From zero to a (not necessarily good) hero
What exactly is Rustler about? The game takes us back to the Middle Ages, and the player directs Guy – an inhabitant of a suburban village, who spends most of his time stealing horses. While carrying out another murky assignment, the protagonist learns about a knightly tournament organized by the king, in which the princess’s hand is to be won. The plot itself seems to be similar to the Rockstar games – there, too, we start out as a meaningless gangster doing quests for local criminals, and finally end up as the most powerful man in town. The same is the case with Rustler; initially we deal with minor thefts and beatings to finally face the noble tournament. Guy is a typical dirty workman, and Buddy, a friend of the protagonist, is responsible for the entire organization and course of the plans being implemented.
Feudal Middle Ages
The game has a small, but interestingly filled open world. Fields can be plowed with a plow, on the roads we will often see singing bards, and in the woods we come across guard camps, from which weapons can be stolen very easily. In addition, while traveling through the kingdom, you can come across many elements that make you smile. Graffiti on the walls, beach umbrellas by the water, horse parking, as well as road signs – you can see at first glance that Rustler was created with a lot of humor. In addition to the visual curiosities, the feudal world is also filled with two types of collectibles and a few additional activities. Horseshoes are placed all over the map, which, when collected, add skill points, as well as notes – responsible for proficiency in playing instruments.
During the break between missions, the player can take care of well-paid side tasks and other activities, such as MMA fights and horse racing. Due to the fact that the game is not long (it takes about 10 hours to complete the main plot and most of the side quests), the developers were able to refine the player’s missions. Gameplay is quite monotonous, practically every task is based on killing a given character, reaching a specific place or losing the pursuit. As we do not get any new mechanics during the game, you can get the impression that the game is very boring. Fortunately, this is not the case, because the creators have devoted a lot of attention to the appropriate “packaging” of the mission in terms of plot, which is surprising and entertaining at every step.
Humor, humor, more humor!
As mentioned before, this production is full of jokes and humor. We will find here a lot of references to popular memes or elements known from pop culture. The creators realized that this would be the strongest side of the game. Not the model of the game or the story being told, but just the humorous layer. It is worth remembering, especially if this position is to be reached by a player expecting an engaging and serious storyline in the medieval realities. Quite the opposite, and Rustler can be considered a kind of parody of old ideologies, beliefs and customs. For example: the thread of round-aliens appears here – a group that believes in the spherical shape of the Earth. The player’s task is to convince them that the planet – according to medieval knowledge – is flat. At some point in the quest, Guy decides to take one of the members of the movement to the end of the world. They leave the port on the right side of the map and, much to the protagonist’s discomfort, reach the kingdom … on the other side, thus destroying the current state of affairs. It is also worth mentioning that the commissioner of this mission is the Spanish Inquisition, which at every possible step mentions that no one is expecting it …
On the horse, on the gun!
The most noticeable disadvantages of the game during the game are fights and horse riding. Fighting opponents is a relatively simple thing – one button is for hits, while the other is for parrying. In duels with heavily armed opponents, a dodge is also useful, which also allows you to quickly move behind your opponent’s back. Unfortunately, the fight is rough and frustrating. I have died many times due to the fact that, despite the close distance from the opponent, Guy missed him and thus exposed himself to blows. So I had to repeat some of the clashes many times, which strongly discouraged me from continuing to play. The second point that should be mentioned is horse riding. When traveling in the open, everything works fine, but when we come to gallop in more difficult terrain, e.g. in a forest or city, it becomes a torment. The horse often gets stuck in the surroundings and stands still. In most cases, the player is forced to slowly withdraw and only after a while can continue the route. It is very annoying, and since most of the game we travel on horseback, the developers should spend much more time on this element of the game. It turned out average, but the size of the map and the length of the journeys made somewhat compensate for the negative impression.
I must admit that the developers of Rustler had an interesting idea that they managed to implement quite well. It is definitely not an outstanding game, and it does not bring any breath of fresh air to the genre, as most of the mechanics here were known already at the time of the first Grand Theft Auto. However, the game is defended with humor and quite unusual subject matter. It is worth giving this title a chance, as it is a well-known game in a refreshed formula.
