In a gaming landscape saturated with roguelites and pixel-art platformers, Rusty Rangers dares to stand out. Not by reinventing the genre but by refining it with flair, personality and a techno punk twist. Developed by Fantastica! and published by Games Harbor, this title launched on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on June 20th 2025, with versions also available for PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Drawing inspiration from genre heavyweights like Dead Cells and Enter the Gungeon, Rusty Rangers blends fast-paced combat, deep item builds and procedurally generated chaos into a surprisingly cohesive experience.
What are we playing?
Set in a fragmented world where the past has been mysteriously erased, Rusty Rangers introduces players to a team of elite heroes tasked with restoring order. The villainous Baron von Gasenstein has plunged the world into madness, turning once-harmless creatures into destructive forces and warping the environment into a constantly shifting nightmare.
You uncover the story through artifacts, logs and over 20 unique quests, piecing together the truth behind the memory wipe. While the narrative isn’t front and center, it’s woven cleverly into the gameplay loop, rewarding exploration and persistence. The fragmented storytelling style suits the roguelite format, offering just enough intrigue to keep players invested without bogging down the action.
An added bonus is that levels are never exactly the same, no matter how many times you retry them and believe me, you will have to retry them regularly!
Roguelite-ing all over Egypt
That’s what it looks like, at least after your initial attempt to clear the first level. In the first level you are in a pretty generic environment, you can jump, evade your enemies and their attacks and collect whatever the game throws at you. Of course you also get to kill off the various enemies with your trustworthy, futuristic shotgun. You do all of this to reach the first boss and of course you are going to kick its sorry arse… or perhaps not. Reaching the boss is pretty easy, but the boss itself has some nasty tricks up his sleeve.
At the start of the fight everything is crystal clear, you have to avoid the attacks the boss throws at you. To do that, you jump up and hang on to rings that float onscreen. After you have avoided his attacks, you shoot the boss as fast and as hard as you can. Sound a bit too easy? As it turns out the initial boss gets an uneven advantage halfway through the fight – all of a sudden the rings you can hang on to disappear and you are completely left at the mercy of the boss. Needless to say he’ll kill you in no time. But this isn’t the end.
You’ll be transported to the hub of the game which looks like the inside of an abandoned Egyptian pyramid which needs the team from Extreme Makeover – a barren, derelict surrounding that you can start your repairs on. Several parts can be upgraded and each upgrade offers you better chances of survival. How does it work? Each structure and upgrade gives you better range for your shotgun, faster reloads etc. All in all, better chances to survive the levels and their bosses. The hub also offers you a structure where you can replay the tutorial as well as an advanced tutorial in shooting and aiming. If you feel you’ve rested enough you can get right into the action once more and try to survive the levels.
Gameplay cocktail
At its core, Rusty Rangers is a roguelite platformer with Metroidvania elements, offering high replayability and strategic depth. Each run begins by selecting one of six unique Rangers, each with distinct combat styles, skills, and starting items. From hook-swinging acrobats to brute-force brawlers, the variety encourages experimentation and caters to different playstyles.
Combat is fast, fluid, and on occasion pretty chaotic. You navigate procedurally generated zones, from mushroom-infested sewers to robot-overrun factories. You collect loot, battling bosses and unlocking upgrades. Whether you’re freezing enemies mid-air or summoning drones to fight alongside you, the possibilities feel endless.
Between runs, the central Hub offers progression through 14+ base upgrades, unlocking new shops, mini-games and challenge modes like Arena, Boss Rush, and Speedrun Trials. A typical session will take you around an hour, but the addictive loop makes it easy to lose track of time.
Visuals and sound
Visually, Rusty Rangers is a pixel-art delight. The game’s technopunk aesthetic bursts with color, character and charm. Environments are richly detailed, enemies are creatively designed and animations are smooth and expressive. Each zone has its own visual identity, making exploration feel fresh, even after multiple runs.
The soundtrack complements the action with energetic, synth-heavy beats that evoke a sense of urgency and rebellion. Sound effects are punchy and satisfying, whether it’s the clang of a hook landing or the explosion of a defeated boss. While the audio design isn’t ground breaking, it’s polished and immersive, enhancing the overall experience.
Achievements anyone?
Achievement hunters will find plenty to sink their teeth into. Rusty Rangers features 30 achievements worth 1,000 Gamerscore. Achievements ranging from boss defeats and challenge completions, to quirky objectives like dying from a closing door or surviving a kamikaze room.
Some noteworthy achievements include:
- “Heartless” – Defeat Baron in One Damage mode (100 GS)
- “Crusher” – Kill a boss without firing a single shot (50 GS)
- “Polish to a Shine” – Fully upgrade the Hub (50 GS)
- “Looks Like It Needs More Pockets” – Collect 40 passive items in one session (50 GS)
The achievement list strikes a good balance between skill-based challenges and exploration, encouraging you to engage with all aspects of the game.
Some improvement please
While Rusty Rangers excels in certain areas, it’s not without its flaws. The combat, though flashy and fun, can sometimes feel cluttered. With multiple enemies, effects and items triggering simultaneously, it’s easy to lose track of what’s happening, especially during boss fights. As a result movement can feel a bit sluggish. Also the unfair advantages the boss gets halfway through fights is somewhat off putting. Additionally, the platforming elements take a backseat to the roguelite mechanics. While there are moments of good use of platforming mechanics, they’re few and far between. Players expecting a tight platforming experience akin to Celeste or Hollow Knight may find this aspect underwhelming.
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Rusty Rangers is an above average game. It is pretty well-balanced, but nowhere near too easy. Great pixel graphics and supporting sound provide a pleasant experience. It does have minor flaws, but in general it is a well balanced, above average roguelike experience that is well worth the $/€15 price tag.
The good
- Colorful pixel graphics
- Sound is supporting the game and the soundtrack provides a sense of urgency
- Balanced gameplay (overall) with plenty of challenge
The bad
- Movement can sometimes feel a little sluggish. Especially when a lot is going on onscreen.
