Rake: ZRK (Roblox)

Whenever a game gets popular on Roblox, there are always dozens of knockoffs, if not more. And since anyone can make games on the platform, they range in quality from unbearably bad, to pretty darn good. Well, we just looked at “The Rake: Remastered”, the game that singlehandedly kicked off the Rake phenomenon. Now we turn our attention to the awkwardly named “Rake: ZRK”, which takes that game’s basic idea, and attempts to add some fresh ideas into the mix. (I still have no idea what ZRK stands for, but I’m pretty sure it’s the acronym of the guy that created it.)

In case you are out in the dark, “The Rake” is a cryptid that originally appeared in a creepypasta story. He’s a creature with glowing eyes that walks on four legs, similar to an animal. At least, that’s how he’s presented in the actual story; in game form, he always stands upright and walks (or runs) similar to a human. In the story, he doesn’t always kill his victims, instead opting to leave some with a lifetime of severe psychological trauma. Of course, that would be pretty hard to convey in game form, so he just attempts to kill everyone here.

The very basic gameplay mechanics of the “ZRK” version are very similar to “The Rake: Remastered”, which is the “original” and most popular Rake game on Roblox. You are given a limited amount of daytime to purchase, or find, items for survival, and then must use those weapons to “survive the night”. Nights are a randomly generated length ranging anywhere from around five-and-a-half minutes, to upwards of eight.

Here's your default field of vision.

But this one isn’t a “fan remake” so much as it is an homage: There are more than enough changes to justify this existing on its own. In fact, I would go so far as to say this is just as much an exploration game as it is a horror one. As with “Remastered”, players can visit the shop to buy useful items to help give them a fighting chance. They range from utility tools (night vision, tracker, etc.), to weapons (taser, knife, etc.) But, there’s another facet to the game that makes things even more interesting.

Scattered throughout the map are crates and cabinets, which can be rummaged through to find additional tools. Also spread throughout the map are four types of randomly generated mushrooms, which either replenish lost stamina (blue and black), or increase the player’s max stamina (purple and red). Two different types of scrap metal - scrap and iron - also litter the map. The regular scraps can be cashed in for money, or they can be used in tandem to craft items at the workshop. 

Foraging through crates can yield some helpful items.

There are also flare guns, which can be used to signal a nearby plane to drop much-needed supplies. These can also be found in the original “Rake” game, although “ZRK” ups the ante by having not one, not two, but three different types.

The red flares drop survival supplies: medkits, trackers, mushrooms, etc. Green flares, on the other hand, drop only weapons. These are by far the hardest to come by…I’ve only ever gotten two, on over 400 survivals. The blue flares signal a helicopter to take the player to safety; this can only be done by finding an access card and entering a mysterious cave. A cave that contains a separate monster that hunts players based on sound. Firing the blue flare (which I have never done) signals a helicopter to land on the helicopter pad, thus whisking the player who found it away from the map. It’s probably the closest thing to “beating the game”, although I’m sure you’ll find yourself back within the map come the following night.

The one main difference - and one where support will probably be divided down the middle - is on the approach each game takes. Whereas “Remastered” puts a heavy emphasis on the survival mechanics, making Rake very tough to fight, “ZRK” focuses much more on the fighting aspects. Long-range tools like the taser are offered at the shop, allowing users to take on the Rake from farther distances away. If Rake is defeated during the night, the night immediately ends; this can make for some really short nights if a group of fighters are in the server. It can also be relatively boring for everyone else (although it does give players a chance to forage more, with a much lesser threat of getting snuck up on.)

This building doesn't seem to be all that safe...

Oh, I should probably mention that Rake isn’t the only thing players need to be terrified of. Days labeled “Phobia” bring out an (admittedly goofy-looking) black entity that hovers above ground and strikes players repeatedly. It’s speedy and hard to shake once it sets you in its sights. There are also skinwalkers, who randomly spawn during daytime, assume the identity of a player in the server, then attack unsuspecting players. Thankfully, they are weak and disappear rather quickly, making them little more than a pest. Lastly, there’s Moaneghturr, who hunts players based on sound. He’s a monster that patrols a cave area that requires a keycard to access, which can be found in crates and cabinets. Phew…you can’t accuse this game of being an unambitious, cookie-cutter copy of anything.

But its ambitiousness is also a sore point. Sometimes it feels rather unfocused, tossing a variety of ways for characters to get injured and die. Did I mention you can get struck by lightning? Or that there’s a huge lava pit toward the back of the map that can burn players to death? Blended in with the other creatures - as well as “special modes” like Blood Night and Carnage, which more than double Rake’s stats - and it all becomes rather exhausting. I admire the audacity, but it’s frustrating that avoiding injuries like a lightning strike come down to little more than blind luck.

