Rusted Moss

What's going on with all these Metroidvania games lately? Is there that much demand for genre titles because the number of releases seems endless lately? Once again, we see a 2D platformer in the same vein as other indie titles in Rusted Moss. It's a pixelated, twin-stick genre classic that offers seemingly nothing different than the scores of other titles released this year already.

We may go in too harsh, as the success rate of these recent Metroidvania releases has been relatively high. There's no reason to suggest that Rusted Moss won't see that same success if they bring cleverly strewn mechanics, an engaging storyline, and thrilling gameplay. So let's fire up those platforming engines again and find out the game stands up amongst its competitors.

It's All About the Hook

Rusted Moss doesn't waste any time setting the game's storyline. Humankind has faced its near end, where creatures known as faeries have plagued the land and sunk our prosperous civilization into the ground. But all is not lost! You, the player, are armed with the tools and weapons you need to traverse the desolate wasteland and leverage a hidden secret to restore human power.

The game uses typical 2D platforming mechanics to build the brunt of gameplay. However, you're not going to run, jump, and shoot. Movement revolves around successfully executing grapples with surviving hostile environments. And trust us when we say there are plenty of hazards on each pixelated level, enough to drive any cognitive mastermind insane.

Most of Rusted Moss involves your ability to overcome physics-based challenges, including combat, obstacles, puzzles, and boss fights. You'll have to strategically plan your next move in a fraction of a second to avoid an array of bizarre objects only to hinder your path. The erraticism of movement becomes frustrating to those with less cognitive ability than others.

Multiple attempts at grappling through platforms, several failures to avoid boss weapon trajectories, and death upon random object hits; all pile up to create a frustrating experience. Rusted Moss is one of those games where the mechanics are bare, and you're free to accomplish things your way. While some players will enjoy the challenge, navigating almost all forms of movement will be obnoxious for many.

Grapple or Die

So is Rusted Moss a good Metroidvania game? Well, it stands out in the fact that mechanics are more liberal, but the problem there is that it leads to endless frustration. If you got a rise out of titles like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, the more gritty, greasy design of Rusted Moss will probably give you a brain hemorrhage.

Round-Up - Pros & Cons

Pros:

• A challenging Metroidvania game
• Liberal mechanics to accomplish tasks your way
• Impressive physics on movement

Cons:

• Learning the game isn't easy
• Most players will get frustrated with the movement
• Level design feels much the same