Every now and then, along comes a title that just sucks you into its world. It’s a fact: true gamers can’t resist a combination of original storytelling, exciting gameplay, immersive design, and unique soundscapes. On Rusty Trails hits the spot every time.
From the makers of Tiny & Big and About Love, Hate and the other ones comes a heart-throbbing title with Black Pants Studio’s signature style, but a whole new adventure.
Story
You’re Elvis, a conscious, metallic tetrahedron person whose house has been reduced to a pile of a rubble by a thunderstorm. It’s a strange world, but you belong here. You’re only option is to figure out how to find a new home. This is literally the simple, minimalistic basis from which a fast-paced, shapeshifting, and thought-provoking journey is about to start.
Gameplay
You guide Elvis through an illustrative platform world inhabited by creatures similar to him, and other [hairy] folk who are not so similar! We won’t call them enemies here. You’ll have to play the game to decide for yourself.
Controlling Elvis is fluid, whether you’re playing with keyboard or joypad. Elvis’ magnetic boots deliver a unique platform experience as you can walk on walls and ceilings. This drastically changes the perspective on puzzles and how you approach them. Advance a little further into the game, and you’ll find the “Shifty Suit”. Not only does it help you move incognito among the hairy folk, this suit alters how the entire environment reacts to you.
Overcoming challenges in On Rusty Trails depends highly upon how you transform yourself, with a moral lesson on not having biased judgment. What looks like straightforward gameplay, is actually disguised complexity. On Rusty Trails has a delicious secret around every corner.
Graphics
On Rusty Trails feels a little bit like a comic book coming to life in your hands. It’s got that scrapyard, almost post-apocalyptic feel to it. Everything would be so cute if it wasn’t for the pain and hate that come across in its characters eyes.
It’s also one of those games where you need to pay attention to the graphics. This is good because you’ll want to. On Rusty Trails features signboards and pop-up emoticons to clue you in on gameplay as opposed to long text explanations. We suppose it’s how the people in this miniature world prefer to communicate!
Sound
If you were born into a metallic body, with a metallic heart, in a metallic world, everything would sound the way it does in On Rusty Trails. On the one hand, the music is soft and tribal. It’s the soundtrack to the ticking of your mind working out puzzles and your fingers flexing out dexterity. However, every click, clunk, and electronic wave lets you know. This is the sound of struggle and you’re up for a challenge. Get a taste of the sound in the video below.
Replay Value
On Rusty Trails is a stack of numerous, short, diverse, and intense levels. You’ll get several good hours playing through the entire game. Then you’ll get several intense hours playing through the entire game to tick off the more hardcore of its 44 achievements. Then you’ll get several awesome hours playing just to warm up for the sequel! Okay… False Alert. We don’t know if there will be a sequel, but we definitely hope so!
Verdict
Elvis has left the building and he’s On Rusty Trails. Even if you’re not a platform lover, this is one of those titles that you must experience. Find a surprisingly touching story brought to you through fun gameplay. And for the sake of common hospitality, help Elvis find a home.
Let’s Play!
Steam Price:
€12.99
+ bonus game
(limited time offer!)
