Hail to the Rainbow Review

A Lonely Picture Of The End Of The World

When we think about the end of the world, we often imagine the noise of explosions, groaning zombies roaming the streets, massive battles and desperate attempts to craft weapons to survive. But I think one of the worst things you could experience at the end of the world is loneliness. Being the only human left in an empty, cold world sounds worse than any apocalyptic vision I can imagine. 

Hail to the Rainbow comes from solo developer Sergey Noskov, who has previously explored similar environments in games such as 35mm. This time, though, he delivers a more controlled narrative and a considerably more ambitious experience.

Inspired by the artwork of Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag and games such as Half-Life 2, Hail to the Rainbow takes place in a bleak, alternate version of Russia. Set somewhere in the 2020s, this is a world that has developed automated robots and enormous, complex buildings. But something went terribly wrong, and an event wiped out the population. 

You play as a young man named Ignat, who is living alone in a shelter. There’s no lengthy exposition explaining exactly what has happened, with much of the opening story instead delivered through visuals and cutscenes.

A World Filled With Melancholy And Mystery

The visual storytelling is fantastic, and there’s a tremendous sense of melancholy in this world, devoid of people and filled with the remnants of a dead civilisation. As the story progresses, Ignat is forced to leave his shelter and head out into the world in an old car, searching for his father and clues about what happened. We also see glimpses of his earlier life as a child through flashbacks, which have an almost dreamlike quality and are particularly effective. E-books are scattered around the world, too, allowing you to read people’s stories from before the catastrophe, provided you have enough power. I think this is the first time I’ve encountered e-books being used in quite this way in a game.

Puzzles, Gadgets And Survival

Gameplay is in first person, with you controlling Ignat using the familiar controls. Initially, much of the experience revolves around solving puzzles, opening doors and finding ways through the various buildings. You have an inventory to manage, with food supplies to keep topped up alongside your health. There’s no power available in the world, so electronic devices need to be charged using your own adapter and batteries that you find during exploration.

Among the items you carry is a scanner that can detect things such as hidden mines. You also have a drone, which is particularly useful for checking higher areas for clues and codes. It can even help clear blocked exits by knocking debris out of the way. Then there’s a wrench, which is used to open certain doorways but also doubles as a weapon during combat.

Combat Is The Weakest Part Of The Experience

Combat is a tricky affair, and not one I particularly enjoyed. You’ll face off against robots, initially using the wrench as a melee weapon before eventually gaining access to firearms such as a shotgun. The combat doesn’t feel particularly good, and you can take damage very easily, losing precious health after only a few hits if you’re not careful. Some of the stealth sections involving larger enemies are more enjoyable, requiring you to distract them and work out how to get past. But be prepared to die quite a lot along the way.

You’ll also collect items such as scrap and chemicals, which are essential for crafting ammunition at workbenches and upgrading your equipment. Then there’s the old car, which involves changing gears and slowly plodding along through the landscape. Strangely, this is brilliant and incredibly atmospheric. Exploration is easily the best part of the game, and discovering strange buildings containing little hidden stories feels like uncovering a treasure.

A Beautifully Bleak World

Visually, Hail to the Rainbow does a wonderful job of creating this strange, cold and misty world. The buildings have a grand, industrial brutalist architectural style that is both frightening and awe-inspiring. Huge machines loom in the distance, leaving you wondering what they might once have been used for. The interiors look great, as do the robots you encounter. The cutscenes are impressive, and the world itself has a fantastic sense of scale. 

The soundtrack also has some lovely moments, alongside some interesting tracks to discover. The voice acting is decent, and the sound effects are excellent.

A Journey Worth Taking

I was very impressed with Hail to the Rainbow. It’s not a short experience, taking around 12 to 14 hours to complete, depending on how far you stray from the main story. For the price of the game, that’s very good value. The storytelling and visuals are excellent, making exploring this broken world a real pleasure. I did find the combat sections a bit of a drag, and I hated how quickly you could die after taking just a few hits. But that doesn’t dampen the enjoyment I got from spending time at the end of the world with Hail to the Rainbow.

Important Links

Hail To The Rainbow Takes Players Into A Dark Post-Apocalyptic Cyberpunk World – https://www.thexboxhub.com/hail-to-the-rainbow-takes-players-into-a-dark-post-apocalyptic-cyberpunk-world/

Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/hail-to-the-rainbow/9p8dwsc8g1v1