Rabbit and Steel is a horizontal scroller bullet hell with multiplayer support for up to four players. Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Rabbit and Steel Review Overview
What is Rabbit and Steel?
Rabbit and Steel is a bullet hell shooter finished with an RPG and roguelike shine. Due to its focus on multiplayer gameplay, there’s not much story to it. Not that it’s absent, of course, but it takes an obvious backseat in deference to the gameplay experience itself. However, it excels in exactly that and, like many great bullet hell games, its visuals.
Rabbit and Steel features:
⚫︎ Horizontal bullet hell gameplay
⚫︎ Intriguing storyline
⚫︎ Cute sprites with fluid animations
⚫︎ Class-based character selection
⚫︎ Boss rush for up to four players
⚫︎ Roguelike progression
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Rabbit and Steel's gameplay and story.
 Steam Store |
$14.99 |
Rabbit and Steel Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Wildly Distinct Playable Characters Progression Encourages Specialization Exceptional Boss Fights Amazingly Hectic Multiplayer |
Sound Effects Merely Exist Designed Mostly Around Multiplayer |
Rabbit and Steel Overall Score - 82/100
Rabbit and Steel is an exceptional multiplayer shooter that allows players to share the pain and elation of playing bullet hell games with others. Although it has a forgettable story and essentially non-existent audio, it more than makes up for it with its gameplay and visuals' sheer creativity and aesthetic charm. Plus, it only costs $14.99!
Rabbit and Steel Story - 7/10
While the game features an interesting story players can enjoy on a solo run, it takes the back seat in favor of showcasing its combat. However, that’s a point in favor of the game since its linear storyline isn’t something that should be thrown around after every boss battle. Instead, it’s introduced slowly and in bite-sized pieces using short cutscenes, boss dialogue, etc.
Rabbit and Steel Gameplay - 10/10
Rabbit and Steel features a marriage between bullet hell shooters and roguelike mechanics. The combination serves to bring color to the usually repetitive practice of grinding boss fights by adding an element of uncertainty to your progression. The end result is deeply enjoyable, regardless of your luck (or lack thereof).
Rabbit and Steel Visuals - 9/10
Aside from the fact that everything looks so cute in this game, the consistency in Rabbit and Steel’s art style is amazing and definitely serves to give the game a cohesive visual experience. More importantly, the bullet patterns are beautiful and neat, allowing you to keep track of your character all the time. On the other hand, the lack of noteworthy visual effect changes to your skill upgrades makes the investments seem somewhat dissatisfying.
Rabbit and Steel Audio - 6/10
In a way, Rabbit and Steel’s audio can be aptly described as "there." You can hear it, and it’s always present, but it’s almost impossible to be affected by it. That’s because it does sound quite muffled in a way that makes it similar to very old cartoon sound effects. There’s barely any power behind any of the sound effects, which really hurts such an action-packed game such as this.
Rabbit and Steel Value for Money - 9/10
Getting a bullet hell roguelike with great mechanics, nice artwork, challenging boss fights, and up to 4-player co-op for just $15 is practically a steal. You wouldn't need to wait for any discounts to make the game worth paying for, really. However, its lack of engaging audio can heavily affect its replayability, especially for bullet hell players who grew up with the likes of Touhou, Mushihimesama, and DoDonPachi's prominent and memorable SFX and tunes.
Rabbit and Steel Review: Raiding Rabbits Were Exactly What We Needed
From the developer of the amazing Maiden and Spell bullet hell game comes another banger bullet hell title: Rabbit and Steel. It is a multiplayer-centric bullet hell roguelike with RPG elements; a mishmash of genres that prove itself effective in the game.
Now, if you have ever played any kind of bullet hell game such as Touhou and Mushihimesama, you might have the wrong kind of expectations from the gameplay itself. First of all, Rabbit and Steel is a side-scrolling shooter, not a vertical scroller. In a way, that makes it more similar to Gradius or Tengai. Players also don’t have normal shots and bombs. Instead, they have three skills that cycle via cooldowns, similar to RPGs.
Those two factors alone already make Rabbit and Steel stand out from its peers. However, its roguelike progression and multiplayer-centric design places it in a league of its own. That’s because, unlike other shooters with roguelike mechanics, such as Heavy Storm Shadow, Holocure, and Vampire Survivors, Rabbit and Steel was specifically designed for party runs.
And oh boy is the game amazing at it. Not only does Rabbit and Steel encourage cooperation as expected from the genre, it also promotes competition between its players as they fight for real estate and loot. Additionally, the bosses gain different bullet patterns as the number of players increase, which only drives the chaotic fun of the game up.
Thankfully, Rabbit and Steel’s diverse character roles can easily support these mechanics. So, with a lot of practice, every player should be able to assume their role and reduce the competition for space and rewards. That, in a way, is its true endgame, outside of the hardest difficulties the game has to offer.
Pros of Rabbit and Steel
| Things Rabbit and Steel Got Right |
|---|
|
Wildly Distinct Playable Characters Progression Encourages Specialization Exceptional Boss Fights Amazingly Hectic Multiplayer |
Wildly Distinct Playable Characters
Rabbit and Steel uses a class-based character selection scheme with five basic archetypes available for players to use at the start. In no particular order, they are the Assassin, Druid, Heavyblade (think Guts from Berserk, but a cute bunny girl), Wizard, and Dancer.
Practically none of them play similarly to another. The Assassin, for example, prefers backstabs and the like. The Druid is more passive and is content to just wander around, summoning allies and creating circles of pain. Meanwhile, the Dancer suffers from ADHD and hates using the same move more than once, and the Heavyblade just t-poses in front of the enemy while her gigantic sword tears them a new one.
