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Rust has been a trendy game for nearly a decade (the game was first released on PC on December 11th of 2013). It is incredibly popular with gamers that like survival-type games. I find it highly similar to ARK, that is, if you take away the dinos. But, as much as I like the game concept, there are huge issues with the console version.
Before I dive into my in-depth review, here are my pros and cons of Rust on console:
Pros:
Strangely addictive – As frustrating as Rust can be, it can also be very rewarding. Finding a rare item, killing and looting players, or even successfully raiding a base is very exciting.
Plenty of things to do – The console version is much more limited than the PC version, but there are still plenty of things to do. Harvesting resources, building a base, looting dangerous areas like airfield or launch site, hunting wildlife–or people, to name a few.
Virtually endless – There are a ton of items to find and learn, and doing so takes time. For occasional gamers, chances are likely you just scratch the surface before the server wipes. And once it does, you’re back to a rock and torch. However, if you stay on the same server, you keep the blueprints you learned, giving you a huge advantage. You could build advanced structures and weapons on day one.
Cons:
Frequently disconnects – When you read reviews on the Xbox or Playstation store, it won’t be hard to find a slew of negative reviews. And 90% of them are related to stability and performance problems. I have found that if you are in a party, you’ll experience far more game crashes than you would without one. When playing solo, I may disconnect once or twice when gaming for a few hours straight. If I am in a party, it could happen as often as every 5-15 minutes. This is by far the biggest con of the game, and I can see why people are so frustrated.
Low FPS – Another issue mainly due to performance problems. While Rust on console does not show FPS (Frames Per Second), I would estimate the average FPS are around 20-40. This makes it much harder to aim and shoot people successfully. I have emptied a clip before on a target just 10-20 feet away and missed every shot because they were zig-zagging.
Poor graphics – I can’t help but think of PubG when it was first released, when playing Rust. The graphics are not realistic, and the entire map just looks a bit dull.
Conclusion:
Rust is an incredibly hard game. But that’s also what makes it so rewarding. But, that aside, the game suffers from terrible performance and stability issues. In all honesty, it plays like it’s a game in Beta.
I believe Facepunch Studios made a mistake releasing it for $49.99. I understand that the game itself holds a ton of content, but performance-wise, it feels more like a $20-$30 game. But, if you can get past the cons, you can still enjoy playing rust for hours upon hours.
My 100-Hour Playtime Review for Rust on Xbox One
I bought the standard edition. Here’s why:
Of the three editions, I bought the standard edition. A friend that already owned Rust said that the in-game store wasn’t even available yet. So, this would render the Rust coins you receive from the deluxe and ultimate somewhat pointless. Even on this date (June 13th), the in-game store is not available yet.
First couple hours of playtime
I was lucky enough to benefit from a friend that had already been playing Rust on a console for a few days. Additionally, he often watches videos, so he had a pretty good idea on things worked. He was able to show me the ropes, and pretty soon, I was swinging a hatchet to build my first base.
Be careful. Only everything is trying to kill you.
When you first start exploring the relatively large map, you’ll quickly find that everything in the game is trying to kill you. Many places on the map have a level of radiation – how much radiation depends on the area. For most of the map, you can avoid dying from radiation with simple cloth clothing. However, more advanced places, like “launch site” or “airfield,” require more advanced clothing.
Radiation aside, the map has wildlife (deer, bear, boar, wolves, and chickens), Scientists (NPCs), and occasionally, a military helicopter or plane. All of these will kill you given a chance. Yes, even the chickens. And, of course, that does not even include other players.
Whether you join a fresh new server (servers get wiped every 30 days and start anew), or a relatively older one, be ready for individuals to attack you. Depending on the age of the server, that means getting chased by a rock-wielding player or getting gunned down.
Harvesting resources and building a base
Once you start to get more familiar with the game, you’ll eventually find a nice place where you want to reside for a while. That means it’s time to collect resources. Simple resources like wood are easy to find and can be harvested with various tools. The more basic the tool, though, the fewer resources you yield.
