Yep, That is what type of game this is going to be, and by that I mean AWESOME.

Bunny Must Die is a bit of a different type of Indie game for me, and a lot different from what I have normally reviewed here at EoN. It is essentially a Japanese Doujinshi game and while it is currently not published stateside, it can be found in its original Japanese form. An official patch is in the works, but until then, an unofficial patch is available to translate the game into English. The game’s genre is best described as Metroidvania, due to the resemblance to Super Metroid, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It is a 2D action game, with a focus on exploration. The game’s developer is Platine Dispositif, and the official patch will be by Rockin’ Android, but there is an important question. Will the game be worth a look when it officially gets released here in the coming months by Rockin’ Android, Inc.?

The first thing to discuss is the graphics. They are good. The game’s sprites are crisp and clear. The enemies are abundant and all look different and distinct, the different areas in the game are fresh and unique, and all the main and side characters are equally well-designed. It is quite a bit better to look at than the classic Super Metroid series, and that is a rather big accomplishment for an Indie game. The least I can say is that it is really well done, and the biggest compliment I can give is that it feels like a professionally made title; Bunny Must Die could easily be a hit on the Xbox Live market or on PSN

The sound is equally enjoyable with some memorable and catchy tunes giving the player something worthwhile to listen to while exploring. It is on the higher end of average soundtracks, and it is the kind of music that will have the player humming along while they play. It’s not the kind of soundtrack that is on par with the Mario or Zelda levels of quality, but it works well for what it is.

The story is also rather good to put it plainly. It is simple with a good bit of boss banter and a few deeper themes. The focus of Bunny Must Die is on comedy (the title alone does a good job of showing the sort of wackiness you are going to find on display), with the blatantly ridiculous plot involving Catomic energy, and the mentor character being killed before gameplay even starts to put a twist on usual gaming machinations. Bunny is a witty and fun character that has a Spider-Man like habit of bantering with and annoying the bosses, including calling one a fat cow. The game’s humor is a little too focused on puns and silliness, and its juvenile approach may turn some people off. But, for fans of silliness and light-hearted humor, it is a lot of fun and bound to get at least a few chuckles from just about anyone.

Finally, the gameplay. This is by far, the most impressive part. The exploration is fun, the main ‘gimmick’ of the game is well-done, and the actual battle system is genuinely tense. Bunny early on gains the ability to stop time or rewind it in similar fashion to Viewtiful Joe, Braid, or Sands of Time. While this ability is not as in-depth or as cleverly implemented as those games, it is used to add to the gameplay in a way that other Metroidvania styled games have not used before. It never takes over, and the puzzles are never frustratingly difficult. An interesting element that is added to keep balance, is that the player is prevented from simply freezing time and killing all enemies on screen. Enemies are rendered invincible to attacks while time is frozen.

The game has numerous weapons, each of which is unique, and which often spawn just before the boss against whom they are best used. This leads to one of the annoying flaws though, Bunny can only hold one weapon at a time, and grabbing the power-up removes the old weapon. Fortunately, all the weapons are still useful and fun, so it is just a minor annoyance. This problem is not the only flaw however, reloading removes any weapons used, putting Bunny back at her basic daggers. These flaws do not hurt the game at all really, they are just minute occurrences that add to its difficult. There is plenty to do in the game that keeps the action fast paced, and a thing worth noting is that the player can shoot enemy bullets to destroy them, making it easier to dodge oncoming attacks.

The game is rather difficult, but the difficulty is fair rather than annoying and obtrusive. If the player is having trouble with a boss, it is usually because of a failure to learn the pattern, or the need to try a new strategy. As with games like Rayman Origins, Dark Souls, Splosion Man, and a few others; Bunny Must Die is partly as good as it is because of its difficulty, but just like those games I  listed, Bunny’s difficulty may turn a few of the more casual gamers away.

Final Call: Upon reflection…this game is pretty much a perfect Metroidvania style game. All the flaws are minor and merely light annoyances, but overall the game is genuinely fun. It could easily be worth the price of your usual popular indie game, and the developers deserve support.  It is definitely worth a look, if you are having trouble finding it you can look it up under the alternate name “Chelsea and the Seven Devils”.

Pros:

• Clever ‘gimmick’
• Fun battle system.
• Bit hard, but a fair kind of hard.
• Plot is amusing, if immature
• Boss rooms include recommended weapon nearby
• Ability to kill enemy shots is awesome

Cons:

• Difficulty may turn people off
• Loss of weapons after reloading is annoying
• Game might be too silly for some

Rating:

4.5/5 with only a few minor flaws, this game is a perfect game for fans of Metroid and Castlevania style games. It is a top quality indie title that deserves some recognition

For details on the game and when it will see an official English release you can follow this link: HERE

You can also follow the publishers and everything Rockin’ Android is up to: HERE

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