Rustler is a top down-action adventure game from Jutsu Games purposefully reminiscent of the original Grand Theft Auto titles. But rather than an urban cityscape to terrorize, Rustler is set in a medieval kingdom.
You are placed in the shoes of antihero Guy and, along with his best friend Buddy, work as low level underlings for Herb, a dangerous racketeer. During their shady dealings, the pair learn of a tournament hosted by the crown. With the promise of the princess and half the kingdom as its grand prize, Guy and Buddy see this as their ticket out of the gutter — but they’ll need to escape Herb’s grasp and stay a step ahead of the law to even get the chance.
While the plot has a bit of a slow start, it becomes genuinely entertaining thanks to the goofy characters you’ll team up with, like bootlegging knights or a terrible aspiring rapper. There are a host of fun pop culture references as well, with nods to everything from Monty Python to comic book superheroes.
Rustler succeeds as a callback to GTAs of the past, pulling off not only much of the open-world gameplay but the R-rated and sardonic tone as well. It also serves as a reminder of how far games like it have come in terms of writing and scope, and in that way it may already feel aged to some. However, players looking to cause havoc in a simpler time and on a smaller scale should have fun.
Rustler is out now for $24.99 on Steam and $29.99 on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
Watch our full Review in 3 Minutes for Rustler.