In life, several things must be presented as one; Simon and Garfunkel, Tom and Jerry, Ant and Dec, peanut butter and jelly (jam), and the moon and the stars. Can you imagine if one appeared without the other? How odd would that be? Well, Rabisco+ tells a heartbreaking story of when the moon lost her stars.
Developed by Green Dinosaur Games and published by Ratalaika Games, this is a 2D precision puzzle adventure title. You control a small alien-like blob who must avoid traps and enemies on its way to gathering all the lost stars.
Rabisco+ is super cute but quickly becomes a nightmare.
Other than the tear-jerker opening cutscene, you instantly note how cute Rabisco+ is. With simple hand-drawn lines, and a basic premise, this title doesn’t overcomplicate the matter. Instead, it offers an easy-to-understand game that slowly builds in difficulty.
With ten worlds to explore, and one hundred levels to defeat, there is plenty to keep you going. You start with simple level designs and helpful hints to teach you the fundamentals. You navigate multiple labyrinthine stages, each with unique enemies. You’ll face; laser beams, spikes, moving blocks, spinning fireballs, and more. The further you progress, the greater the combination of these foes you will see. It quickly goes from dodging one obstacle to avoiding multiple traps in a split second. In short, the peaceful experience soon turns into a hellish nightmare.
Multiple modes and collectables.
I enjoyed the gameplay, and style of Rabisco+. But what stood out for me was the amount of modes at your disposal. You are free to saunter along, taking your time, and slowly collecting each star. Or you can collect a stopwatch and change the dynamic to a speed run game. There are no penalties if you are slow, but the nature of a ticking clock adds pressure and a competitive edge. Finally, there is a hardcore mode that removes every checkpoint. This option is for the most hardy gamers out there, or the most insane. With everything wanting to kill you, failure was all but guaranteed.
So, you’ve picked your mode, know who your foes are, what else is there to do? Gather collectable items, that’s what! Each world has a gem hidden among its maze-like stages. Collecting them isn’t an issue, finding them is. With no hint to which level they are on, you must search high and low until you find them all. You must also find every star, keys to unlock doors, and a different coloured crayon. The crayons unlock the next world, and without them, your progress will be thwarted.
The stars are easy to find, as are the keys. The challenge comes as you attempt to gather them without dying. A logical approach must be taken, and planning is a must. You’ll need quick reactions to dodge every enemy you face. Even the best players will fail, and I admit this game made me mutter some obscenities.
Basic imagery and vivid colours.
Gamers are always looking for realistic graphics and something to push their next-gen consoles. You won’t get that with Rabisco+. I didn’t mind the simple imagery, in fact, I think it works perfectly with this style of game. The 2D tabletop perspective allows you to view most of the action. You can easily plan your route and calmly take on each stage. The hand-drawn images and varied stage design were interesting to look at and prevented a basic game from becoming repetitive.
What I found odd was the choice of music that accompanied this danger-filled world. When everything is out to kill you, you expect the audio to be sinister, angry, and to set a dark mood. Instead, you are treated to a Mario-esque upbeat and calm piano score. It was strange, but I really enjoyed it. Referred to by the developers as inspired by Bossa Nova music, the calming Brazilian tunes work brilliantly throughout.
The controls caused issues.
Whenever a game uses precision as one of its key elements, the controls have to be responsive. Sadly, this wasn’t always the case. You’d drift slowly after moving, causing you to hit spikes or be struck by projectiles. These loose movement controls caused much frustration and were especially bad when you attempted the hardcore mode. You can adjust to the issue so it’s an annoyance and not a game-breaker.
With the speed run and hardcore options available, there is plenty of replay value to be found. Twenty plus enemies are encountered, and the variety in stage design ensures you keep playing. An easy achievement list is unlocked early on, making this a completionists dream.
Rabisco+ is a fun indie title.
Though Rabisco+ won’t be to everyone’s liking, it offers enough to be appealing to indie fans. A gentle learning curve, the need to be accurate, and a good dose of luck make this an addictive casual title. I enjoyed my time with it and recommend you buy it here! The moon is lost without her stars, collect them all and make her feel complete again.
