Perfect World Entertainment may be breaking one tradition by producing non-MMO Rusty Hearts, but the company’s mantra of making high quality free-to-play games is still in full effect. In what developer Stairway Games calls “Castle Crashers meets Devil May Cry,” you take control of one of a number of different anime-inspired heroes to hack and slash your way through countless dungeons, either alone or with friends online.
The campaign takes a back seat to the dungeons and bosses, in all their cell-shaded glory. We played through as a warrior dressed head to toe as a giant teddy bear wielding a huge sword. Obviously, Rusty Hearts isn’t taking itself too seriously, which is perfect for a dungeon crawler. You can tweak out your character with customizable clothing and weapons, which guarantees some awesome outfit combinations.
The combat is overwhelmingly fun, and features upgradeable skills. One such skill enabled us to teleport a short distance with just a small tap on the joystick. It looked amazing and was an interesting take on the traditional dodge roll. There are a number of elements that make Rusty Hearts more than a dumb hack and slash including a charged power attack, combos, and other special abilities. Stairway Games has cited Scott Pilgrim, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, and Street Fighter IV all as influences on the gameplay.
The fighting elements coupled with dungeon crawling and unique anime-inspired graphics make Rusty Hearts a game we’re looking out for. Keep your eyes peeled for the closed beta scheduled for July 2011.
Jun 15, 2011
