Be Still My Rusty Heart

[Krylo]

Rusty Hearts is a Free to Play and Free to Download MMO side scrolling brawler, in the vein of Dungeon Fighter Online/Streets of Rage/Whatever, though it uses 3D models rather than the sprites traditionally used in this genre, which means you aren't always strictly side scrolling.

I play on the East server.

Let's talk about it for awhile!

GameplayGameplay is what you'd expect from the genre. Move from room to room, beating up everyone inside of them with various attacks. Controls are remappable, but by default x is attack, z is guard, c is grab, v is cancel, directional keys to move, double tap a direction to dodge, and ASDFGH are special attacks while F1-F4 are where your buffs generally go. 1-6 on the top of the keyboard host potions. Which I never use.

A timed guard will be a 'Just Guard' and negate all damage, rather than a percentage, and will allow you to use a special counter attack by following it with X. These are generally pretty hard to pull off as guard doesn't cancel your other animations by itself--you have to V->Z or be ready for it in advance.

Most classes get invincibility frames on their dodges. Meilin gets more than anyone else, while Natasha doesn't get any, however.

Further, your special attacks cancel into/out of each other and your normal attacks, but not all of them will cancel into or out of everything, making learning which attacks to use in which order to cancel your wind down animations and chain combos important to gameplay. Experimentation and practice are key.

It's not a particularly difficult game, however. At least not unless you're on 'Blood Mode', the highest difficulty for most dungeons, which is locked until level 13, gives no experience, but gives better loot. It's the only place to get Epic (purple) gear once you're higher level (low level blood modes don't drop epics, but do drop golds.)

Speaking of which, Gear Quality is White -> Green -> Blue -> Gold -> Purple. Which reverse gold and purple from most MMOs, so be aware of that.

Classes, With Video!There's four classes in the game, though each is presented as a character, rather than a class. Which limits character customization to costume choices, though all but Natasha (the newest class) have alternate characters you can use.

These alternates also have subtly different gameplay due to different animations, but it's pretty similar.


The classes are, along with footage:

Frantz (Twin Swords/Leila):


Frantz types (Frantz, a brooding vampire; Roselle, a. . . poorly dressed swordswoman; Leila, a gothic lolita character) have a choice between Swords, Twin Swords, and Axes.

Swords are one of the simpler weapons to learn, and attack fairly quickly with decent range.

Twin Swords are fast attack AoE monsters but don't hit quite as hard as swords.

Axes are slow heavy hitting weapons with a chance to stun.

I've only played sword, and not far enough to get to focus so I can't say much else.

Angela (Glaive):


Angela Types (Angela, red headed sorceress; Edgar, some kid) have a choice between Magic Sword, Glaive, and Scythe.

The Sword is a relatively powerful weapon which gets lots of focus on healing when focused. Basically your white mage + controller, in so much as a brawler can have one. Still has pretty good damage, though. It's a bit slow.

The Glaive is about as slow as the sword, but gets lots of range, and many attacks hit multiple times. Focused on range, giving many of the spells extra range when used with it.

The Scythe is an AoE murder machine. Reaping foes and all that.

I've got a Sword to Weapon Focus, and a glaive at 16ish. Have one I intend to make a scyther, as well, as all three weapons were fun when I tried them before focus, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Tude (Gauntlets/Meilin):


Tude Types (Tude, a vagrant;Meilin, a wandering martial arts girl) get a choice between Gauntlets, Claws, and Demon Fists.

Gauntlets are all about hitting quickly while chaining combos. A gauntlet focus can take any enemy that's staggerable and stun lock them to death, including many bosses.

Claws are about as close to AoE as the punchfists get. They also do a lot of bleeds.

Demon Fists are about hitting hard. Very Very hard. They're slow, though, and it looks like you're just tying slabs of metal to your forearms, which could be a bonus or a negative depending on your viewpoint.

Gauntlet Focused Meilin is one of my highest level characters. Didn't play with claws or demon fists too much.

Natasha (Revolver):


Natasha has no alternate avatars. All guns to Natasha, goddess of bullets. She has a choice between Revolvers, Muskets (actually rifles), and Weapon Bag.

Revolvers are about getting in, shooting all the things, and getting out fast. It's a very mobile and acrobatic playstyle, especially after weapon focus, which allows you to shoot during your dodge roll.

Muskets/Rifles are about maintaining range and blasting things. They're slow firing, and make movement somewhat difficult. I didn't like them and never got to focus, though I've heard they get much better after focusing.

Weapon Bags are a bag/suitcase full of weapons. Pre-focus they're a bit lackluster. You just tap x, and you've got a gatling gun. It works great if you don't mind standing still and blasting things. Also if there's no archers. It's very weak against ranged enemies, however, as it's basically impossible to dodge anything, and it's difficult to shoot archers and mages through the wall of melee mobs that are usually in the way.

However, that's all pre-focus. Post-focus, weapon bags become completely fantastic, turning into a jet bike loaded with guns to shoot and ram through enemies, allowing you to fire canons, and throw grenades left and right, pul out rocket launchers, and all kinds of other things.

My highest level character is a Revolver Natasha, and Weapon Bag I just got to weapon focus recently.

Cash ShopThere is a cash shop. That's how free to play works. There's not any real pay to win stuff on it, however, so that's good.

It's mostly just costumes for character customization (which do come with some minor stat boosts, but I have characters in full outfits and wearing nothing at all, and haven't noticed a discernible difference).

