During TGS 2023, Nitroplus and NetEase Games revealed Rusty Rabbit, an upcoming platforming game written by renowned anime screenwriter Gen Urobuchi. The game sees an adorable hard-boiled rabbit called Stamp setting on a journey to try to find his daughter, while piloting a mech. Siliconera spoke with writer Gen Urobuchi about his work in Rusty Rabbit, Rusty Rabbit’s protagonist Stamp, and how different it is creating narratives for anime or visual novels compared to video games.
Daniel Bueno: Aside from being a hard-boiled, adorable but cool character, what would Urobuchi-san say is Stamp’s biggest strength as a protagonist?
Gen Urobuchi: I think it’s the experiences that Stamp has gained (even for a rabbit!) as a result of the rich life he’s led. Those traits feed into his stubbornness and overall charm as a character, and that all feeds into his strength and storyline as the game’s protagonist.
How different is writing for anime and visual novels compared to a platformer game, where the action is not as character and dialogue-driven?
Urobuchi: In anime, the viewers are not responsible for the fate of the characters. But in games, players are often responsible for the life and death of characters, and ultimately, the game’s ending. So as a creator, there are significant differences to be mindful of that I considered in Rusty Rabbit’s story.
Since Rusty Rabbit is being marketed for ages seven and up, has that changed Urobuchi-san’s approach in his writing?
Urobuchi: No, my process hasn’t changed in working on Rusty Rabbit’s story. The completed story happened to fall into the rating of ages seven and up, but I didn’t consciously aim for that during the writing process.
Has writing for shows like Kamen Rider Gaim, where the target audience is usually younger, informed the way Urobuchi-san writes for games with a younger audience, as is the case with Rusty Rabbit?
Urobuchi: The production process for Kamen Rider is extremely unique, and I felt that the knowledge and skills gained from it couldn’t easily be applied to other media or teams. However, because of its uniqueness, there were valuable lessons that I wouldn’t have experienced elsewhere, and those lessons may have indirectly affected my process with Rusty Rabbit.
Finally, is there anything you would like to share with fans of your work about Rusty Rabbit?
Urobuchi: While it may seem like a lighthearted story with cute characters on the surface, the core of Rusty Rabbit delves into a quite serious human drama. I hope it can serve as a source of comfort for those who may feel a bit exhausted by the rapidly changing landscape of our world and lives right now.
Rusty Rabbit is currently in development, and it will release on the PS5 and Windows PC via Steam sometime in 2024.
