MADievals: The Rise of Rusty Steelknee charges out of early access

• Announcements by Jack Allin
• Published:

Complete version and demo of tongue-in-cheek fantasy adventure available now for Windows PC

It's been a long road to the finish line for MADievals since its early access debut several years ago, but at long last Raffaele "2finger" Bonfanti's comedic 3D fantasy adventure is now complete and available for purchase on Windows PC.

The finished version of the game comes with a new subtitle, The Rise of Rusty Steelknee, named after its lead character. Rusty is a fearless knight and relic hunter who arrives in the realm of Manzasun in pursuit of a mysterious artifact known as the Idol Lamp, which is housed inside the Ascension Temple. Not much is known about this daring armor-clad stranger, except that he is "never separated from his helm, his horse Spoffy or his cast iron drawers." His quest this time is complicated by a curse afflicting the land, called CuPeNEver, which has engulfed the world in a "terrible eternal darkness." Undaunted by the obstacles, Rusty is determined to embace the challenge, armed only (or at least mainly) with his wits, his pride and his sarcastic, self-deprecating sense of humour. He'll need them all to "disentangle himself from extraordinary situations" as a series of "not exactly accidental coincidences" ensnare him in an adventure much bigger than he anticipated.

At first glance, the game's moody 3D art style might create the impression of high fantasy. However, as its title suggests, MADievals is more of a playful riff on serious, self-important medieval fiction, being "filled with humor, witty dialogues and (weird) character interactions" that aren't afraid to make anachronistic jokes or break the fourth wall, all fully voiced. With a simple point-and-click interface featuring a small popup action menu for hotspots, the game allows for easy navigation, the camera moving along with you automatically. As you explore locations like "muddy marshes, serene countrysides, mighty strongholds" and more, including a creepy cemetery and an even more disturbing "ole toilet," there will be plenty of unusual items to collect and puzzles to solve along the way. A to-do list will help you keep track of objectives, and a narrator will interject periodically, though it's sometimes hard to tell just whose side he's on. All told, the full adventure is estimated to take about six hours to complete.

Originally launched back in 2019, MADievals has been gradually building in content ever since, with the final location and other upgrades now bringing Rusty's journey to a close. The full game is now available on Steam for Windows PC, along with a playable demo for a taste of what to expect. The complete version has also been released on itch.io, as well as the demo and a short and "super-easy" (but undubbed) free spinoff adventure. MADievals' solo Italian developer has even created a comic detailing the earlier adventures of Rusty and Spoffy. For now the comic has only been published in Italian, but a fully translated English version is expected soon and can already be sampled in part in your browser.

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