RKGK / Rakugaki is all about restoring Cap City to its colorful self and fighting against an evil corporation with the help of your crew. It's an action-packed platformer that was created to be a love letter to all the things that the team at Wabisabi grew up loving.
Wabisabi started in Mexico with its four founders. They wanted to create a game that showcased everything they loved about their childhoods, while also paying homage to their culture.
In a Steam News Hub post, Wabisabi revealed the reason graffiti is such an important and prominent part of the game: "We have been exposed to the graffiti culture of Latin America our whole lives. In this culture, there is an unmistakable honesty in its expression, where it can be a tool to inspire thought, open minds, or reveal a history and emotion that can’t be shared with words or an image alone."
"We worked with an amazing graffiti artist to develop the art you’ll be using to spread creativity back to Cap City."
"This honesty inspired the purpose of RKGK and gave us the setting and story that we wanted to tell (with some cartoon-villain humor, of course!)."
Graffiti and street art in Mexico have a long history. Prominently, it dates back to the 1920s after the Mexican Revolution. Most of the population was illiterate so the government commissioned artists to make art that would educate them in a way they could understand. It wasn't long before artists began to reject the directions they were told to follow, and people began to paint about things they thought were more important.
RKGK / Rakugaki takes place in Cap City, which has been taken over by B Corp and its CEO, Mr. Buff. You play as Valah, a lass who embodies the spirit of rebellion, and spends her time running around the city with her spray paint to bring life back to its grayscale walls.
Valah is joined by her crew, and together, they aim to free the neo-brutalist Cap City from its chains. It's your job to rage against the machine, guide Valah through the city, and break through any B Corp suits that get in your way. As you play, you'll be able to light up the streets with neon colors, and collect coins and ghosts so that you can unlock more clothes, art, and paint to customize your game with!
Be careful if you come face-to-face with Mr. Buff. You'll need all the power of art in your arsenal to fight off his mind-control tech.
The Session Result screen is shareable so that you can compete with other RKGK players and prove that you're the better speed-runner. You need to be faster than your enemies in RKGK / Rakugaki, and that means chaining together your jumps, dashes, glides, and grinds as you wreak havoc around the city.
Defacer mode switches the game to Valah's animated wonderland, allowing you to speed through the levels and enjoy taking down B Corp's goons with style.
RKGK / Rakugaki is available only on Steam from May 22, 2024 for $19.99 USD.
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