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You have to wonder sometimes, what would happen if a fluffy little bunny somehow transformed into a sexy lady in a swimsuit toting AAA sex appeal, add sassy fairy and a throw battle hammer into the mix what could possibly come from that? Well, Rabi-Ribi answers those questions twofold. From developer CreSpirit, they have created this 2D platforming bullet-hell hybrid, which is surprisingly entertaining. So it’s safe to say Ribi-Rabi is a Bunny Binky rather than a Bunny flop? Eh? (bunny puns).

Yes, you guessed it. “Rabi-Ribi” is a lewd game.

So If you’re not into sexy bunny girls and boobalicious fairies. Then this game is probably not for you, but if you don’t mind that sort of thing, then you might be in for a treat! Because Rabi-Ribi’s gameplay is actually quite good. As there is a ton of stuff to do, and that includes everything from hidden items, boss battles, platforming, exploration to populating your town with friends to uncover the strange things that have been happening. As you play you’ll meet various characters who will help aid you in discovering the truth. However, to enlist their help, they must be defeated in battle, and at times it’s no easy task.

Nevertheless, the gameplay makes up for it, because that’s where Rabi-Ribi really shines through. It’s a 2D bullet-hell platformer and it works pretty well. As you progress through the game, you gain a decent arsenal of abilities and a fairy (Ribbon) which uses ranged attacks and magical abilities. In battle, it’s best to mix up ranged attacks with CQC. Furthermore, you can also equip various badges, which add special abilities. However, it’s worth pointing out that you need to master platforming jumping from ledge to ledge to advance and in-order to find secrets.

The areas in “Rabi-Ribi”. are varied and are fun to explore.

You will have to be careful too because if you re-enter an area that you just left, then the enemies will instantly respawn! Finally, there are the boss battles and there are a lot of them, and you have to be quite tactful. Boss battles aren’t always one vs one, and you need to make the most of your abilities and dexterity to win. However, you’ll also need to grind to beat the harder bosses. On higher difficulties, things get absolutely crazy, those looking for a challenge will get a kick out of it for sure.

Visuals and sound are pretty good, the game rocks that 16-bit look with a nice variety of enemies and characters to meet. There’re also some art tiles showing off some of the characters you meet along with their bosoms. Level design is pretty good, there are tons of secrets and a variety of areas to discover such as forest, snow, tech, horror and more. These areas can also be revisited when you’ve gained new abilities, and here you will uncover new routes, items and enemies. That’s great of course, but there is actually one thing that I like more than anything else in “Rabi-Ribi”, and that would be the game’s soundtrack. Because each area that you visit has its own theme and some of the songs can be truly catchy.

A dub would have been nice…Oh well, let’s get those reading glasses on!

Even so, there were a few things that I felt were a bit iffy. For example, the cutscenes and dialogue exchanges are a bit dull. You see, there are no spoken words or even music between dialogue exchanges (a Japanese Dub would have been great). That’s also why felt a bit detached while I was just scrolling through text in silence. Why? Because it felt unfinished, and I just ended up skipping long dialogue exchanges because it didn’t keep my attention, while there is a plot to discover.

So you’d think these moments might have been a bit more engaging, at least the character artwork is nice. The difficulty setting “might” also be seen as an issue to some, because even on lower difficulties this game can be hard as a rock. A perfect example of that would be the game’s boss battles, as they can be a toss-up between skill and luck as enemy projectiles fill the screen to the breaking point. So I would very much like to meet the person who can successfully increase the damage combo to get these damage bonuses, because I barely got over E! Furthermore, at times, you will need to grind or explore for quite some…And even then. You might still fall into a boss battle you’ve not prepared for. However, as a small blessing if you die too often the game does offer you a helping hand.

The boss fights can get pretty darn crazy (as seen in the picture).

I honestly wasn’t sure If I would enjoy “Rabi-Ribi” at first glance. I mean, the art style and game concept might not be for everyone, but the gameplay is pretty darn enjoyable. Sure, the story is a bit bonkers, after all it’s about a Bunny that transforms into a human. Sadly, the cutscenes and dialogue exchanges didn’t keep my attention. However, the moment to moment gameplay was pretty darn good. Furthermore, even if you play on the lower difficulties, “Rabi-Ribi” still offers a solid challenge. In the matter of fact, I have to say I enjoyed the 2D bullet hell romp more than “Matterfall“, for example. There’s quite a bit of game here, there are lots to collect and kill, but at the price of £30 it might be a bit much.

Pros:
+ Great music
+ Fun gameplay
+ Extra modes upon completion

Cons:
– Can get repetitive
– Dialogue exchanges are boring
– Some platforming can be tedious.

Gameplay: 4/5
Graphics: 4/5
Sound/music: 5/5
Controls: 5/5
Replay value: 4/5

tgg grade 4.5 out of 5

Verdict: 4/5
“Rabi-Ribi” is a mixed bag. Sure, the bullet hell bosses offer some challenging gameplay. However, the story didn’t grip me as much as I find a Bunny transforming into a person captivating in itself. Nevertheless, the game is still a really entertaining 2D platformer. So if the game’s price tag and lewd content don’t scare you away, then you might want to give “Rabi-Ribi” a chance.

Title: Rabi-Ribi
Developer: CreSpirit
Format: PS4 and PC
Genre: 2D platformer
Resolution: 1080p
Release date: 1/09/2017
Difficulty: Medium to very hard
Spent time: +6 hours
Average grade internationally: 81% Gamerankings.com
PEGI age rating: 15
Price: £30