Rabi-Ribi

While some games may be a bit shy about their influences, Rabi-Ribi is not one such.

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"Rabi-Ribi" is a single-player fantasy platformer game with an excellent story, featuring the adventure of a rabbit-turned-human, Erina, and her fairy companion, Ribbon. With awesome game mechanics, compelling visuals, and a sensational soundtrack, the game offers a very grinding but humorous and replayable experience in a spectral atmosphere, as they navigate through an unknown world to restore Erina's normal life. The game also provides a free Halloween DLC for those who wish to indulge in the holiday spirit.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,528 reviews

story212 positive mentions

grinding23 negative mentions

story
772 mentions
27 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The story of "Rabi-Ribi" is often described as simplistic and nonsensical, serving primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. While some players appreciate its lighthearted and quirky nature, many criticize it for being filled with clichés and lacking depth, with dialogue that can feel tedious or cringeworthy. Despite these shortcomings, the game's non-linear structure allows for exploration and boss encounters in any order, making the gameplay experience enjoyable even for those who choose to skip the story elements.
- “The story is very engaging, the art is very nice, the music is very enjoyable, and the gameplay can be very challenging.”
- “The story is cute, funny, and surprisingly deep, with a lot of heartwarming moments that keep you invested.”
- “The story is lighthearted but kind of dumb, yet it complements the gameplay perfectly, making for an enjoyable experience.”
- “The story is the absolute low point of the game.”
- “The plot is a fever dream of multiverses that never explains itself and by the end even seems to actively mock you.”
- “Despite the clear amount of love, effort, and attention that have gone into this game, I found the world to be bland and confusing to navigate, the 'story' to be so nonsensical I couldn't follow it even when I wanted to.”
music
627 mentions
65 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in "Rabi-Ribi" is widely praised for its exceptional quality, featuring a diverse range of catchy and intense tracks that enhance the gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout element, with specific praise for its ability to complement various game environments and boss battles, making it memorable and enjoyable. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the best aspects of the game, contributing significantly to its charm and replayability.
- “Rabi-ribi provides the right amount of difficulty while being backed by one of the greatest video game soundtracks I've ever heard.”
- “Tracks that don't have any right to be this good in a game about bunny girls and bullets flying on the screen, and yet, you'll find a mix of cute and relaxing tunes from the starting forest to threatening boss themes and exhilarating songs that will give you enough confidence to try again just one more time and see if you can defeat that one obstacle that you've been wanting to clear for the past few hours.”
- “The music is a delightful blend of catchy, upbeat tunes and intense, adrenaline-pumping tracks that perfectly complement the on-screen action.”
- “The music is average for a Japanese indie game dev team - in which that means that it's pretty amazing.”
- “Aside from the lackluster gameplay, the story and characters seemed hellbent on being as mind-numbingly inane as possible, the world seemed like a bad parody of itself, and none of the music stood out from the monotony of the play experience whatsoever.”
- “The music was fine for the most part, although some songs drove me insane from how often I heard them during boss fights.”
gameplay
619 mentions
46 % positive mentions
51 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Rabi-Ribi" is widely praised for its engaging blend of metroidvania exploration and bullet hell mechanics, offering a challenging yet rewarding experience. Players appreciate the tight controls, unique boss battles, and the depth of mechanics that encourage skill mastery and exploration. While the story and art style may not appeal to everyone, the gameplay stands out as a highlight, making it a must-try for fans of the genre.
- “They're also super engaging, as the balance between melee damage being higher and ranged damage being easier to hit bosses with means that not only will you always be attacking the boss (no waiting around for openings here!), but you're also incentivized to weave through bullets in order to get up close and maximize damage between attacks, which makes for a really fun ebb-and-flow gameplay loop.”
- “The gameplay is also incredibly fun and addictive.”
- “The gameplay is rewarding and fun too.”
- “The flaws it inherits from the metroidvania side of things: bosses have invincibility phases; design usually ignores your mobility options and devolves to what I call the 'skip rope then mash button' type of fights; and tons of bosses have 'quirky' hidden mechanics that you'll only ever discover if you look up a walkthrough.”
- “The gameplay is really bad.”
- “The constant text stops really take away from the overall fantastic gameplay, in my opinion.”
graphics
388 mentions
