Like a lot of gamers, I was stunned when I learned that Xbox had shuttered Tango Gameworks earlier this month. The exceptionally talented studio had just come off a banner year where it released the critically beloved Hi-Fi Rush. Despite being labeled as a success by Xbox executives, that wasn’t enough to save Tango, which was shut down as it actively tried to pitch a sequel. It’s discouraging news that’s led to me wishing more publishers were willing to nurture creative ideas from smaller teams.
In that sense, RKGK‘s timing couldn’t be better. On its surface, the new platforming adventure from Wabisabi Games bears a striking resemblance to Hi-Fi Rush. It’s a colorful game about counterculture rebellion, and it’s all set to a high-energy soundtrack. Its graffiti gameplay hook calls to mind Jet Set Radio more than the musical action of Hi-Fi Rush, but it has the same youthful spirit that makes that game so special.
Though RKGK is much rougher around the edges than the games it’s inspired by, its development story is a hopeful one for an industry currently mired in chaos. The project, a debut from a team based in Latin America, was made with the support of Riot Games’ Underrepresented Founders Program. That donation helped a new studio find its footing and experiment in a way that will only help it grow. RKGK might not be a perfect debut, but it’s the kind of project I want to see much more of as publishers pull support from studios with creative visions to chase.
In RKGK, players take control of Valah, a graffiti artist living in Cap City. The metropolis has found itself brainwashed by an evil corporation using hypnotizing screens around town. It’s up to Valah, with the help of the titular RKGK organization, to paint over those screens with graffiti and take down the nefarious Mr. Buff. It’s a fairly boilerplate story, but the simplicity of it makes it feel like a throwback to the Sega Dreamcast era.
Wabisabi Games gets a lot of chances to flex its muscles with its fast-paced platforming hooks. In each level, I need to traverse platforming gauntlets while picking up paint cans. I can use those to spray over dozens of screens scattered around each level with a quick button press, freeing a bit more of the city each time. If I’ve sprayed over enough by the end of each chapter, I can pop into a boss fight that has me dodging robot attacks (we’re talking classic “jump over dangerous circles” encounters) and spraying their screens. It’s all very classical in nature, with a collect-a-thon platformer design that’s not far off from old-school Nintendo design.
While the level goals are basic, RKGK presents some neat mobility ideas that show Wabisabi Games’ potential. I can use Valah’s spray cans to zip around on the ground, like a Splatoon squid zooming through ink. Holding it in the air also lets me hover, and that doubles as an offensive measure as the blast will hurt any robots under me. Those little techniques pair with RKGK‘s jungle gym-like level design, which has me hopping up platforms and grinding down rails at high speeds. Speedrunning seems to be a clear focus here, as a lot of levels can be completed in under a minute if I’m not stopping to collect cans or paint screens. That quick pace, paired with its colorful art, should make for a fun spectator sport.
It’s not that I love RKGK. It very much feels like a debut full of first ideas. Combat is shallow and the spray-painting loop doesn’t change much from its opening level. But what I appreciate is that Wabisabi Games actually got a chance to get its first idea out the door with the help of a publisher that sees the value in growing studios like this. There are enough promising ideas here that I’m hopeful that the studio can now build on that momentum and take its creativity further. That’s a luxury that a lot of studios aren’t getting right now, but few masterpieces come from a studio’s first up at bat. Having space to learn and experiment is key.
If you’re looking to see a bright-eyed new studio grow, RKGK is a fun little debut that’s packed with potential. Given the space to iterate and evolve, I imagine that Wabisabi Games will be able to make an even bigger splash on its next outing. Let’s just hope that a currently volatile games landscape gives it the space and resources it needs to succeed.
RKGK is out now on PC.
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