Rack N Ruin
- September 1, 2015
- LifeSpark Entertainment
- 9h median play time
Rack N Ruin has some clever concepts that ultimately fall short due to moments of extraordinary frustration.
In "Rack N Ruin," play as the demon Rack, wreaking havoc in a peaceful world while seeking to impress your demonic overlord. Traverse environments, battle enemies, and solve puzzles to unleash destruction. Players must balance wreaking havoc and sparing innocent lives to progress through the game storyline.
Reviews
- The game features a beautiful art style and an excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Playing as the villain adds a unique twist to the gameplay, making it enjoyable for those who like to embrace the darker side of storytelling.
- The humor and clever writing provide a fun and engaging atmosphere, reminiscent of classic adventure games.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks significant progression, leading to moments of boredom.
- Level design and navigation can be confusing, with players often feeling lost and unsure of where to go next.
- The story is underdeveloped and lacks depth, which may disappoint those looking for a more engaging narrative.
- gameplay19 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it reminiscent of classic Zelda titles but lacking in originality and depth. While the mechanics, such as top-down shooting and puzzle-solving, are generally solid, many users noted issues with controller responsiveness and a lack of clear direction. However, others praised the engaging combat, humor, and aesthetic, suggesting that the gameplay can be enjoyable despite its flaws.
“The gameplay is solid and the soundtrack is absolutely amazing.”
“This game is like playing Legend of Zelda using Binding of Isaac battle mechanics where you play Ganondorf instead of Link... and it is glorious.”
“The humor is strong, the art is quite nice, and the gameplay is strong and fairly varied allowing for a few playstyles.”
“What brings this game down and into a negative review for me is gameplay and level design.”
“Sadly, the actual gameplay is more than boring.”
“It has a beautiful art style and scenery but the game lacks in gameplay and engaging storytelling... often you don't know where to go or what to do.”
- graphics17 mentions
- 65 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful and unique art style, often described as hand-drawn or resembling oil paintings, which enhances the overall aesthetic experience. However, some users express dissatisfaction with character designs, finding them unattractive. Overall, the visuals are noted for their vibrant colors and effective transitions, complementing the game's soundtrack and contributing to its engaging atmosphere.
“The game's got really outstanding artwork and soundtrack.”
“I think the graphics are very well done, and the transitions from the light graphic sets to the dark ones feel good.”
“The artwork is nice to look at and has a sort of painty style to it.”
“I don't like the art style; the design of the characters and the main character just looks ugly to me.”
- music12 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its quality and how it complements the visuals. While some note that the soundtrack can feel misplaced at times, overall, it is described as outstanding, particularly during boss encounters. The combination of a great soundtrack with the game's aesthetic enhances the overall experience, making it a standout feature despite the gameplay being likened to a typical Zelda clone.
“The game's got really outstanding artwork and soundtrack.”
“Awesome soundtrack, especially in boss battles.”
“Incredibly fun game, excellent aesthetic and quality soundtrack.”
“I want to give this game credit for the animation and music, but the gameplay is just your ordinary Zelda clone with nothing significantly interesting; it's not bad.”
“Visuals and soundtrack complement each other.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of hit or miss, with some players finding it strong and funny, particularly in character interactions and writing. While some felt the humor fell flat, others appreciated the cartoony and sadistic elements, making it enjoyable for fans of quirky, dark humor. Overall, the game's aesthetic and comedic aspects contribute positively to the experience, appealing to those who enjoy a blend of humor and gameplay.
“Despite being a demon, Rack is an adorable character that presents a funny situation in which he thinks himself bigger than he really is.”
“The writing is pretty funny, the gameplay is good, the soundtrack is good, and it has a really nice aesthetic.”
“My favorite thing about the game is the interactions you have with the other characters in the world; the writing is funny and snappy, and there's even a bit of lore thrown into the mix.”
- story8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered weak and lackluster, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and engagement in the narrative and characters. While some appreciate the humorous and tongue-in-cheek approach, others feel it fails to provide a compelling adventure, leaving players unsure of their objectives. Overall, the story does not meet the expectations typically associated with single-player adventure games.
“Story - awesome, funny.”
“It's a nice twist to shake up the typical story of the genre.”
“There is no deep story to speak of (so far, at least) and everything is very tongue in cheek, but other than that the game is like a dream 32-bit adventure game that never came to be.”
“The story and characters of the game are very lackluster.”
“You’re essentially a Saturday morning cartoon villain trying to start a line of Hot Topic shirts, and you never feel like the exploder of worlds the story claims you are.”
“Story is so critical to single-player adventure games, and yet it feels like the devs just gave up on the dialogue.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game artistically impressive but tedious, as frequent enemy respawns lead to repetitive backtracking and the need to repeatedly clear the same areas. While dodging enemies is possible, it can become a nuisance over time.
“Artistically amazing, but tedious.”
“Enemy respawns can make getting around a bit tedious as going through areas a dozen times means you will have to clear out the same enemies over and over. You can dodge past them easily enough, but it's a nuisance.”
Critic Reviews
Rack N Ruin Review
Rack N Ruin takes great elements, mixes them together, and then adds a ton of frustration on top. There are things to like here, but they are hidden behind bad controls, confusing design, and annoying gameplay elements.
50%It's good to be bad -- Rack N Ruin review
Rack N Ruin has some clever concepts that ultimately fall short due to moments of extraordinary frustration.
70%Rack N Ruin Review
Rack N Ruin might suffer from an abundance of items and enemies, but there's enough worth experiencing in the game's humour, combat and distinct visual design to make it worth a playthrough.
70%