Facepunch Studios·Released Feb 8, 2018·Multiplayer
The only aim in Rust is to survive. Everything wants you to die - the island’s wildlife and other inhabitants, the environment, other survivors. Do whatever it takes to last another night.
Rust Console Edition is punishing and a real test of your resolve. The game's persistent online world – which continues to exist even when you're offline – paired with its rewarding survival loop make it hard to get out of your head, however. The ephemeral nature of your progress means it's oddly unique, and the human interactions you'll encounter along the way give the title limitless replayability and unpredictability. Yes, it looks like garbage and is clearly in need of a patch or 10,000 – but even now, as we write this, we can't help but wonder whether someone's blown the door off our base and is rifling through our belongings.
A survival game that combines many elements in interesting ways without ever mastering any of them.
Rust is one of the cruelest games on Steam, and that's what makes it so compelling.
Rust's dated survival mechanics and overwhelmingly unwelcoming player base make it an experience more interesting to talk about than actually play.
Rust's fantastic player-driven stories aren't quite worth the tediousness.
Rust is a strange, harsh game that's worth exploring – but only certain parts of it, and only for so long. I'll never commit to constructing my own fortress, but I'll happily knock on the door of one belonging to another player.
