Rustler - Interview & Preview

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Wccftech interviewed the developers of Rustler dubbing it 'Grand Theft Horse'. Also The Sixth Axis have a preview of Rustler of which they say it evokes early GTA roots.

Despite the retro sensibilities and approach, Rustler doesn't go for the expected pixellated aesthetic; instead opting for an almost cel-shaded look that is pretty easy on the eyes. Everything is clear and easy to distinguish, even when you end up surrounded by enemies. The exception to this, though, is the lack of any transparency when you go behind buildings. This led to a number of frustrating moments when I found myself stuck behind obstacles or caught by guards without being able to see what was happening.

In terms of structure and gameplay, this is pure old-school GTA. Whilst working your way through the main quest narrative, you'll have the opportunity to carry out side missions for different characters, with occasional roadblocks requiring you to have earned enough money to continue. The beta build contains a complete narrative arc but more sidequests and missions are promised before the full release. On the whole these missions offered a nice mix of fetch quests, escort missions and combat but inevitably the dated mechanics began to feel a little repetitive during the 6 hours or so I played. There was also a lack of clarity in several missions where it took me a few tries to work out what the game wanted me to do.

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How big is the open world in Rustler? Are there multiple towns and hamlets? How long would it take to cross the world?

Rustler has the biggest open world compared to all our previous games. We have two islands which include two cities, a few smaller villages, and a few different camps. It will take around two minutes to ride from the East side of the map to the West side.

In Grand Theft Auto, causing mayhem inevitably leads to big police chases. Will Rustler also feature something of the sort, with increasingly tougher guards pursuing the main character?

Players will be chased by police for breaking local laws, such as: stealing horses, fighting with people, or even killing. With each "wanted level" police will become stronger and more intelligent, also guards on horses may appear at higher "wanted level" as well as guards with crossbows and other melee weapons or knights with tougher armor and better fighting skills, etc.

Did you consider any cooperative (or competitive) multiplayer options? Are those still on the table as post-launch additions?

At the early stages of the creation of Rustler, we were prototyping such features. We were constantly asking our fans about what they expect from the game. Most of them were focused on the single player mode. For sure, we will reconsider co-op or multiplayer when there will be enough voices or interest.

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Thanks Farflame!

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