Rust comes with a dozen or so buildable structures. This includes foundations, walls, floors and ceilings, door and window frames, and staircases. While those choices are basic, you would be amazed by the variety of bases you can build. Building a base is one of my favorite parts of rust. You can go small, or you can go big. Just keep in mind that you also need upkeep resources. So, the larger your base, the bigger the upkeep.
Attacking and raiding players
Rust is a violent game. The nicer your base, the bigger of a target you become. And trust me, everyone becomes a target at some point. My first stone base was raided overnight. My second base was built pretty tough. Every wall, ceiling and foundation was upgraded to sheet metal or armor. I had flame turrets, spikes and other defensive structures.
One evening I was inside my base doing whatever I was doing, and I heard footsteps outside. I paused and just listened. All of a sudden–boom, boom, boom. My front-door just vanished. Luckily I had learned a thing or two from my first unsuccessful base. I had multiple doorways and metal doors. But, they kept shooting more rockets inside. And rockets cause splash damage, so all doors were eventually broken. So I made a last stand and opened fire with a SPAS-12.
I got pretty lucky and was able to kill both attackers. I quickly looted their bodies (including their rocket launcher), and placed new doors that I had made previously. By the time the duo came back, they found their looted bodies and a base that was secure once again. Those 10-20 minutes were absolutely exhilarating though. And I think ultimately, that’s why people just love this game so much. You can spend hours scavenging, looting, and harvesting, but ultimately, it’s going to come down to kill or be killed.
Looting
Looting different areas for hard to find items is a huge part of Rust. It’s how you find better gear, resources, and scrap. And Rust has no shortage of places to loot. When you explore the map, you’ll find areas with names. These areas are called monuments, and usually offer better than average loot.
Dome is a parkour monument where you can find about 5 regular loot boxes, and 4 military loot boxes at the very top. This area is relatively safe, as long as you can manage to prevent falling to your death. There are no NPC’s that attack you at Dome. There are a few scientists nearby, but they are a good distance away.
Another monument I like to loot is launchsite. It’s a large area if you include the tank protected compound behind it, and it holds upwards of 2-3 dozen boxes to loot in total. There is also a red access card area, but I have yet to loot this successfully.
Conclusion
While the game has lagged me out at the most terrible times (like during a gunfight, or recycling loot), it’s still strangely addictive. Being able to build a base the way you want to, loot, explore, and raid, it all adds up to a very enjoyable game. I do hope that Rust can drastically improve their performance and stability though. I can live with OK graphics, as long as it trades graphics for performance. But currently that’s not the case, which is why Rust on console has such terrible reviews.
When did Rust come to Xbox One and PS4?
Rust was officially released to both consoles on May 21. If you want to purchase Rust on either console, you are presented with three options:
Standard Edition – $49.99
Deluxe Edition – $59.99
Ultimate Edition – $79.99
Standard edition – $49.99
The standard edition is the full console game of Rust, that’s all. No extra’s, no Rust coins.
Deluxe edition – $59.99
The deluxe edition, of course, also comes with the full Rust console game. Additionally, you will receive the “New Cobalt Employee – Welcome Pack” as well as access to the Public Test Branch.
What is included in the New Cobalt Employee Welcome Pack?
1500 Rust Coins
A customary rock skin
Standard-issue Cobalt jacket, trousers, and shoe skins
Cobalt furnace skin
Sleeping bag skin
A wooden door skin
While not listed, it seems you also get a Cobalt wooden chest skin. I have a few of these in a base that I raided from another player.
Ultimate Edition – $79.99
The ultimate edition comes with everything you receive in the Deluxe edition. Additionally, you will receive:
Elite Combat skin pack
1100 Rust Coins
What is included in the Elite Combat skin pack?
Black and Gold Machete skin
Black and Gold AK-47 skin
Black and Gold Metal Facemask skin
Black and Gold Metal Chest Plate skin
Black and Gold Trousers
We want to hear from you!
Have you tried Rust on Xbox or PS4? Love it? Hate it? Let us know below!
1reply
Highlandword9 says:
The cobalt skins for boxes ore only on the ultimate edition. :]
The cobalt skins for boxes ore only on the ultimate edition. :]