Originally released March 28, 2017, Rain World is a 2D-style, survival platform game. It is primarily a singleplayer game, though the base game features a PvP mode, while the recently released DLC, Rain World: Downpour, introduces a Co-op mode. In Rain World, you play as an odd little creature known as a slugcat. The base game features three different slugcats; Monk, Survivor, and Hunter. These three slugcats represent the Easy, Normal, and Hard game difficulties, respectively.
The pixelated visuals of Rain World have a rather post-apocalyptic feeling to it. The landscape is an absolute mess, which also presents the platforming part of the game, and navigating a massive world as a tiny creature is no simple task. Especially when the game forcefully limits what a player is able to get done based solely on their skill. The player must do as much as they can before hiding away from the primary environmental threat that gives the game its name: the rain. It may not sound threatening at first, but this rain comes down as torrential downpours that can kill a player either by crushing them under its terrible force or drowning them as water swiftly fills enclosed rooms.
The gameplay itself simulates what it’s like to be a tiny, near insignificant creature in a broken ecosystem, where large predators lurk every corner and easy food is limited. The player has no idea when danger may appear, nor where it may come from. The only indicator of an incoming hazard is the cleverly crafted threat music, which becomes increasingly more complex depending on the threat level. When faced with a threat, the player’s only choices are to run or fight. Neither option is easy, as more threats can easily pop up at any moment, joining the fight/chase.
Like most other games, Rain World punishes the player for dying, but in a somewhat different way. Karma is a mechanic in the game that is necessary to complete all campaigns in the base game, and making significant progress in others. Every time the player dies, they lose a point of karma. There are ways to regain karma, as well as a way to prevent losing karma upon death, but they aren’t entirely easy.
Rain World is indeed quite the difficult game, renowned for being cruel and unforgiving. But that’s just part of what makes it so incredible. It’s unpredictable and the AI is incredibly well-developed. It even encourages the player to be a little creative in order to effectively get around. For anyone interested in a little challenge, I highly recommend checking out Rain World for yourself. Rain World itself is available on Steam for $24.99, as well as on the PS4 and the Nintendo Switch for $19.99. The DLC, Rain World: Downpour, is currently only available on Steam for an additional $14.99. The release date for the console versions of Rain World: Downpour is currently unknown.
