Rustler

It might not be perfectly cohesive, but whether you’re here for the jokes or because you like games where you can be on the wrong side of the law, there is definitely something here for you. So if you aren’t easily offended by the copious amounts of cursing, blood, and violence, you should definitely give Rustler a go. Pull that guard off his horse, ride off, and don’t look back!

As the open-world game format has moved forward and expanded—particularly in the AAA space—it’s left behind a lot of creative ideas from the past. Grand Theft Auto might be well-beyond its top-down roots from the first two games, but indie developer Jutsu Games wants to embrace that classic feel with a whole new twist: a medieval world. Rustler, once referred to as Grand Theft Horse, is an homage to those classics, filled with plenty of goofy and historically inaccurate satire and clever ways of taking modern-era elements and making them fit this medieval theme.

We tell you, it’s a good game! It’s not average! It might have some problems here and there, but you have to admit it is a “Good” game.

Rustler is a medieval crime-game that's fun to mess around in, but not for long

Rustler’s take on a top down sandbox rarely misses the mark with its crass humor but lackluster melee and oft tedious story missions make this open world hard to recommend.

I love a game that is completely fine with being self aware at how silly it is and really steers into it. It doesn’t have to be the most original game in the world, but it acknowledges itself and provides an enjoyable experience. Something like Saints Row, My Friend Pedro, and Surgeon Simulator comes to mind. In comes Rustler, a game with the style reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto 1 & 2 set in medieval times. Carriage jacking, flinging horse poo, Monty Python jokes, and stealing from Knight...

‘Disappointing’ is the best word to describe Rustler. It takes the original Grand Theft Auto template, plops it within a medieval world, then delivers ho-hum missions. Add to that an overall lack of polish, some mechanics that don’t entertain quite like they should, and the absence of voice acting, and you have a small open world adventure that never quite delivers on its promise. Still, chances are you’ll get some fun out of it if you pick it up. Just perhaps not as much as its introductory FMV would suggest.

While Rustler manages to live up to everything it says on the tin, namely Grand Theft Auto with horses, there’s not much in its delivery that leaves any sort of memorable experience. Relying almost entirely on its humour, Rustler tries to steal your fancy with crass jokes and pop culture references. However, it never quite manages to stand out as anything more than a basic sandbox romp, with all the repetitive fetch quests in tow. Couple that with some lacklustre mechanics, and what you’ve got is a fairly disappointing GTA clone.

Rustler attempts to take us back to classic top-down GTA action in a neat medieval setting but poor performance, shoddy controls, weak humour and a dull, short campaign hold it back from reaching its potential. There are glimmers of good stuff here, a few fun pop culture references, those beat-boxing bards and a good-looking world to stomp around in, but the game underneath is just so underwhelming and uninspired and, in the end, it all feels like a big step back from its most obvious inspirations.

Rustler brings classic Grand Theft Auto to a twisted version of the European Middle Ages, but its reliance on other media for laughs and a finicky release build makes it a title worth trying only for those nostalgic for the vintage entries of a now-juggernaut series.