Harsh, bullish and cruel are some of the most fitting superlatives for this monstrously popular survival game from the outspoken creator of Garry's Mod. Spawning in the world with nothing but your dangling pecker and a rock, you need to find a secluded spot and start gathering resources quickly, because any encounter with a player could be your last. And for all its difficulty (mainly due to the ruthlessness of superior players, who like to establish dictatorships on the servers), Rust is incredibly compelling. You'll die a lot, but keep coming back for more and more in an attempt to rise above the level of naked caveman and gain a foothold in the game. Something as seemingly petty as building that first little house and storage crate for your equipment (which holds your stuff for you even if you die) feels like a huge break-through in Rust, and it's these moments of incremental progress in an unforgiving world that make it hugely replayable. In the absence of any in-game narrative, Rust spawns plenty of player-created ones. Each server (up to 500 players) will have its own player-made power structures, with people joining together to create forts and gangs, and trying to assert their dominance over the map. Working this out and finding your place in the hierarchy, all the while taking care of your survival essentials, is a fascinating experience.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