The one thing that might be a turn off here is that resetting your skill points requires an item from the cash shop that sells for about 13 dollars. You do get one free reset when you weapon focus, however (which makes sense as your talent tree changes completely). This is something of an aggravation, though, considering it's difficult to know what moves to buy right away.

You'll end up google searching it or wading into the forums which are awful.

Everything ElseThere's more!? Well not really.

But let's take a second to talk about the writing and VA.

They're awful. The writing, at least, gets some laughs now and then, so that's a bonus, but the VA is poorly acted, and the way scenes are cut sometimes you get the wrong VA line coming out, or lines talking over each other.

So basically awful. Be prepared for that

Well, that all sounds pretty cool, but what's the point, you say? Or maybe you just didn't read it and want to get to the point of all this?

Either way, the point is to get you to go to Steam and grab this game. You can look me up and we can go kill demons or whatever.

. . .You can totally get sunglasses for your avatar, but the items to craft them require a group. This may or may not be a significant percentage of my reason for making this thread.

But regardless of my impure intentions, it's a pretty fun game and you should play it.

Now.

[Seil]

I think you should know that I was all set to rep you because I particularly liked the thread title, but apparently the rep system doesn't believe in favoritism.

[Krylo]

It's okay, Seil. After all a true poster has a rep gem in their heart.

Also, I forgot.

Character names for you to bug me if you get it--

First: Steam, Krylokillian so you can bug me even if I'm not currently in game (so long as I'm at the computer).

Then, from highest to lowest level as of posting:

Sinasis: Level 25 Revolver Natasha.

NanAherne: Level 24 Gauntlet Meilin.

Neasa: Level 21 Weapon Bag Natasha

Siakas: Level 20 Magic Sword Angela

Kharmasis: Level 16 Roselle (planning to focus Sword)

Silasis: Level 16 Angela (planning to focus Glaive)

Malira: Level 2 Angela (Planning to focus Scythe)

[synkr0nized]

To make sure I am reading / seeing this correctly:
When you pick a class, you only have a few pre-defined avatar options, as opposed to creating your own character after choosing a class?

My characters do the same thing as everyone else of that class in other MMOs, but at least they get to look the way I decide I want them to; I realize this is a vain and, for some, stupid thing to hold against a game.


Gameplay-wise it still looks like it might be worth a look, especially since free is a terrific price. I wasn't impressed by the revolver gameplay (it looked stale with the charge-shot and rolling-shot over and over), but I could see myself having fun with dual swords or a scythe -- especially if there were ranged spells mixed into the skillset.

---------- Post added at 01:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:52 PM ----------

I already have a PWE account, from back when Cryptic's STO went f2p under PWE in late 2011/early 2012. Would you still be able to get a referral off of me? I am pretty sure if I download this I can manage to get to level 10 at some point.

[MuMu]

I've created an Angela, Tude and Natasha and Nat was by far the most boring of them all. There might be new stuff down the road, but the beginning with just the pistols is terrible.

I'd join if I didn't already have far too many games to play.

[Aldurin]

I remember trying this a while back, can't remember why I stopped though it was probably the writing and stuff that Kry mentioned. I might consider getting back into it but I share MuMu's problem.

[Krylo]

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

To make sure I am reading / seeing this correctly:
When you pick a class, you only have a few pre-defined avatar options, as opposed to creating your own character after choosing a class?

Unfortunately true. It's not something I particularly care for either, but the only action mmorpg I've seen that actually had character customization is Tera (which is also pretty good and I should play it more).

On the bright side, various outfits and hairs can make you look pretty different.

Gameplay-wise it still looks like it might be worth a look, especially since free is a terrific price. I wasn't impressed by the revolver gameplay (it looked stale with the charge-shot and rolling-shot over and over), but I could see myself having fun with dual swords or a scythe -- especially if there were ranged spells mixed into the skillset.

I find that, in practice, the mobility makes up for the repeated ability use. Though the guns do make the earlier dungeons even less engaging before the game introduces more enemy types.

And probably isn't for everyone, anyway. S'why I put up videos of level 35+ runs. Though it's impossible to find them without over geared characters who one-shot everything.

That said, Angela does, indeed have ranged spells as do Frantz types. Angela starts with one and gets a few others, depending on weapon focus. Frantz gets his a few levels in.

If you do go with twin swords: grab Roselle, just because her engrish combat VA is hilarious.

Also you start with the base weapon of every class, getting access to their other weapons at levels 5 and 8.

I already have a PWE account, from back when Cryptic's STO went f2p under PWE in late 2011/early 2012. Would you still be able to get a referral off of me? I am pretty sure if I download this I can manage to get to level 10 at some point.

I honestly have no idea as I've not looked into the referral stuff at all. I'd do it now but on my phone at work and just posting this is using all of my patience for phone browsers.

[synkr0nized]

Thank you for those responses!

I am less thrilled about trying the game out, though, after looking into it more -- seems to be a long-dying game that has never officially ended and lacks staff support.

Still, it's free.

---------- Post added at 01:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:29 AM ----------

hahaha oh man
The people who still post on the RH forum must be all over the autism spectrum. laffo

---------- Post added at 01:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:41 AM ----------

Hmm, that may not be fair -- they could also just all be 15 years old and younger.

[Krylo]

I'd have mentioned that, but I know people play PWE games here and I figured they'd know that it is what it is.

Though I DID point out the forums were awful.

Edit: Really tho, just make a Roselle, and use Sword Upper.

Worth it just for that.

[rpgdemon]

SYNK, 1S TH1S YOU