One of the most popular survival games on the PC has moved over to our current-gen consoles. With maybe over 10 000 players played the game monthly on Steam, now that Rust made the jump, let us see if it holds up to its promises…
Just like any other survival game, you start out with literally nothing and you’re placed in the middle of nowhere with only one mindset… to survive. Rust isn’t trying to be different here, as you wake up clothless on the side of a river. Within the world you’re placed, it’s up to you to survive and stand out as the last one standing. Surviving is not only about making equipment, building your house, build some weaponry, and live happily ever after… When I’m talking about survival, it’s about survival against all dangers that lurk behind the corner. In the harsh world of Rust, you’ll have to fight against your need for drinking/ eating and of course, protect yourself against hazardous environments or even cold. If this didn’t scare you off, maybe the next thing will. The battle against nature is already a hard one, but it’s even harder when you have no one beside you that can lend a hand. Rust is a sandbox game, so you’ll come against other players and you’ll have to be cautious because every player will probably try to kill you and loot all of your stuff and dignity. Nature is dangerous but the players in this game are brutal!
Rust doesn’t offer anything mind-blowing when it comes to the story because there isn’t a story here. It’s like an open sandbox game where you try to earn your right to live within this community or world that you’re dropped in. The fact that you’re truly free to do as you like, opens up opportunities to shape this world as you see fit. Of course, all of these exciting dreams can only happen if you get the hang of the mechanics that the game has to offer. Even though I get the fact that you’ve dropped in the wild with no knowledge whatsoever, it’s hard to get immersed in a game when you don’t get the slightest tutorial on how to progress your way of living. I truly looked at some youtube videos on how to start the game properly because I’ve had my share of knockouts by random naked dudes killing me with their bare hands or just a rock. I’ve been killed by a rock, lost all of my stuff, and had to start over again. Even though, this idea of “ every action/ decision counts”, it can be frustrating learning the ropes slowly and then be killed by something so stupid. Rust definitely broke my dignity at some point.
Technical speaking, the game runs fine on the console. If you play the game on the PC, I don’t think it’s worth your money to actually buy a second version of Rust, just so you can play on the console. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great port that runs fluently most of the time but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. It would have been amazing if the game offered cross-play between PC and Consoles but unfortunately, that’s a too futuristic idea to have, apparently… There is however cross-play between the different consoles on the market, you can search servers that include players of one specific platform.
The only reason I could think of buying this ported version of Rust is by having friends to play with. Rust is the kind of game that can be enjoying solo but being at a party with lots of amusing friends of strangers, truly brings out the best of this game. So play the game with some friends, if you truly want to create something in this dangerous environment.
The game plays great on console and with an Xbox One controller in my hand, I can definitely say that the use of the controller blended well with the gameplay elements of Rust. The D-pad opens up the inventory, there’s the A selection button to use or interact with the elements and of course, the controller triggers are used for smashing or shooting. Even though the game doesn’t have a lot of other things to offer, I can say that the game’s UI is very clean which helps with the immersion of yourself within the environment. Come to think of it, it may have been a smart choice not to include cross-play between PC and Console because eventually, PC players will always have the upper hand as they’ll be able to use shortcuts in a smoother way than console players. But other than that, the game plays well on the console.
Graphically speaking, the graphics are definitely okay but the game doesn’t have that WOW-effect. It’s no surprise since the game has been officially out on Steam in the year 2013. In other words, the game’s engine is a bit outdated and won’t be able to compete with the more polished survival games like Conan or Minecraft ( with the new graphical update), I think they could have done more of an effort to make the game’s graphics a bit more polished. If the game is meant for “attracting new players”, a new gaming engine with a graphical update could definitely lure more new and veteran players in.
Conclusion:
Rust is a great survival game that definitely had an influence on the current survival games on the market. The world can look beautiful sometimes but due to the outdated engine, most of the objects are rough around the edges and makes the virtual world unpolished. Other than that, the game has been ported successfully from the PC world to the console world. The controls feel intuitive and the fact that you can play with players on the same platform is definitely a plus. I wouldn’t buy the game if you already own a PC copy of the game since there’s nothing new that’s been added to the console version. If you haven’t played Rust yet and you’re looking for a decent survival game to play with your friends, then this might be the game for you!
