squareSphere Rain World Review

Rain World is not a fair game. Everything about it is obscure. From it's surprisingly involved movement over the apparently erratic enemies to the expansive world map. It is also brutal. You will die a lot. To unfamiliar enemies or new environmental hazards, and frequently through no real fault of your own. You will struggle with tricky platforming, just to be set back by some errant creature. All the while, the game smugly refuses to explain anything to you. In a sense, it's a perfect emulation of a baby chick falling out of its nest and being abandoned. But, if you can get past this apparent hostility towards you the player and video gamey idea of progression, you might find a different understanding of Rain World. The game isn't trying to impede your progress. It isn't judging you for your deaths. It doesn't expect you to "win". Rain World doesn't want to be beaten, it wants to be played. Watch the creatures of the world and their rich interactions, and learn how to navigate around them. Experiment with the plants and debris strewn about, and turn them into tools. Explore the different areas of the world, and discover your place in it. Rain World isn't for everyone, I'm sure. But, its undeniable calrity in concept is deserving of recognition. So, if you enjoy exploring and growing more competent and knowledgable purely for its own sake, you'll find Rain World is made for you.