36 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Rabi-Ribi" are characterized by a colorful and cute pixel art style that appeals to fans of anime aesthetics, though it may deter some players due to its suggestive character designs and overall "weeb" vibe. While many reviewers appreciate the charming visuals and well-executed animations, others find the art style polarizing, with some describing it as overly simplistic or generic. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as a delightful complement to its challenging gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for those who can overlook the aesthetic concerns.
- “The art style is fun, cute, and colorful.”
- “Rabi-ribi is a fantastic metroidvania+bullethell game with cute visuals and lovely music.”
- “The visuals are generic and not very inspiring.”
- “The graphics are simple but really well done; it's a very cute 2D pixel game with a pretty art style.”
- “The art style can be a turn-off for lots of my friends, but who cares about that!”
replayability
96 mentions
43 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, driven by its non-linear design, multiple difficulty settings, and a plethora of achievements that encourage varied playstyles, including unique challenges like no-item runs and sequence breaking. Players can engage in numerous modes, such as speedruns and boss rushes, which further enhance the replay value, making it appealing for both casual and hardcore gamers. Overall, the combination of diverse gameplay options and a rich content offering ensures that players can enjoy the game for hundreds of hours.
- “This nigh-unprecedented level of choice in terms of direction provides a huge amount of replay value, as simple choices regarding which area you go to first will have you getting your upgrades in a different order.”
- “The higher difficulties offer similarly fantastic replay value, as the bosses have denser patterns and do way more damage, forcing you to really learn their patterns and sharpen your gameplay.”
- “Given that there are various ways to play it, the replayability is high.”
- “The game offers a bit of replayability due to its different difficulty options and its different modes that change the gameplay a bit.”
- “Even after a first playthrough, it still has replay value with harder game modes (rip myself) and some other challenges, like the no item run.”
- “Overall, highly recommended for fans of metroidvanias; the game is very lengthy for the price and the replay value is there as well.”
humor
71 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its cuteness and cleverness, with many players enjoying the funny dialogues, heartwarming storylines, and whimsical characters. The blend of lighthearted comedy with deeper themes, along with self-aware and sometimes absurd humor, contributes to an engaging experience that resonates particularly well with fans of anime-style aesthetics. Overall, the game is described as a delightful mix of fun gameplay and amusing narratives that keep players entertained.
- “Wtf, I can't stop playing this! The story is cute and funny, the controls are tight, and it's just an all-around fun game.”
- “The world and its art style are very cute and funny, while the gameplay is energetic and explosive.”
- “Packed full of humor, especially hilarious if you're already into the cutesy anime-style brand of humor that this game has in spades.”
character development
53 mentions
28 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
Character development in this game is generally viewed as shallow, with many characters lacking depth and meaningful backstories, often serving more as fanservice than integral parts of the narrative. While the character designs are frequently described as cute and appealing, they tend to prioritize aesthetics over substantial development, leading to a mixed reception regarding their relevance to the overall story. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the distinct personalities of the main characters, suggesting that there is potential for deeper character exploration.
- “The main characters have their own personality which further adds to the story and character development.”
- “This game is just pure cuteness; it's really well made and reminds me of Touhou. All the character designs look very cute, and every character has a nice story to tell, especially our little bunny that we play.”
- “Character design is cute, the world is huge, there's a ton of power-ups to find and buy. In 20 hours, I only mapped 60% of the map and found 55% of the items, and I didn't even fight all the bosses.”
- “Character designs are... fanservicey to say the least, and characters themselves do not have much depth.”
- “While having distinctive character design and backstory, many side characters contribute almost nothing to the plot, making you question whether they are relevant to the story or not.”
- “Cute girls with little or no background stories and character development trying to kill each other with sophisticated bullet hell - so it's just like Touhou.”
emotional
32 mentions
97 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a blend of heartwarming and surprisingly dark themes, with players noting a cute and wholesome story that evolves into more impactful moments towards the end and in DLCs. While some find the narrative simple, it still elicits genuine emotions, particularly through its engaging soundtrack and character arcs, despite mixed feelings about certain elements like character design and dialogue. Overall, the game successfully balances lightheartedness with emotional depth, making it a memorable experience for many players.
