Thank you Rising Star Games for sending us a preview copy of the game!

Ratz Instagib 2.0 is a throwback to the instagib mode in Unreal Tournament.  Instead of heavily armored humans, all rats are created equal in this game.  Though some may be wearing customizable accessories, they will all die within one shot (though sometimes I could have sworn it took two shots!) from a rail gun.  Because of their small stature, the rats are pretty agile and require precision to take them down.

There are multiple game modes to choose from and like many popular FPS games you have your standard Death Match, Team Death Match, Duel, and Capture the Flag.  Freeze Tag lets you freeze your enemies while thawing out your teammates as needed.   The survival mode is fun where your team must survive as long as possible from  waves of hostile robots.

There are online leaderboards where the top two hundred players are displayed with pride.  You won't find my name there anytime soon, so don't bother looking for it.  Like all online games, it's the players that make it successful.  Sadly, the biggest downfall to Ratz Instagib 2.0 is the lack of active players.  

There are often a handful of players in the Death Match and Team Deathmatch modes.  I was able to get a player to join me in Survival and Capture The Flag too.  I like that there is an option to practice against a bot while waiting for a human to join you.  If you're playing against a bot in Capture The Flag, the flags are disabled until a human joins the game.  

When I was playing against humans, I often got humbled.  All of the player's frag and accuracy stats are displayed on the upper right hand side of the screen.  Even though I often got my butt handed to me, I still had fun.  The key to a good game is that it's enjoyable even if the player isn't good at it.  Even though Ratz Instagib 2.0 passes the fun test, it's future is in the hands of its players (or lack thereof).

Like many first person shooters, violence is a given.  When a rat is killed, it will blow up and various body parts or cubes will scatter around the area of impact.  Sometimes there will be decapitations and skeletons being electrocuted are shown.  Players are acknowledged for head shots and crotch shots.   When a rat is shot in the crotch it is shown clutching it's crotch as it fades to grey and dies.    

Other than the blood and gore, the rest of the game is cheerful and colorful.  The maps are very bright and offer some good cover for those who like hiding and sniping.  I like how the beam, team and enemy colors can all be customized.  

The sound effects are fitting and the upbeat dance/jazz music keeps you moving and alert.  There is no microphone support, but there is a chat box.  There doesn't appear to be a swear filter in place, but thankfully the players I have played against were all courteous.  

Overall Ratz Instagib 2.0 has a lot of potential and is an impressive offering from Lino Slahuschek. I look forward to the progress of this game and future titles from him!  If you like classic FPS arena games, Ratz Instagib 2.0 is worth looking into.  The price is a reasonable $8.99 and $24.99 for a four pack.