RKGK was offered by Wabisabi Video games for overview. Thanks!
This overview used an LCD Steam Deck. OLED particulars can be coming later.
RKGK/Rakugaki was an attention-grabbing one. It was introduced and launched in very brief order in 2024, and once I first noticed it, I believed, this appears to be like fairly neat, like Jet Set Radio Future (JSRF). Nevertheless, I ought to level out that the similarities between RKGK and JSRF start and finish with the truth that each use inventive graffiti. There are different video games that RKGK extra intently follows, and that is not a nasty factor both.
The story of RKGK follows Valah, a rebellious youth who’s out to cease the B Corp from taking up town utilizing their mind-controlling know-how. The story is somewhat tongue-in-cheek and to not be taken too critically. The humor could be a little hit and miss, however I did not significantly discover it cringe-worthy.
Mr. Buff, the proprietor of B Corp, deploys a wide range of robotic opponents to attempt to cease Valah and her crew from reaching their goal of shutting down his mind-controlling televisions. These usually take the type of pretty easy enemies who assault on a cycle, and so they aren’t too troublesome to defeat when you get used to their patterns and how you can assault them.
The sport is cut up into a number of worlds, every with a number of ranges inside. Some ranges are necessary to finish to progress, whereas others are optionally available. Every stage additionally has further challenges, which often contain finishing the extent rapidly, defeating a specific amount of enemies, or finishing it with out taking injury. Going by way of the sport, ignoring all of the facet goals, you may in all probability end the sport in lower than 5 hours. However you may simply squeeze a number of extra hours out for the 100%.
RKGK locations a heavy emphasis on motion. The sport goals to be a fast-paced, generally exact platformer that permits you to use varied motion strategies to get the place you should go. Curiously, it looks like the group is split on RKGK’s feeling of motion, with many calling it stilted and too start-and-stop regarding enemies.
I loved RKGK’s motion. Positive, it’s important to decelerate and sometimes cease to defeat sure enemies, but it surely would not be a lot of a sport for those who simply ran by way of each enemy you encountered with out a second thought. Even the Sonic video games, which closely emphasize velocity, drive you to decelerate to assault enemies.
Plus, for those who’re doing nicely on the sport, you enter a personality state that permits you to “slide” by way of most enemies, that means they do not interrupt your move. Different enemies require you to leap after which use your graffiti to “hover” over them and destroy them, which annoys some gamers however brings selection to the sport.
If I had been to match the motion of the sport, I’d say that when platforming and strolling round feels fairly like a Ratchet & Clank sport. Nonetheless, when sliding, the strategy you employ to assault enemies and obtain increased speeds feels extra like Splatoon if you’re within the squid state, swimming within the ink.
One factor that does rely in opposition to RKGK, nevertheless, is the setting and stage design. The entire sport is somewhat comparable. Taking a look at a screenshot for World 1 or World 4, it might be tough to work out which World you might be in. You are all the time on a steel or concrete platform, suspended within the air, with fog round you. I get that the entire sport takes place in a single huge metropolis, however it’s a little disappointing that we do not see extra of the world and have over 30 ranges, all wanting very alike.
Maybe the saving grace right here is that this setting is not unhealthy. It does go well with the sport’s model and storyline. I consider NeonPunk was used to explain the sport’s aesthetic model, which precisely describes how the sport portrays itself. A robust emphasis on steel in a dystopian metropolis is highlighted by the intense neon colours of the protagonist’s graffiti that she leaves behind as she slides and sprays her enemies.
You’ll be able to even barely customise your graffiti within the sport’s hub to point out off your model!
The soundtrack that accompanies the sport additionally works wonders. A strong digital soundtrack that dynamically adjustments when you play suits the sport nicely and helps to emphasise the sense of velocity and motion if you find yourself shifting round.
The boss fights are a little bit of a blended bag. They begin too simple; by World 4, they arguably grow to be too tough. After retrying the boss on World 4 a number of occasions on the simplest problem, I needed to step again for a little bit bit as I grew to become more and more annoyed with the tactic of swarming you with enemies that may stun you mid-air, main you to fall off the extent and get an instantaneous sport over.
I preferred my time with RKGK. The storyline is not something particular, but it surely’s not cringe-inducing. The presentation of the sport is good. Whereas the environments are the identical and it’s a little on the brief facet, there is a good number of ranges and challenges to do. Most significantly, in a platformer, I take pleasure in the way in which the motion works. It is not as flowing because it may very well be, however I do not suppose it must be.
