Rain World Reviews
Rain World is a one-of-a-kind experience, that while perhaps understated in its simplicity, challenges notions of traditional game design in an experimental way that yields brilliant results.
Rain World shows up to the table with a lot of good ideas but fails to execute successfully on many of them. What should probably be a challenging but enjoyable game feels more like a directionless, unintuitive slog that, while mostly pretty to look at, is confusing and possibly overly difficult for the sake of being difficult. I can see a situation where just a few tweaks to character movement (namely improved speed and agility) would go a long way toward making this game feel like a properly balanced challenge. It’s entirely possible that the point of the game is to be really hard, but if so I find the controls, mobility and systems design is at odds with that intention, because as a player I never felt empowered to deal with the challenges laid before me so much as at the mercy of the whims of whomever is pulling the strings.
It is odd to only just be getting to this game now with it having been out a while. The joy of the Switch is that once again Rain World will be brought into people’s lives. The resurgence is going to be good for the few who play it, but I think it will probably still be criminally overlooked. Even those that start it might not see it all the way through, but I implore you to do so. This is a cold and loving game that is far more than most people realise. It is worthy of both your attention and your time. It thoroughly deserves this second chance and I hope that people make the most of it. Also, I want a Slugcat now.
Overall while there’s no doubt that Rain World is a unique title on Switch it’s also very likely going to be a love / hate affair for people at best. The controls that feel novel and unique to one person may just seem to be wonky and difficult to another, and I’d say both perspectives are right to a degree. It’s very much a trial and error kind of game, and the ever-present reality of the next monsoon coming to wipe you out when it’s most inconvenient adds to the tension and, often, frustration. That said, if you like a challenge, are interested in something that plays quite differently, and have some patience for getting to know how to make the best use of your always-limited time is can be rewarding.
Hauntingly beautiful and challenging. Rain World is more than a platformer, it transports the player to a fully fleshed out ecosystem in which he must play by its rules to survive.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
GOOD - Rain World is one part cute, one part creepy, and another part frustrating survival game. The controls are not easy to master, and some will no doubt find the punishment of death in this game unforgiving. Still, those that like a challenge are sure to find something to like!
I wanted to love Rain World, I really did, but in the end I couldn’t. Although it starts out strong, and boasts a variety of unique gameplay features, it ends up coming out a bit muddled due to the abusive limits it places on players and overbearing confusion.
For an Adult Swim game, I didn’t expect much. That’s still true. There isn’t much to this game, except for what there is. If that makes any sense? Rain World is an excellent piece of art; however, it leaves the story very ambiguous as far as I can tell, but the 2D side scrolling stealth platformer is not a game you want to miss.
Rain World manages to create a big, scary world for you to navigate but it doesn’t really put much in that world besides its visuals. You’re not given much instruction, and after a while it can feel boring and frustrating to get through. The game does offer quite the challenge, but with no real reward or sense of progression, it’s not a challenge you’ll feel like taking on.
While working on my own review, I knew that the game received a lot of bad reviews. I did not want to read other reviews because I didn’t want my review to be influenced by others. Most people hate what they cannot understand. But for me, you can’t just hate a game simply because it’s difficult (what about Dark Souls?). When you’re playing to have fun, you need to give Rain World plenty of time to get the best out of it.
Throughout it you can see the hard work that the team put in. From the weird physics engine to the character designs, and all the way to the pixel art, the game comes across as a labor of love. But somewhere it lost touch and decided to focus more on aesthetic than on the actual game design and gameplay. The game gives me a sense of defeat because there's such a beautiful and fun world that has been held down with the cumbersome controls and overbearing difficulty. Rain World is a game that will end up breaking you emotionally, not because the main character is cute and dies every five seconds, but because game forces you to submit to its rules without any form of consent.
"Rain World was definitely not what I was expecting and it’s not going to be what a lot of players will be expecting either. It subverts your expectations and delivers something different and unique but not very approachable. While it looks amazing and is originally animated, your exploration and desire to delve into it might be seriously hampered by its crushing difficulty and unforgiving failure penalties. It could have been an indie darling, talked about in mainstream gamer communities but the developers wanted to deliver another experience entirely. The end result is a solid piece of video gaming, lovingly crafted and with a lot more depth than it may seem, but it will probably remain a cult classic, bearing the tried and true “not for everyone” label."
Taking everything into perspective, I found Rain World to be an absolute gem. There's not much of an explicit story, yet the world is spelled out all around you with your experiences in this ecosystem personalizing each encounter. The difficulty can be a nice throwback however, the fact that your progress can be so easily lost is going to be a 'make or break' point for most gamers. If that's something you can't deal with, I strongly emphasize my caution to you to stay away. For those who do choose to press on, you're in for an incredible journey through a world that's truly unique every time through.
In short, we can say that Rain World offers a platform adventure that also introduces some aspects of survival; However, if the game offers good ground on the card, in the realization we encircle some aspects that do not convince us too much.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Rain World is difficult and unrewarding unless you’re willing to persevere through unforgiving trials of time and sheer luck, then you’ll likely find a plain frustrating experience. That said, those who don’t waver are bound to find a gem within the rough.
Sticks and stones may break my bones and the rain will totally kill me. Like every other thing in Rain World. If you are up to some challenging puzzle-platformer with extreme survivor elements, Rain World is what you are looking for.
I wanted to love Rain World. It’s an admirable game that tries many interesting things, but it also puts up too many barriers that deter gamers from truly enjoying it. There’s an interesting world to explore, but most will lack the patience to do so.
Rain World isn't a game that everyone will enjoy unfortunately, and that is a shame. Rain World is brutally gorgeous and an unforgiving world that continues to amaze and throw surprises at you along your journey.