*ᵗʰᵉʳᵉ ᵃʳᵉ ⁿᵒ ˢᵖᵒᶦˡᵉʳˢ ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᵖᵒˢᵗ

Words cannot express how much the Rainworld Watcher DLC means to me. They cannot express the amount of love and joy I have being able to experience this game for the first time again.

It was 7 or 8 years ago when I originally stumbled upon Rain World, growing somewhat in love with what I saw through Markiplier's (very short and limited) gameplay. It was stuck in the back of my mind until 2019 rolled around and I started seeing it around again - particularly in Icey's multiplayer playthrough (a series I frequently rewatch and hold dear to me). 2020 was when I would finally get the game for myself, soon beating it after over 50 hours of gameplay.

Having been roughly 5 years worth of obsession, I played through this game to its fullest and took in any and every video I saw as well. It got to the point where I could probably beat the game in pitch darkness due to my memory of the map - which I've been doing recently, actually.

This game has been the core of my personality for these past few years - I had bought dozens of copies of the game for friends, just so I could have people to talk to about it. If people had questions regarding lore, mechanics, or the story, they would go to me and ask me questions about it. It feels so good seeing new people get into the game with so much wonder and curiosity, something I had so desperately missed from when I originally beaten the game.

Rain World Downpour was great to see, but it didn't feel entirely *new.* The regions were mostly the same, taking place in different points in time, and the gameplay loop felt similar to what I had been used to. Not to say this was bad in any means, it was great, actually! Just something I was used to.

But The Watcher. Ougdhh... The Watcher. It felt like I was truly playing the game again for the first time, as I had absolutely no idea what to see or expect within the lands I traveled to and from. There are dozens of new creatures I keep discovering, tons of different foods and mechanics I didn't even consider being a possible addition to this game. I had gotten two of the endings so far and bawled my eyes out when I woke up thinking about it. It was so, so fucking good.

The fact that I can now sit with the friends I got into Rain World in the first place and actually discuss what we're seeing and what regions we're currently in?? The fact I'm discovering routes and enemies for the first time again, actually being able to *ask* questions, rather than just being there to answer them. It's so, so fucking impactful for me.

Also, the fact I've gotten two of the endings so far and there's still at least one I haven't seen or heard? The fact that my friends are still bringing up things they have seen and interacted with that I haven't even witnessed once?? There are flora, fauna, and entire fucking regions I haven't even looked at yet because of how massive this DLC is. It is. Amazing.

Big fat agree from me, this is everything I wanted from the Watcher and more.

I first got into rainworld after watching a giant 2 hour long video about how the game went, so I didn’t get to experience the exploration and confusion and experimentation that truly makes the game great. I got to go into the Watcher blind and I am enjoying actually trying to figure things out for myself, which is also why I think reception has been so mixed.

Lots of current/more recent rainworld fans, like me, had the entire base game and lore explained to them before they played via a YouTube video or something. Downpour then had players follow paths we’ve already been through countless times- there was little to no uncertainty.

The Watcher, being new, didn’t have any big guides or explanations yet, and it is such a departure from base game and downpour & players couldn’t just follow a predetermined path (go to the iterators to find out where to go). So people got frustrated with it like they did with the OG rainworld before it was popularized.

And quick disclaimer I’m not shaming people for not enjoying the confusion and aimlessness. It’s obviously not for everyone, but it’s definitely for me and it’s definitely not bad!

also I haven’t got any endings yet so I can’t speak on those. Could be ass for all I know but that’s not the part I’m talking about (yet).

this exactly. I’m so convinced that the reason the reception is so mixed is exactly because of that. In most negative reviews of the DLC I’ve seen, their complaints are almost the exact same as the complaints of new base game rain world players. “it’s too hard!” “there’s little to no in-game guidance!” “it’s too confusing!”

Rain World isn’t for everyone and I can understand if people don’t like the blind experience of the watcher, but it personally makes me frustrated that people berate the DLC for being a Rain World DLC, a game that AT ITS CORE is confusing, hard, and unforgiving to a blind player. This isn’t Downpour where it just expands on what’s already in the game and goals are easily predictable or straight up told to you. The Watcher takes the original Rain World formula and adds onto that with something new. Rain World WILL NOT HOLD YOUR HAND! Don’t expect this game to be like any other platformer, with in depth tutorials or clear objectives. You are a RODENT being played with by supernatural forces outside of your understanding. You are an animal who lost its family at a young age, no one teaches you anything. You either learn via trial and error or you suffer with no progression.

It’s fine if people rely on online guidance, they can enjoy Rain World the way they want, but I get little salty when people hate on the DLC for keeping the og Rain World formula and expecting something else.

Fat rodent hours