Rabi-Ribi (PlayStation 4) Review

By Albert Lichi 29.08.2017

Review for Rabi-Ribi on PlayStation 4

Rabi-Ribi is a kind of Metroidvania that has some shades of Nier: Automata's bullet hell/melee hybrid action, but in 2D. Seemingly coming from out of nowhere, this very friendly looking game with its extremely cute presentation is only a facade to actually being one of the most intense 2D indie action games since Hotline Miami. Watch out! This rabbit is dynamite!

At first glance, Rabi-Ribi may not impress thanks to its less than stellar pixel art and ho-hum character animation. The visuals on display are just good enough to get by, while never really being ugly - just somewhat amateurish when compared to the highly fluid and appealing pixel art seen in the likes of Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, or even much older similar cute action games like Kirby Super Star. The reason why anyone would play Rabi-Ribi is not for its pixel art, but rather for its amazing, brain-melting action.

Erina was a regular everyday rabbit, until, one day, she awakens as a human (wearing a sexy bunny outfit, of course) and sets out to find her master. It isn't long till Erina realizes that she is in another land where many pets have become human, and, weirdly enough, her master is not terribly phased by her pet rabbit's new sexy form. Not everyone in this land is friendly, since bunnies are a bit of a commodity around these parts, and the local hot chicks are seeking to hunt down any rabbits they can get their mitts on.

The rate this game throws enemies at Erina rarely lets up except for when in town. There are a lot of non-hostile NPCs roaming the lands, and the way to tell them apart from the violent enemies is if they are not wearing any fake bunny ears. Erina can be walking down a beach that's populated with girls and it can be a bit of a surprise when she can get sucker punched by some bunny-eared bikini bimbo and her attack dog. It is always best to stay alert when roaming the beach. Erina's quest is pretty long and has extensive scenes of dialogue... sometimes too much. It is actually really staggering how much talking is in this really silly game.

Screenshot for Rabi-Ribi on PlayStation 4

Between the large cast of cute anime girls, the easy-on-the-eyes colour palette, and cuddly enemy design seemingly inspired by Kirby games, there exists sadistic boss battles that push the human spirit to its absolute limit. Mortals have really got to buckle down for some insane bullet hell battles, with some outrageous and original fire patterns to dodge, and hone their accuracy to win some of these adrenaline pumping throw downs.

What is unusual is that the challenge during the boss fights is not really reflective of the entire game, since when exploring the world and doing basic areas, the game feels quite relaxing and fairly simple. It is only until the final areas when Rabi-Ribi makes exploring a very spicy endeavour. There are some means to ease the difficulty, like stocking up on healing items, grinding for experience points, or, like in any good Metroidvania game, finding power-ups. This is still no guarantee to ensure a victory and will likely only help to get you through by the skin of your teeth.

This is a very long and sizeable Metroidvania with tons of secrets packed into each zone. The pixel art won't win any awards, but the core gameplay and level design are top notch. Rabi-Ribi is one of those rare indie games that manages to be a complete package and overcomes its visual shortcomings by having both heart and content. The story can be a bit overbearing thanks to excessive dialogue and an indecipherable plot, but, really, none of that matters when the main character is a sexy bunny girl with a huge mallet.

Screenshot for Rabi-Ribi on PlayStation 4

Cubed3 Rating

8/10
Rated 8 out of 10

Great - Silver Award

Rated 8 out of 10

Rabi-Ribi is a pretty epic Metroidvania... Much more expansive and challenging than its cutesy veneer would lead itself on to be. Some people may get put off by some of the insane action that comes with the many boss fights, but those who persevere will find this to be a profoundly rewarding experience. Even if the story is overly longwinded, the action holds the fun up on its own. This is an action game that comes highly recommended and proves that a game can't always be judged by its cover.

Developer

CreSpirit

Publisher

Sekai Project

Genre

2D Platformer

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  8/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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