There’s no denying thatthe reveal ofRKGKlast monthstood out with its emphasis on colorful visuals, graffiti, speed, grinding, anti-authority plot, etc, reminding one ofJet Set Radio.Overall, what had been shown of the game looked impressive, and figured I knew I had a general idea of what to expect from it so far. And now having seen more of the game and having gotten a chance to try it out, it turns out I was wrong…and pleasantly surprised in the process.
South of the Border
As it turns out, despite having initially pegged it as being inspired by a series of games from the 2000s, it turns out thatRKGKis actually a throwback to the ’90s and the developers' childhoods. Notably, this includes the connection between Mexico and anime on display here, as during a private presentation of the game, the team revealed that a large chunk of this was a tribute to the numerous amount of anime that aired on Mexican TV in the 1990s. Not familiar with Mexican television history myself, I was intrigued, especially as I’m a bit of a sucker for what is called the"Germans Love David Hasselhoff"trope. Getting more details about this from CEO and co-founder Anwar Noriega, apparently national channels Channel 5 and Channel 7 would air quite the broad spread of anime back in the day, ranging from older stuff likeMazinger Zto more then-current stuff likeRanma ½andSaint Seiya.
So yes, the end result is a giant homage to the styles and culture that helped inspire Wabisabi Games ever since they were kids. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I would have been intrigued by some sort ofBig Hero 6-esque hybrid of two cultures as well, but it does look like other influences have it in via more subtle ways. In particular, the setting of Cap City heavily relies on neo-brutalist architecture, a style that was famous in several Latin countries back in the day. And for something more straightforward, there are unlockable outfits for our heroine Valah, including mariachi and luchador getups. And even the creators' own previous work with VR and AR tech makes it in, via graffiti design that move and even have a holographic feel. So there’s a unique blend of influences on display here and they all make for dazzling and inspired visuals.
But that was just a surprise that I had experienced on a surface level. On a gameplay level, having expected a more straightforward action game, it was a surprise when Wabisabi informed us during the presentation that this was actually a tribute to ’90s platforming games such asBanjo-Kazooie.I felt befuddled by that, but yes, a lot of the game is largely based around platforming, with each level having larger areas that encourage you to explore and find several different hidden things, from the main goal of finding more brainwashing screens to paint over so that you’re able to unlock later levels, to hidden Ghost token used to purchase special goods that are obtained via more challenging segments, to even just all the level’s enemies to bash in. Again, it’s a rather unique approach, taking the traditional ’90s platformer formula and coating it with a kind of paint that you wouldn’t expect from a game such as this.
Slip ‘n Slide
How does it all play, though? A few of the controls and some of the jumping took getting used to at first, but I was quickly jumping and gliding around with ease, with movement being fun. The ability to glide across the ground using paint is seemingly the game’s signature move, and it’s extremely satisfying to use, being smooth as butter. Even more satisfying is Defacer Mode, triggered by chaining together movements and abilities, triggering a mode where Valah moves even faste, and can even attack enemies by paint-gliding right into them, which placed a greater emphasis on and was enjoyable, with each impact against a robotic menace providing a nice feeling of giddiness. The level design was also well-done, with the industrial levels on display here being nice and open with different obstacles, and nice little hints about where each optional goodie is. All of this climaxed with a “Sunflower Noodle” mech boss, which put up a decent challenge.
The only thing I did question aboutRKGKso far is any contrast between different bits of gameplay getting in the way. In particular, there’s the emphasis on speed mentioned before, with movement largely focused on being quick and rewarding speed, with optional goals based around getting through levels quickly, but then you have the more exploration-focused aspects that come from its platforming side, as well as parts that can require more precision. Funnily enough, I wondered the same thing aboutanotherrecent ’90s platforming throwback that came out just last month that I’ve been playing,Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom.But while it does threaten to have clashing gameplay elements at times, that game has had terrific platforming and has still been a blast so far and the same can easily be said aboutRKGK.
Wabisabi Games Makes Its Debut With Graffiti-Themed 3D Platformer RKGK
Making its debut during today’s Triple-i Initiative, Wabisabi’s debut game RKGK makes quite the impact with its fast action and vibrant style.
In fact, it feels more likeRKGKis trying to be more accessible, placing an emphasis on speed and stunts while still allowing players to go at whatever pace they’d like, allowing them to properly get a feel for everything and then taking on the trickier challenges later if they’d like. And for those who want an even deeper challenge, there will also be a second difficulty setting that’s described as a further throwback to classic platformers, making everything harder. But regardless of your preference,RKGKis a rather interesting, fun and unique take on the platformer genre, and we can’t wait to see the whole shebang later when it comes out for PC later this month on May 22, and my inner child will likely be blown away by it as well.
RKGK / Rakugaki
An anime-inspired 3D platformer, RKGK puts you in the shoes of Valah, a graffiti artists who uses their unique painting skills in order to help free the people from the evil B-Corp.
