‘Rusty Rabbit’ Struggles With Some Slippery Controls, but Its Exploration and Story Are Worth Your Time (Review)

Peter Cottontail is, technically, the Son of Man in Rusty Rabbit. If that is enough to get you interested, you can stop reading here, as nothing else I can say can persuade or dissuade you any further when it comes to this game. Now, I will warn you: Rusty Rabbit can be, at times, incredibly frustrating to play. Precision platforming is not a thing within this world. But if you’re just hoping to play a game as an adorable rabbit that has the most gravel-laden voice on the planet? You’ve made the right stop. Rusty Rabbit is easily carried by its wild narrative, but at a budget-friendly price of entry, you’d be silly not to give this one at least a glance.

It’s a Dog-Eat-Dog World Out Here, so It’s a Good Thing That You’re a Rabbit

Rusty Rabbit is an interesting little game. It’s a Metroidvania at heart, with Rusty embarking on epic journeys into the Earth using his Junker. Equipped with a digging tool and some combat prowess, expect to smash and bash through countless blocks to grind for XP. Is it repetitious? A little bit, but the levels are well-designed, so even the most basic of tasks can feel more exciting than the sum of its parts. The basic premise, without spoiling too much of the exposition, is the story of Rusty. Rusty is a rabbit, as the game’s name explains so bluntly. But Rusty is an old soul to the truest extent. He reminds me a lot of my Dad: gruff on the exterior, but a heart of gold beneath that grizzled body.

And much like the character himself, Rusty Rabbit has much more than meets the eye. A strange combination of Mr. Driller-esque gameplay, combined with some Metroidvania-type exploration, is already wild enough. Combine that with a massive skill tree, mech customization, and relationships/friendships, and you’ve got the most basic version of what Rusty Rabbit offers. The story, penned by Gen Urobuchi, is the wildest and most interesting part of the game. Taking place after the “Giants” have left the Earth, Rabbits are now the main life-form on the planet. Yes, humans have either left or died out, and now the bunnies are the protagonists. WIld stuff, but brilliant nonetheless.

Don’t Be a McGregor if You Want To Survive

Rusty also has the mouth of a sailor, or whatever the Rabbit version of that would be. Apparently, McGregor is the same as uttering a curse word, and he’s not afraid to throw this around like it’s going out of style. Other rabbits, including the BBs, quickly call him out on his brash personality, and we slowly see his defenses drop throughout the story. And for those who are wondering, there will be an English dub available in the game. But I became interested in the idea of Rusty Rabbit after realizing Takaya Kuroda, also known as Kazuma Kiryu from the Like a Dragon franchise, is here, too. Hilariously enough, Stamp will be voiced by Yong Yea in the English version, so the LaD parallels continue to run this way.

For a $20 Game, ‘Rusty Rabbit’ Looks Rather Incredible

Rusty Rabbit is a budget-friendly title, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to slouch in the visual department. Running on the Unreal Engine, it looks phenomenal on the PlayStation 5. I didn’t encounter any performance woes, even during the most hectic of fights. Much like the Mech that Rusty pilots in the game, the game chugs along at a respectable rate. The artwork, especially during cutscenes and the, admittedly, hilarious painted sections, all look fantastic. The Creation of Adam picture, in particular, is something I would pay any amount of money to have in my house. It’s stellar.

Paired with a pounding electronica soundtrack, Rusty Rabbit is a treat for both eyes and ears. While not the most memorable soundtrack I’ve ever heard, each track helps set the mood for exploration and ramps up suitably during combat scenarios. Rusty Rabbit also features a small overworld hub with shops, diners, bars, and more. Each of these locations has wonderfully done little songs that help make the world feel as unique as it should. Plus, every character has been designed with extreme love and care. They’re the true stars of the show, and they all serve their own purpose in this world. Getting a chance to chat with them at the Diner and learn about their backstories also helps them feel more alive. There’s a surprising amount of lore for a game about bunnies, but I’m not going to complain about that.

Some Slippery Platforming and Awkward Combat Do Ruin a Bit of the Fun

Okay, now here comes the bad news. Rusty Rabbit does have some control issues. Platforming, in particular, can be a bit more bothersome than it needs to be. But if you put yourself into the headspace of trying to land a precision jump in a mech, it does make a little more sense. Regardless, if a large portion of the game is going to be based around platforming and combat, you want to be sure that those are as streamlined and polished as possible. Both combat and platforming have some issues, but in the long run, I learned to compensate for both to keep the story running.

Rusty Rabbit is the type of game to feature plenty of floating platforms. Landing on these, especially during the beginning of the game as players are learning how to control the mech properly, can be frustrating. And the same can be said for the combat. Guns required me to hit the Square button while using the right stick to aim. Going into Crab Claw Mode™ made this a possibility, but it feels more clumsy than it needs to be. But as someone who thrived playing Monster Hunter on a PSP, it felt a little more normal to me.

The ability to change control schemes is here, and I quickly switched to Control Scheme U (which I strongly suggest doing as quickly as possible). I do hope that we can customize our controls to our exact specifications in a future update, but this can at least help with the somewhat clumsy nature of the combat controls. Platforming can also be fixed with an update, and I hope it is.

Mark My Words: ‘Rusty Rabbit’ Is Going To Become a Cult Hit

There’s a lot to love in Rusty Rabbit. As long as you’re willing to overlook some goofy controls that become more tolerable as you play? You’ll find that this is a very charming game. Its characters are well thought out. The story is equal parts bizarre and interesting. And there are plenty of puzzles and secrets waiting for those who love to explore every nook and cranny of the world they’ve found themselves in. It’s a very weird game. And I say that in the most complimentary sense possible.

If NetEase can iron out some of the platforming woes, Rusty Rabbit can become something of a household name. But right now, it’s a game that is going to require patience for anybody jumping into it. It has that AA charm and jank, so if you’re comfortable with that? You’ll find a game unlike anything else you’ve played. It borrows a lot from the industry giants, but it’s still unique enough to feel like its own personal self.

Verdict: Recommended

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Rusty Rabbit will be available on April 17, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PlayStation 5.