Platformers have been going strong for decades, but there’s somehow still untapped potential. All it takes is a solid game mechanic, a unique art style, or a fine-tuned difficulty to reel players in to the tried-and-true formula. One look at the trailer for Rubato, and it seems like it has it all. While running and jumping are a given, this game goes a bit beyond that simple premise. In fact, Rubato really steals the show with its over-the-top presentation and general wackiness that might leave your mouth agape every few minutes when something unexpected happens. Can it stick the landing?

The divine pixel art within Rubato is simply stunning, whether it be within the moment-to-moment gameplay or the hilarious cutscenes. With an insane setup of “you need to collect fragments of all the planets in the solar system to keep your job”, one would think that would be enough exposition to work with. But introducing a mysterious foe in dynamic, ethereal inklings of background makes it a game that’s hard to forget once you put it down. Never have I picked up a game and been blindsided by plot curveballs on a regular basis as much as Rubato, and not knowing what comes next makes it extremely exciting.

The plot’s all well and good, but the gameplay within Rubato is also quite engaging and smooth-feeling. I laughed when I got an achievement for my second, third, fourth… all the way to seventh main collectable, just as hard as I laughed when I came across the first boss, a humongous onion. You’ll also encounter metroidvania elements when acquiring items, such as a rocket launcher that busts cubes that previously blocked progress. This replayability assists the game’s mere handful of levels, which are higher in quality than quantity. Even with just a few levels, though, it’s a pleasure to go back and snag that fragment you had your eye on earlier.

When you’re not platforming or backtracking in Rubato, there are several bonus levels within each map, such as a 2D kart-racer or fish-hunting for a cow. In addition, the costumes that you can spend your currency on are downright ludicrous. Sure, there’s a high-poly model and a color swap, but did you ever want to play a collecathon as a full-sized automobile? Because you can do just that with a skin unlock, and it doesn’t even cost an absurd amount to get it. That’s what’s making Rubato so memorable to me: there’s always an expectation that’s subverted or a left-field design choice that you can never predict.

That’s why Rubato is definitely worth playing, if you’re a fan of platformers, collectathons, or simply obtuse games. In its compact 10-hour runtime, so much happens from start to finish that it makes my head spin. You may see several Steam reviews stating, “don’t look up anything, just go in blind”, and I couldn’t agree more; Rubato is more than just a platformer, it’s an experience worth having for the uninitiated.

A PC review copy of Rubato was provided by dconn for this review.

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Rubato

$19.99

8.5

Score

8.5/10

Pros

• Tight, Satisfying Controls
• Laugh-out-loud funny
• Absolutely Banging Soundtrack

Cons

• Plot Perplexity Hard to Keep Up With