RKGK / Rakugaki – Steam Deck Efficiency
RKGK will get the fundamentals proper on the Steam Deck, with 1280×800 decision assist, nice controller assist all through the menus and gameplay, and all kinds of graphics settings to tune the sport simply the way you need it. We even have FSR2 assist, though I did not use it in my presets as I discover FSR2 struggles in some locations with how RKGK is stylized and its fast-paced nature. The sport helps DX11, DX12, and Vulkan; nevertheless, I discovered that DX12 is the most suitable choice.
I am providing 2 presets right this moment. Each goal excessive body charges, as I believe the sport excels if you hold the body charge as excessive as attainable. One has some visible niceties, and the opposite sacrifices some visuals for added battery life.
There are some oddities, nevertheless.
Some ranges in later worlds are huge and confined fully in a single space, that means the entire stage is loaded concurrently, and the Steam Deck’s CPU doesn’t like that. In each presets you will note vital drops in body charge, usually into the 40s and generally into the 30s. We won’t do something about it. There’s additionally water spray on some ranges, affecting the tank’s deck efficiency. Fortuitously, these ranges are the exception somewhat than the rule, so we largely get a secure expertise.
Advisable Settings – 60 FPS
In your SteamOS settings, set an FPS Restrict of 60 FPS / 60Hz. We can’t be setting a TDP Restrict right here.
There are a lot of graphics settings to select from, so the photographs beneath define each setting we’re utilizing, however there’s a combination of largely Medium and Low settings right here.
On these settings, the sport holds 60 FPS more often than not. It does dip into the excessive 50s often, and within the circumstances outlined above, it should drop beneath 50. However general, it is a very fulfilling and playable expertise. For many ranges, it is best to see it stick with 60.
This preset is hungry, although; count on the ability draw to all the time be round 24-26W when within the precise sport. So count on not more than 1.5 hours of battery life from a Steam Deck LCD and round 2 hours from a Steam Deck OLED.
Temperatures are excessive, round 75-85C, so count on some fan noise, particularly on bigger ranges.
Battery Life Settings – 50 FPS
If you wish to problem your self to see for those who can beat the sport with a single battery cost, then that is your preset!
We’re locking the framerate to 50 FPS within the SteamOS settings after which making use of an 8W TDP Restrict for this one.
We’re working the bottom graphics attainable, however we’re conserving Textures on Epic and a local 1280×800 decision, as I believe FSR struggles to resolve a pleasant picture right here.
With these settings and the 8W TDP restrict, we will maintain 50 FPS more often than not. The exception is these situations talked about above, the place we will see dips so far as the excessive 30s. However for 90% of the degrees, you may be simply nice.
With the decrease FPS and settings, our energy draw drops roughly 10W from the standard preset, holding round 14-16W when within the sport. So you may count on round 2.5 hours of playtime from the Steam Deck LCD and simply over 3 hours from a Steam Deck OLED.
Temperatures hovered round 70C throughout testing. The fan kicked in at occasions however was typically pretty quiet and non-intrusive.
Accessibility:
RKGK does have some accessibility choices, together with the selection between 2 problem choices, in order for you a barely simpler time of it, the sport does nonetheless current a problem although. There may be assist for subtitles, disabling digicam shake, a excessive distinction mode, a mode to cut back sudden loud noises, and a few assists you may allow.
Conclusion:
RKGK is a strong little platformer. It is a little bit on the brief facet, however I believe the size is about proper for the way lengthy you wish to play it, and it is priced fairly, too. RKGK would not outstay its welcome, however whereas it is there, it is an fulfilling expertise with pretty good stage design, good motion mechanics, and a few slight replayability as a result of challenges on every stage, and it is all properly wrapped up in a pleasing visible model and an excellent soundtrack.
The expertise on the Steam Deck is a little bit blended, with nearly all of the degrees playable at 60 FPS with respectable visuals, however some ranges simply not with the ability to maintain 60 and even 50, no matter what settings you employ. That is the one factor that lets RKGK down on the Deck. The controls work nice, and efficiency is sweet other than these points.
Our overview relies on the PC model of this sport.
In case you loved this overview, make sure you try the remainder of the content material on SteamDeckHQ! We now have all kinds of sport opinions and information which might be certain to assist your gaming expertise. Whether or not you are on the lookout for information, ideas and tutorials, sport settings and opinions, or simply wish to keep up-to-date on the newest tendencies, we have got your again.
