Let's face it, 2023 has been an amazing year for gaming thus far for many niche genre lovers. Horror fans got the Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 remakes, CRPG fans got Baldur's Gate 3, and Brawler and Rhythm fans got Hi-Fi Rush. Now, it's time for the fans of 3D platformers to eat well with what's often labeled as the spiritual successor to Jet Set Radio: Bomb Rush Cyberfunk.
Given what is said in that first paragraph, some players might already know I recommend this game. Of course, I must fully explain what this game does to carry the legacy of Jet Set Radio so well. So, let's not waste any time and start groovin' to the beat.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk stars Red, a robot head attached to the body of a legendary street artist known as Faux. As we play through the game's intro, we learn that Faux was decapitated by DJ Cyber, a mysterious figure who leads the Futurism crew. Red joins the Bomb Rush Crew as they seek to bear the title of "All City" (have complete control of their city's graffiti) to regain Faux's head and go on an adventure about identity and self-reflection.
The plot, admittedly, takes a while to fully get going as some vital scenes get mixed with what feels like padding. You could be facing off against another crew in one moment and then have to face the past as Red in the next. With the pacing being all over the place like this, I quickly learned that it's just better to go with the flow and take the twists and turns as they come instead of thinking too much about the details.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk also doesn't mess around, as some characters are confirmed to have died. I mean, the idea that you lose your head after the tutorial segment should tell you more than enough about what can be expected. Still, the game manages not to be completely edgy as it delivers its stronger story beats. For this, I congratulate the developers, as it's very easy to lose the impact of your message by not handling strong topics with tact.
Overall, I think that the story of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk can go and touch on some deep themes that might raise the eyebrows of some Jet Set Radio fans. The game feels like it's trying to speak to those fans who may encounter these doubts regarding identity and living up to someone's legacy. Heck, you could even say that it's introspective with itself as it tries to take on a new face to live up to the name of Jet Set Radio.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is carried by the soundtrack created by Jet Set Radio composer Hideki Naganuma. You'll be hearing a lot of hip-hop beats as you course through the streets of the city. Of course, this also translates to the gameplay, as your objective between story beats is to earn enough REP by setting graffiti tags all over the place.
Thankfully, it's not an overly complex system, as your tricks are designated to the three upper-face buttons on a controller. Of course, as is true in any skater game, you have to keep the score going up and build up combos through manuals and constant tricks to gain a high score. The more you explore, the more possibilities open up.
That won't be easy as you'll attract the police the more active you become in painting the city. Dealing with the police is a bit of a letdown compared to the rest of the game, as the police forces offered by the game (even in high Heat levels) are pretty much dealt with the moment you figure out their gimmicks. Not helping things is the lack of feedback when dealing with them, as your hits feel like they have no weight to them until you knock the opposition out of the way.
On that note, the control scheme in Bomb Rush Cyberfunk can take a bit to get used to, especially for controller users. Still, players should be able to get a hold of the game's controls with a few sessions of trial and error. Of course, you can also opt to just focus on clearing the game's "Objectives" without experimenting with the combo system. The flow is for everyone, after all.
Overall, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels like a game that grew up with Jet Set Radio fans. The game's story and themes will most likely resonate with players who first played this game. The presentation is carried by the game's soundtrack, which hits many highs throughout its runtime. Players will feel the flow the game tries to convey pretty easily.
While the combat is a bit of a low point for the game, its other gameplay aspects are very welcomed, and everything just fits properly. There's nothing more satisfying than pulling off a high-end combo with a streak of tricks and graffiti paintings or unlocking secrets by just being good at the game.
It isn't hard to recommend a game like Bomb Rush Cyberfunk to fans of Jet Set Radio. But I still think that 3D platformer fans should give this game a shot, too, as the mechanics are pretty easy to get into, and there's a lot to do here that will scratch that itch. With the number of games that are bangers releasing this year, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels like a nice break.
Reviewed on PC (code provided by the publisher).
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