Like “Remastered”, electricity powers a bunch of the game’s utilities; use too much and it goes out, rendering most survival items useless. One interesting touch is that, instead of having one generator, there are eight scattered throughout the map. In order to get the power up and running, all of the generators must be turned on, something that can be fairly impossible for one person, especially at night. If you think it’s difficult to get the single generator in “The Rake: Remastered” working with an angry creature on the prowl, then just imagine having to do seven more, with many of them spread wide distances apart.

One generator down, 7 to go!

The generator is one of the most nerve-shredding experiences of “Remastered”. In fact, I might argue that you haven’t experienced the game until you’ve at least tried restoring it in the dark. Many who attempt it fail, slain in mid-act by a monster who’s clearly programmed to hunt would-be heroes. Very few items - and no weapons - work without it. Unfortunately, the effect is much more muted in “ZRK”. While a few survival tools are hindered, such as the tracker and watch, most of the weapons are still completely functional. This definitely detracts from the overall intensity, as those looking to defeat Rake don’t necessarily have to keep an eye on power consumption.

Points accrue at the end of every round, which then allow players to buy the (mostly) useful items contained in the shop. There, you can find explosive dummies, beartraps, night vision (which, curiously, can be used without power), smartphones (also can be used without power), steak (for replenishing health), and a wide variety of other weapons and tools. One semi-frustrating aspect: Each day, there are only four, randomly-rotated items available at the shop, due to “low inventory”. This does get annoying when something you want isn’t available for several consecutive nights, but I like the general idea. 

The shop offers up 4 randomly-generated tools per day.

This is one that virtually begs to be played with others. Surviving on your own, while possible, is a very intense experience, especially as you’re just starting out. And the random addition of nights like “Dark Night”, where everything is darker, including his eyes; and “Blood Night” where he’s faster and stronger, up the ante even more. After playing through a few nights alone, with very little in the way of supplies - simply to help our five-year-old son earn enough in-game credits for night vision goggles - my nerves were frayed.

Just these two tools will give you a huge advantage.

The flip side to that is, with a group - or as your supply count grows - the game does lose its tense edge. The night vision goggles have a wide range of sight, and don’t rely on power, while the Rake tracker can detect him from 350 studs away. Having these two tools alone make surviving a typical night virtually guaranteed. Just don’t ever get too comfortable, because there’s probably a Blood Night looming on the horizon; one death will eliminate all of your accrued inventory (unless you have the backpack equipped).

Speaking of inventory, it’s linked to the game’s most egregious issue: The saving system.That’s right: Unlike “Remastered”, your items save from session to session. As long as you get out of the game during the day, all of your items should be there the next time you enter. That helps to encourage a bit more, as you can pick up right where you left off. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

My wife and I have exited the game at the exact same time during the day on numerous occasions, only to find that one of us lost our entire inventory the next time we entered. Other times, you’ll lose only one, or a few items. In my case, I lose the night vision goggles probably 80% of the time after purchasing them from the shop. Considering they’re one of the priciest tools ($650 in in-game currency), it can get pretty expensive having to re-buy them over and over again. (It’s gotten to the point that I won’t buy them if I know I won’t be playing long.) This makes whether or not your items save feel more like a lottery than anything. Let’s just say it’s led to many rage-induced moments in this household.

Add "cacti" to the list of dangers.

There are also variables outside of the developer’s control that make it even more frustrating. For example, if your internet goes out during a nighttime round, you lose everything. If you get out and back in during the same daytime session, you lose everything. If you try to load the game and it doesn’t properly load, forcing you to get back out, you lose everything. In other words, there are already enough ways to lose your inventory without “randomness” needing to be one of them. 

The worst part of it is, the developer is aware of this. Everyone is. It’s a well-known bug, and yet it hasn’t been fixed, or patched. I get it: Roblox development is often one (or a small handful) of people making games for fun. Most games make little to no money. And “ZRK” isn’t a high-profile game. There probably isn’t a lot of motivation for the developer to update it immediately, especially with other games on his plate. But on the other hand, if you have a loyal group of players, you should probably do what you can to keep making them happy.

There are so many things to do that it’s mind-boggling. If it weren’t for the goofy avatars, it would be easy to confuse it for a “real” game, crafted by an experienced studio, rather than a small group of collaborators on a platform geared mostly toward children. It’s one of the most in-depth horror games I’ve seen on Roblox. On those grounds, it deserves a much wider audience.

The flare drops useful items via plane.

Unfortunately, its ambitions sometimes stretch too wide - and its imperfect save system so maddening - that it becomes more of a hindrance. This would probably be our favorite Roblox game if it weren’t for persistent save bugs and a few general annoyances that add up to a lot. There’s a lot of potential here, but it’s at least a major update - or a few minor ones - away from reaching that goal. And with their focus on another game, it doesn’t seem like we’re going to reach that plateau anytime soon.

Overall: 7/10.

STATUS: Planned updates for this are currently on hold following the sudden success of the developer's new game, "Endless Doors". At this point, it is unknown when - or even if - new content will ever be added. So it's going to be the same for the foreseeable future.