Absent news on Hollow Knight Silksong, another of the most fabled Metroidvania games on PC has a new expansion that you can play right now. Rain World exists in that special breed of games that, like Team Cherry’s beloved platformer and Billy Basso’s 2024 Animal Well, pulls enthusiasts out of the woodwork at a mere mention to see whether you’ve ‘got it’ yet. Now, a year after it was first unveiled, new Rain World DLC The Watcher has arrived, and you can grab both it and the base game cheap in a Steam sale if you’re fast.
The original Rain World is one of those demanding experiences that is tremendously easy to bounce off, but will likely stick with you forever if you persist. Indeed, we named the curious Metroidvania one of the best games of the year back in 2017, and its Steam review score sits at a combined 94% from more than 32,000 responses. It’s a fascinating blend of platforming, survival, and experimentation that rarely tells you anything. At first, that can feel frustrating; but such is life, and each new discovery becomes a game-changing delight.
The ecosystems of Rain World are filled with lovingly modeled flora and fauna, many of which will pose a deadly threat as you attempt to scavenge for food in the dry periods between the devastating torrential storms that periodically pound the landscape. The result is among the most oppressive and horrifying platform games I’ve encountered, a place where you’re perpetually just one wrong move from death and where a slight shadow or sound might be the only hint at your impending doom.
Following the success of its 2023 DLC, Downpour, developer Videocult has now released its second expansion pack, The Watcher. In true Rain World fashion, it isn’t giving too many clues as to exactly what you can expect, although teases suggest somewhat of a return to the original game’s sense of exploration in place of the slightly more structured, linear design of Downpour.
The Watcher brings another Slugcat to play as, and of course you can expect a range of new regions, along with plenty of potential predators, prey, and secrets to discover. If you’re a long-time fan hoping to relive the wonder of your first playthrough, this might just be the answer. If you’ve never played before, the punishing, obscure nature of Rain World makes it tough to recommend without caveat, but if you crave something truly unique and creative then it’s absolutely worth a look, and it’s even available cheap right now in a Steam sale.
Rain World: The Watcher is out now on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store. You can get 10% off until Friday April 11, meaning you’ll pay $13.49 / £11.51 on Steam. The base game is also 65% off until Saturday April 5, so expect to pay $8.74 / £7.34 if you haven’t bought that yet. There’s also a deluxe edition available if you want to buy everything at once.
Alternatively, we’ve picked out plenty more of the best indie games on PC, along with the best horror games if you want to feel like everything is out to get you.
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