Rabbids Go Home executes extremely well. It's easier than you might expect, especially if you've been following this franchise since back when Rayman was the star. But everything from the soundtrack (which features licensed tracks like "Somebody to Love" and "Me and Mrs. Jones") to the customization features to the virtual pet-style Rabbid-inside-your-Wii Remote bonus mode adds enough personality to the relatively simple platforming to make this worth playing.

B

So, thanks to a special half price dealio, I have Rabbids Go Home.

Should I play it or save it for Christmas?

gamingeek said:

PLaying the first level. What the crap? It's letterboxed on an 4:3 TV!

Right impressions.

I started playing and I couldn't stop, despite being on no sleep and with a bad stomach. I find it so addictive and easy to play.

As I said for some reason on 4:3 Tvs its in letterbox mode, so set your wii to widescreen for fullscreen. Let me get the bad out of the way. There are very minor technical issues.

Screen tearing is horrible, in most games I absolutely ABHOR it. In Rabbids Go Home however it is very, very minor. But it's there and is a black spot on what could be a near faultless presentation.

If we're talking a black spot then the framerate is another. It's not bad, it doesn't occur often or make the game unplayable or anything else silly like that, but in a game which can look so good and so stylised, you just want it to be perfect like Mario Galaxy. It runs at 30 with minor dips here and there.

The reason why these very minor technical complaints are felt is because the art, lighting and more importantly, the animation is so imaginative and well lit and often gorgeously fun to watch in motion.

The Lyn engine is a looker.

Anyhow the game is deceptively simple. It's actually simple and repetitive but in a very good way. It's like a concept that has been distilled into something anyone can play and find instantly engaging and the rabbids are hilarious too. It's not even the obvious stuff, not blatant jokes but the way the childlike character react to new situations.

The dialogue is precious too, reminiscent of GTA when you accidently bump into someone their distressed yelps of Rabbid fear are nearly always chuckle worthy. There are even absurd touches like a re-occuring Santa character who you can savage to receive giant burgers. Some humans hide in lockers or bushes and you have to flush them out. Dogs chase you, you can bounce off pinball style or career around the place like a crazed driver, later gaining a boost mechanic. It starts off simple but gradually adds more and more elements to make the game engaging.

The levels are huge too. They almost have to be considering how fast you can move through them. It's a shame they didn't just pull off the GTA concept. I mean you have a hub world and very large levels that all cohesively exist within the world and yet rather than linking them in a large open world the hub world leads to a menu list where you select your levels. A real shame.

It's hard to describe what this game is, its not an adventure game but its not really a platform game either. This is another Wii gem, along the lines of De Blob or Endless Ocean, something completely unique that everyone should experience. But this time its not one of these love or hate it games. There's a reason why nearly every review has been over 8/10, Rabbids has an inherent quality to its production and an easy irrestible charm.

I can't wait to get back into it and chase some puny humans.

Also the Rabbids channel is pretty great, its a combination of the Mii channel and Mii Contest channel, except the rabbids character editor is remarkably robust. It connects to the internet and you can submit your designs for competitions. Or view the entries and vote. But impressively like mii parade you can pick the best designs, download them and use them in game. Some of them are amazing, there was a halloween and zombie competition and the designs are extremely good.

Game seems to be heavily discounted in the UK at £20 in the supermarkets and on amazon.

Either its selling badly or its some promotional price. The one year there is actually a decent rabbids game...

SteelAttack said:

Pretty much. They are immune to any kind of grotesque behavior by now.