Rusty Rabbit: Everything We Know

When the world yields to ruin and civilization flees for the hills, who or what will claim their place atop the foundations of a fractured planet divided in two? Why, rabbits, of course. That’s according to Nitro Plus and NetEase Games’ upcoming 2.5D side-scrolling adventure game, Rusty Rabbit, anyway. Turns out, those fluffy bundles of joy are about to receive some well-overdue TLC—a fact that will no doubt make even the likes of Bugs Bunny hop with pride. Probably.

It isn’t out for a fair while yet, but that hasn’t exactly stopped us from badgering the studio in charge for a few more details on the latest IP. Care to hear more? If so, here’s everything we can tell you about Rusty Rabbit, from its origins to its characters, and everything strewn between. Let’s get right into it.

What Is Rusty Rabbit?

Rusty Rabbit is a 2.5D action belt scroller in which players assume the role of Stamp, an eccentric rabbit who’s been left to forage for leftovers from the fallout of humanity and the world’s sudden downfall. As Stamp, you will need to explore a vast open wasteland that’s not only crammed to the brim with dusty old trinkets, but valuable “junk”, too—scrap with which you can use to build new machines and other nifty contraptions to progress deeper into the world.

Let it be said that, from the looks of the premise and its overall storyline (we’ll get to that in a moment), Rusty Rabbit will tap into those Endling — Extinction Is Forever vibes; a world torn at the hinges, with critters running amok in an attempt to survive the fallout. Or at least, that’s what it comes across as, at least. That, or Biomutant, perhaps? Either way it’s hard to ignore the odd reference.

Story

In case you missed it, Rusty Rabbit will be set in the distant future, in a world without humans. Again, you will fill the paws of Stamp, a junk-collecting rabbit who’s thrown to the pits of a forsaken piece of land—a forgotten biome in which long-forgotten secrets linger, and a shocking truth lays in wait for Stamp’s timely arrival. Turns out, there’s more to this world than meets the eye, and it’ll be your job to unravel it and answer the questions that no human ever could.

“Stamp, a rabbit living on the planet humanity abandoned spends his days collecting junk and tinkering with machines,” reads the description. “In a stroke of bad luck, Stamp crashes down into the lower levels. There he finds D-TAM, a terminal for storing information. Using the D-TAM scattered throughout, he finds info related to his missing daughter and a hidden truth about the world they live in. Thus his journey begins.” How’s that for an opener?

Gameplay

According to the devs, Rusty Rabbit will feature “RPG-like progression and customization”—two elements that will tie in with Stamp’s trusty and evidently rusty companion, Junker. As well as having to sift through the lower levels of a desolate world, players will also need to craft upgrades and equipment in order to dig deeper into the depths and unlock additional fragments of lore. There’ll be moments of exploration, combat, puzzle-solving, and even camaraderie between other creatures, from the looks of it.

“Experience exhilarating action and mystery as you dig ever deeper into the giant ruins!” the description continues. “Follow Stamp as he pilots his trusty mech “”Junkster”” to smash enemies and blocks in the ruins and find treasure.”

Well, there you have it — a smash-and-grab junk simulator with a tapestry of story-driven and RPG-like nodes, to boot. Different, is all we can say — yet something we’re all the more curious to learn about over the coming months.

Development

ニトロプラス × NetEase Games 共同制作
完全新作タイトル『Rusty Rabbit』（PlayStation5/PC向け）を発表！

キュートなうさぎが主人公が終末世界で大暴れ！？
鬼才脚本家：虚淵玄（ニトロプラス）が描く、愛嬌と狂気が混在した独特な世界観を持つ

2.5Dベルトスクロールアクションゲームが遂に登場！… pic.twitter.com/aoIO2oQqQQ

— NetEase Games (@NetEaseGames_JP) September 21, 2023

Nitro Plus first announced its plans to bring Rusty Rabbit to consoles and PC earlier this week. According to the team, the game will be an original IP, “with conceptual planning by Gen Urobuchi.” It will also feature at this week’s Tokyo Game Show event, which is currently scheduled to take place between September 21st and 24th. You can keep tabs on that by checking in with the social feed here. Alternatively, you can tune in and stream it direct here.

Rusty Rabbit is being developed by Nitro Plus and NetEase Games, two industry titans who’ve not only dabbled in an enormous variation of genres, but also fed life into several prestigious titles, including NARAKA: Bladepoint, Marvel Super War, and Harry Potter: Magic Awakened. Safe to say that, with this knowledge under the belt, Rusty Rabbit is certainly in good hands.

Trailer

In addition to the Tokyo Game Show appearance, Rusty Rabbit also popped its head up as part of a concept trailer earlier this week, too. You can check it out for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Rusty Rabbit will be coming to PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam at some stage in 2024. Unfortunately, that does mean both Xbox and Switch are out of the game, and therefore will not be receiving any ports. But who knows — maybe the devs will have a sudden change of heart before long? Only time will tell on that one.

Edition-wise, there’s nothing particularly exciting out just yet, other than the standard version on consoles and PC. Still, you can add it to either of your baskets  by visiting the respective store handles today.

For more information on Rusty Rabbit, you can check in with the team over on their official social feed here. If anything does change ahead of its 2024 launch, we’ll be sure to fill you in on all the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Rusty Rabbit when it arrives on consoles and PC in 2024? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.