RATSHAKER is a game that appeared on Game Grumps, and, as is always the way when watching others enjoy something, it did enough for me to stop the video and buy it before seeing any more spoilers. That was a good idea.
The premise is a simple one: shake and choke a rat. That’s all there is to it. In a large field of wheat(?), you hold the vermin in your grip with the same veracity as a teen on Pornhub with VPN. At the bottom of the screen, a legend gently prompts you to shake the rat by holding the left mouse button, then wiggling it about a bit.
Said rat will screen and make a melodrama out of torture for a bit until you’re gifted with a new command: the choke. As one can imagine, your fingers tighten around the poor little rodent as he comically gargles and pleads for his final breath. This sounds violent (it is), disgusting (yes), but very funny. After a few protests, the rat caves and starts to talk to you, insinuating that you need to go down the rabbit hole, a.k.a. bat shit crazy stuff is about to happen.
RATSHAKER seems like a novelty clicker type with about as much longevity as a nacho dip; however, when a house pops up on the horizon, quite literally, you enter a home to start sniffing out what the bloody hell is going on. With limited controls, your only tool is the rat, and that’s not from a guide perspective, but as an actual tool.
After being introduced to the ferocious movements of your mouse (or controller) to shake the rat, you soon find that this charges him like an organic dynamo light. Coincidentally, mild spoiler, the rat does indeed serve as a light. Anyhoo, shaking the rat charges them up, and then you can apply it by interacting with objects around the house.
I won’t go too much into it as it’ll ruin RATSHAKER for you, and another reason why I’m pleased not to have finished the Game Grumps video. Essentially, the story becomes incredibly dark, considering you start the game choking a rat – both figuratively and literally. The ambience and choppy VHS visuals and distorted rat gargles are brilliant, paired with a few rat commercials scattered around, hidden achievements, and an interesting reveal. Sunscorched Studios’ RATSHAKER is unique, funny, and dark.
For the price of a coffee, if purchasing from the 90s, this is a steal. Go on – put your hand in your pocket, fork it out for RATSHAKER, and then wrap your fingers around its throat and squeeze. You evil bastard.