This opens up a slew of possibilities for each character to synergize with each other, as well as with the random loot they can obtain throughout their run.
Progression Encourages Specialization
Unlike other roguelike games where skills can be upgraded endlessly, Rabbit and Steel’s characters possess skills that can only be upgraded once. That’s because only one of these purchasable upgrades can be applied to each skill at a time. It may be more accurate to think of these as "Skill Enchantments" instead.
These upgrades come in a wide variety of flavors labeled using gems such as Ruby, Garnet, or Sapphire. Purchasing an upgrade for a skill that already has one will replace the older upgrade. This ensures that you can’t stack an obscene amount of effects on any one of them.
This limitation encourages players to specialize in certain aspects of their character. For example, a Druid can be built to allow her to spam an upgraded version of her summon skill, or reduce all of her skill cooldowns and turn her into a quick-firing spellcaster.
The loot system, on the other hand, pushes players to explore different aspects or playstyles of a single character through its randomized loot. After all, none of the characters are one-trick ponies, so it's entirely possible to discover a style of playing them that wasn't apparent to you initially, all thanks to this mechanic.
Exceptional Boss Fights
Bullet hell games have some of the most memorable boss battles in gaming. That’s because not only are the fights extremely difficult, but their attacks (bullet patterns) are also incredibly beautiful to look at.
At the same time, Rabbit and Steel manages to recreate the aesthetic charm of boss fights without congesting the screen with bullets and lasers. This makes keeping track of your character's placement, as well as that of your party members, very easy.
The game is also not limited to throwing several dozen projectiles across the screen. Some bosses also have very unique abilities that are mostly unexplored in the genre, such as knockback attacks, forced teleportation, etc.
Boss fights that utilize a combination of such mechanics are not only a complete menace but are also the most fun to fight.
Amazingly Hectic Multiplayer
Playing with friends (or strangers) has numerous perks; many of them are what you would expect. A party of two to four would obviously make defeating enemies quicker, as well as offer a more consistent performance due to the wider range of options available to everybody. However, that’s not where the advantages end.
The bosses themselves are designed to accommodate multiple players at once. This manifests as unique patterns that only make sense when there’s at least two players on the field. Additionally, boss fights also possess moves that force players to scatter, necessitating a complete reorganization of everybody’s positions.
Those two factors alone contribute to a wildly manic gameplay of players shuffling for the best positions as required by their character. Instances of panic resulting from multiple people vying for the same safe zone despite the forced scatter period are also common. In a way, the game fosters both camaraderie and competition between players in the same lobby.
But that charm isn’t only present during fights. Claiming loot is also a fight between players because they share the same reward pool as each other. And, just in case the loot you wanted was taken by another player, you can always get revenge in a match by sticking close to him during a forced scatter sequence. Fun!
Cons of Rabbit and Steel
| Things That Rabbit and Steel Can Improve |
|---|
|
Sound Effects Merely Exist Designed Mostly Around Multiplayer |
Sound Effects Merely Exist
While the boss fights, especially in multiplayer, are an absolute joy to experience, the game’s audio somewhat dulls it. Particularly for an action-packed game like Rabbit and Steel, a set of punchy sound effects to enhance the fight is practically mandatory. However, that’s not true for this game at all. Its sound effects, instead, are quiet, practically silent at times.
While it is there at all times, it’s almost imperceptible at any given moment. Heck, the game’s story on single player is more memorable, really.
In a way, it’s similar to watching an action movie gunfight, but with audio taken from cartoons older than Looney Tunes.
Designed Mostly Around Multiplayer
Although there’s certainly a single-player mode where you can experience what little (though appropriate) story the game has and challenge bosses by your lonesome, the real bulk of the game’s fun lies in its multiplayer.
As a consequence, trying to experience that thrill without any buddies is practically impossible. Well, okay, it’s not, but it will fall quite short of the fun that running boss gauntlets with a party can bring.
Thankfully, Rabbit and Steel allows you to browse lobbies opened by other players so you can join in on their runs. After all, rabbits are said to die of loneliness, so you better team up!
Is Rabbit and Steel Worth It?
Co-op Players Win With This Game
Whether you have any friends to play this game or not, Rabbit and Steel’s amazing multiplayer is open for everyone to experience. Hence, its price tag of $15 is more than worth paying for if you’re the type to enjoy bullet hell games, especially if you want to share the joy with your friends.
Rabbit and Steel FAQ
Question 1: How many players does Rabbit and Steel Multiplayer support?
Rabbit and Steel can support up to four players simultaneously.
Question 2: Does Rabbit and Steel support Remote Play?
Yes, Rabbit and Steel can be played with others via Remote Play. However, it’s better to experience the game with your own copy.
Question 3: Will Rabbit and Steel release on Switch?
There are currently no plans to release a port for the Nintendo Switch.
Question 4: Will there be more characters/classes on Rabbit and Steel?
More characters and enemies are very likely to be added in the game as major patches in the future.
Question 5: What are the future plans for Rabbit and Steel?
Sandbox mode and mod support are planned to be added to the game in the following months.
Game8 Reviews
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Rabbit and Steel Product Information
 |
|
| Title | RABBIT AND STEEL |
|---|---|
| Release Date | May 9, 2024 |
| Developer | mino_dev |
| Publisher | mino_dev |
| Supported Platforms | PC |
| Genre | Shooter, Bullet Hell, Roguelike |
| Number of Players | 1-4 |
| ESRB Rating | TBA |
| Official Website | Rabbit and Steel Website |
