Rusty Rabbit
Developer Nitroplus Publisher SoFun Format PC (tested), PS5, Switch Release Out now
For Takaya Kuroda, the voice of Kazuma Kiryu, a grumpy, middle-aged rabbit seems an unlikely role for his post-Yakuza career. Here is a concept that imagines Sylvanian Family-type creatures in an action-platforming Metroidvania against a dystopian industrial backdrop. Equally, the game is a strange turn for Nitroplus, better known for making visual novels of a darker and often more adult nature – which may also explain the rather workmanlike execution here. Piloting a bipedal mech named Junkster, our leporine hero, Stamp, is hunting for his estranged daughter in Smokestack Mountain, comprising a series of maze-like levels. Little effort has been taken to make the layouts and biomes cohere – areas are linked by teleporters – but different environments at least offer fresh obstacles to overcome.