the apocalypse but she is not a human but a Fae, a kind of fairy belonging to a magical species that wants to take control of the earth. Humans have attempted to steal Fae magic to infuse it into their own magical soldiers (such as witches), but with little success. Fern is the daughter of two worlds and she will have to choose which side to take. Next to her is a dark spirit, whose nature is explained during the game, who, in addition to giving advice, animates the grappling hook and acts as a hook to grab the moss that covers the platforms.
L'melancholic atmosphere The gameplay is effective thanks to well-crafted music and an art style that manages to convey the decadence of the rusty world in which Fern finds herself. Unfortunately, the unoriginal and cryptic narrative doesn't help those looking for a story-driven driving force for their adventures even if, thankfully, the combat and exploration offer challenges and surprises without needing to be story-driven. To complete Rusted Moss you will need them between 15 and 20 hours, depending on how quickly you get comfortable with the grappling hook, and along the way you'll engage in epic battles and platforming sections that we really enjoyed.
Conclusions
Tested version PC with Windows digital delivery Steam, Official site Holygamerz.com 7.5 Readers (4) 7.8 your voteTo answer our initial question, yes, Rusted Moss is worth it despite the factor already seen because that grappling hook (combined with the excellent design of the bosses) completely negates the classic metroidvania mechanics. If you are a fan of the genre, your brain will have to be completely recalibrated to think elastically, calibrate rebound distances and, in the meantime, shoot enemies with an arsenal of weapons. Exploring and fighting are great challenges to face that sometimes give you a little frustration, but those who know the genre already know that it doesn't take much to overcome it and complete the exploratory puzzle or boss that was bothering you. Too bad about the narrative already seen, it would have been the icing on a familiar cake, delicious and with an unexpected ingredient.
PRO
- Elastic grappling hook that revolutionizes the formula
- Challenging and layered exploration
- Unique and well-made bosses.
AGAINST
- history already seen
- Occasionally the grappling hook does not reach the attachment point.
