Rust

Rust is an aggressively competitive survival game that thrives on conflict and trash talk. Other games are better at the individual components, like DayZ for the tense player interactions, Fortnite for the battle royale mode, or Subnautica for the survival gameplay, but Rust blends lesser versions of all three together in a way that works. For competitive players who want a mix of survival and crafting, Rust is the best there is; for everyone else, there are plenty of other games.

Rust's dated survival mechanics and overwhelmingly unwelcoming player base make it an experience more interesting to talk about than actually play.

Rust is a malicious experience rife with betrayal, cruelty and greed. That can make it both frustrating and sublime in equal doses.

Rust has deep rewards for those willing to put up with its bundle of technical issues, tediousness, and player toxicity

Rust is a strange, harsh game that's worth exploring – but only certain parts of it, and only for so long. I'll never commit to constructing my own fortress, but I'll happily knock on the door of one belonging to another player.

So much can happen in Rust over the course of a week. Overcoming the elements is no small task in and of itself, and the game's punishing survival systems make it hard to recommend to everyone. But for those who are willing to put the time in and stick with it, Rust provides both a social sandbox and a deep, functioning crafting system. At times, it feels like anything is possible in Rust; like witnessing players double-crossing one another or stumbling upon a small sheet metal city in the desert. You just have to accept that nothing is permanent on the player-driven island. And sooner or later, you have to build everything back up again.

Rust Console Edition is punishing and a real test of your resolve. The game's persistent online world – which continues to exist even when you're offline – paired with its rewarding survival loop make it hard to get out of your head, however. The ephemeral nature of your progress means it's oddly unique, and the human interactions you'll encounter along the way give the title limitless replayability and unpredictability. Yes, it looks like garbage and is clearly in need of a patch or 10,000 – but even now, as we write this, we can't help but wonder whether someone's blown the door off our base and is rifling through our belongings.

Rust is a game you’ll both love and hate. You’ll love it when you manage to outsmart an opponent and strip them of everything, and hate it when the same thing happens to you. However, I’d recommend that new players don’t give up, stick with it, and success will come sooner or later. I do recommend taking about a week off, though, because learning the game mechanics will take you several hours—or even dozens of hours. And at least while you’re learning Rust, I’d definitely skip the official servers, as well as any servers with a population over 150 players and servers with maps smaller than 3,500, so you don’t get crushed right from the start. Studying the game’s basic mechanics, such as mining, building, and the like, is an absolute must, because no one is going to go easy on you. In any case, you’ll have a blast if you stick with it. Happy hunting!

Overall I enjoyed my time with Rust, it may need a few updates and features to really stand out, but even at this level the game is a strong contender in the survival game genre.

Overall, if you’re not a fan of having to always end up with nothing this game is not for you. Rust Console Edition will definitely appeal to people who like a challenge and would like nothing more than to prove themselves capable of surviving in a dog-eat-dog world. Otherwise, I think it’s best you stick to other games that allow you to play at your own pace.