I’m all ears

Rabi-Ribi is a PC release from 2016 that has transitioned to the PS4 and one that definitely has sparked interest with me. Being a huge fan of JRPG’s in general Rabi-Ribi had peaked my interest with its metroid style platforming, story and dialogue cutscenes and bullet hell style action with role-playing elements.

You play as Erina who of course is a human form who had been turned from rabbit form due to magic. As you may expect by now the game is full of scantily clad girls with rabbit ears and you may also expect that it will be a mediocre game with this selling point in mind however that couldn’t be further from the truth.

As you awaken to try and find your master it becomes apparent that a larger problem is at hand and that a lot of the population you come by have also become separated much like yourself. The games plot is very simple and has a very happy tone about it. Rabi-Ribi features dialogue sections with silhouette characters much like visual novels. The game itself is of a pix-elated style, nothing we haven’t seen before however the character sprites are really detailed and well animated.

As I have also mentioned the game is a metroid style of map traversing with being able to move between screens horizontally and vertically whilst uncovering new areas and being able to backtrack to old. Many items such as potions can be found in areas that you cannot reach and it’s always fun to come back to areas or to figure out how to get to them once you have the required skill to do so. The map is self drawn as you approach new areas and save points and warp points are clearly marked.

The map of Rabi-Ribi feels quite large especially as there is much to uncover in the world. There are many items aswell as new towns and characters to uncover. Finding new treasures is always rewarding and there are many benefits to this such as improving health. New enhancements can be bought in towns by spending EN which drops from enemies in the game. Skill level of using weapons is increased through using the weapon continuously; this can increase damage output; range and also give birth to new abilities. Badges are another collectable which will allow Erina to be more powerful for example by increasing weapon damage. Controls feel real responsive in and out of Combat. Combat starts out simple by hitting with a hammer which increases in power over time but as you progress throughout the world you will uncover new ways of fighting with your companion. Mixing up the battles with both companions by using both short range and long range is crucial to keeping up combo attacks.

Normal battles will come and go but bosses are where the real fights take place as bullets rain from the skies and bombs will fill the screen with light giving you the most minimal of safe space. Boss fights start out simple but depending on the games difficulty aswell as how much you have grinded these can be challenging. It is very much possible to avoid all boss projectiles but it is down to memorising the patterns; having a health bar helps soften any blows you do take; even failing a boss will make the next attempt easier so with practice it is possible to overcome most challenges. The game does a good job of increasing the difficulty; the more you play Rabi-Ribi the more you will get used to it. The game even has a mode where game difficulty is based on your character progression and the amount of arsenal you have at your disposal making battles the most fun and engaging. If you plan on playing on the most hardcore of difficulties be prepared to grind it out in the game.

The soundtrack to Rabi-Ribi doesn’t disappoint either; it has a mellow tone through exploration and a fitting upbeat and faster paced theme during boss battles, I actually had to slow down on fighting the first boss just to hear the theme play out fully it was that good.

A PlayStation 4 Review Code was provided by PQube