- “The early game sounds upbeat and fun, while toward the end of the game, there are songs that are impactful and even emotional.”
- “Even though the story only really gets serious towards the end and in the DLCs, under the cute and lighthearted mask lies something that, after finishing it, I would even call 'emotional'.”
- “I actually get really emotional listening to some of the OST, which I certainly didn't expect.”
- “Overall, I don’t recommend Rabi-Ribi, mostly due to the frustrating boss fights, boring story, and flat environments.”
atmosphere
25 mentions
36 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its exceptional soundtrack, which complements the various settings and enhances player engagement. Reviewers note that the music is beautifully composed, fitting each area perfectly, while the overall aesthetic creates a charming and inviting environment, despite some criticisms of the art style. The combination of catchy tunes and a lighthearted atmosphere contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a memorable experience for players.
- “The soundtrack is one of the best ones I have heard, and helps create the atmosphere for each area.”
- “From upbeat tunes like 'Adventure Starts Here', to the sombre floating graveyard, to the relaxing unfamiliar place, to every one of its battle themes, every note is beautiful and always sets the perfect atmosphere for what it's used for.”
- “This game had a beautiful soundtrack that complemented the atmosphere.”
- “The art is mediocre, sure, and a bit too lewd for me, as it tries hard to create a wholesome atmosphere.”
- “While the dialogue (mostly the translation though) and story (well... it's okay) is kind of lacking, the atmosphere is just right.”
- “The story is a bit wack; however, in the end, I suppose it compliments the whole naive and clueless (in a cute way!) atmosphere the main character has.”
grinding
24 mentions
4 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
96 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding in this game to be a mixed experience; while some appreciate the challenge and the sense of accomplishment from defeating tough bosses after grinding, others feel that certain aspects, like backtracking and refighting bosses, can become tedious. Many agree that grinding is generally manageable and not overly burdensome during a normal playthrough, with some players enjoying the natural progression through exploration and item upgrades. However, there are complaints about specific areas and bosses that require excessive grinding, which can detract from the overall enjoyment.
- “It's not too grindy on a normal playthrough, and it's surprisingly manageable when it comes to fanservice.”
- “A few downsides with the game is having to refight the same bosses multiple times; I know it's part of the main story, but it became tedious.”
- “Grinding bosses to learn patterns just to squeak out a win with less than 10 HP left gets mind-numbingly tedious.”
- “The ending area and boss is obnoxious, with the ending area basically requiring you to wait for your amulet to recharge, and while the platforming is fine in the area, I found myself grinding for health to make sure I didn't die to the ridiculous spikes.”
optimization
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The game is generally well-optimized, allowing it to run smoothly even on older PCs, with options to adjust graphics settings for better performance. Most users report a solid performance with a maximum of 60 fps and excellent controller support, although some minor performance issues can occur in busy areas. Overall, it has received positive feedback for its optimization, with many praising its clean visuals and engaging gameplay.
- “Well optimized, you can even play it with an old PC.”
- “Performance-wise, the game runs like a dream, too, and has great controller support, especially with how Steam handles controller input these days.”
- “Visuals are clean, the background music is fantastic, no PC performance issues, large replayability with various difficulty levels and modes.”
- “I have some performance issues on my laptop.”
- “The game does have a few performance issues, usually in areas where there’s a lot going on in the background.”
- “Nothing worse than buying a new game that's poorly optimized, not the case here though!”
stability
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally praised, with users reporting smooth performance at high resolutions and minimal bugs or glitches. However, some players have noted issues with clunky controls and level design that can lead to frustrating backtracking.
- “Runs great at 4K 60fps with GTX 1050 Ti.”
- “Mostly bug-free.”
- “It would be fun, apart from its clunky controls, buggy level design, and poor story which leaves you backtracking to areas you've already been, exploring rooms you've already explored just because you've unlocked one tiny little thing and there might be something in the room that was previously inaccessible.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization of animated images has significantly permeated Japanese culture, influencing various sectors such as movies, television, advertising, and music videos, reflecting a growing trend in leveraging animation for commercial gain.