System: Swap
Launch date: August 18, 2023
Developer: Group Reptile
Writer: Group Reptile
Jet Set Radio is considered one of SEGA’s traditional Dreamcast video games – its mixture of fast-paced rollerblading, city vandalism and high-energy hip-hop have remained distinctive within the many years because the unique launch. Sadly, it’s a title that’s turn out to be more and more inaccessible nowadays, and the franchise has been dormant for a very long time. Effectively, if SEGA had been to make a Jet Set Radio recreation in 2023, it could in all probability look loads like Bomb Rush Cyberfunk – the builders at Group Reptile have taken the whole lot you really liked from the titles that impressed it, revamped all of it with trendy controls, and repackaged it with some unimaginable music and a high-energy forged of characters. That is the sport Jet Set Radio followers have been ready for – and for everybody else, it’s one of the artistic, thrilling skating video games launched in many years.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk’s metropolis of New Amsterdam is a wierd however wonderful place, a imaginative and prescient of an 80’s-tinged future the place folks carry boomboxes on their shoulders, however increase their our bodies with cybernetic elements. The streets of every of town’s boroughs are run by factions of absurdly-dressed skating gangs, who compete with each other for turf by marking partitions with graffiti and difficult rivals to skate-offs. That is the world that Purple – one of many three playable protagonists – finds himself thrust into after escaping from jail, however after an incident in the beginning of the sport leaves him injured, he finds himself picked up by a plucky crew of skaters who name themselves Bomb Rush Crew. Searching for solutions and justice, the trio staff as much as take-on the rival crews that run town, all of the whereas coping with the specter of aggressive police who appear to have questionable targets of their very own.
Earlier than you’ll even be capable to handle to get the eye of the group controlling the realm, you’ll must impress them by constructing your fame. You do that by skating, in fact, pulling off insane feats of acrobatics to achieve distant graffiti, so to paint over it with your individual. Do that sufficient instances, and the lackeys that roam the streets will begin difficult you to skill-based skating assessments, like reaching a sure rating in a restricted period of time. Impress them sufficient, and Bomb Rush Crew will declare the neighborhood as their very own turf, thus permitting you to discover deeper into town and uncover extra of the thriller.
I used to be amazed by how briskly the skating felt, but in addition by how this was balanced with such a excessive diploma of management. Whether or not I select to play as Purple (who skateboards), Bel (who rollerblades) or Tryce (who stunt cycles), I all the time had a good time. There’s a level of snappiness when, for instance, leaping onto a grind rail or wall-running throughout a billboard – however there’s nonetheless a excessive diploma of duty positioned on the participant to intention their actions and time their jumps with precision. It’s a pleasant stability that rewards each dangerous and cautious gamers; whereas there’s often an apparent path to the objective, there’s additionally sufficient room to aim some extra superior maneuvers. The face buttons can be utilized to tug of assorted methods, each within the air and on the bottom, however the methods you carry out don’t matter as a lot as merely maintaining all of them chained collectively into combos and rising the rating multiplier. You should use your character’s jetpack to spice up your pace and double bounce between surfaces, for instance, opening the door to some spectacular feats. Whereas I’m not usually a lot of a rating chaser, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is considered one of solely a handful of video games I’ve performed the place I’ve truly discovered myself having fun with the problem of mastering a tough set of obstacles, in all probability as a result of I can tangibly really feel my abilities creating as I play.
I discovered the bodily controls approachable and simple to understand; the problem in Bomb Rush Cyberfunk comes from studying its environments, discovering methods to entry hard-to-reach graffiti spots, after which training the maneuvers till I used to be in a position to get to the place I wished to go. Structurally, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels nearer to 2002’s Jet Set Radio Future than its predecessor, largely because of the lack of a timer. I’m grateful for this, as every phase of the world is a small however dense sandbox simply begging to be explored. It’s very freeform – barring just a few spots the place there was clearly one supposed path to get there, I used to be usually shocked once I was in a position to get on prime of some tall constructing or unusual construction. Whereas there’s not a lot in the best way of collectibles to reward the participant, barring just a few unlockable outfits and such, there are new graffiti patterns tucked about. While you attain a graffiti spot, you choose a design on the fly by shifting the analog stick in a sample, tagging the realm in a flurry of midair dashes and clouds of spray paint. It’s satisfying each single time.
After vandalizing a number of spots within the metropolis in a row, you’ll appeal to the eye of the police, who will relentlessly chase you throughout the map to try to cease you. And very like different open world motion video games, their aggressiveness will enhance with additional provocation; preserve tagging partitions, they usually’ll convey out extra models, together with a loopy robotic that shoots its mechanical arms at you to bodily try to drag you into custody. If you’ll find a transportable restroom to vary your outfit in, you possibly can lose them, however past that, your solely actual choices are skate sooner and keep away from them till you full the mission, or struggle. I usually selected avoidance – combating on this recreation feels sort of pointless, partially as a result of police will respawn indefinitely in most conditions, and partially as a result of fight is so sluggish and clunky and that it’s probably not enjoyable. Sadly, there are just a few boss encounters the place fight is necessary, however as a result of it’s so easy it’s not too large of a distraction. I feel it could have bothered me extra if it had been a much bigger chunk of the sport, so I’m glad it’s considerably of an afterthought, on this case.
Because the story of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk continued, I discovered myself impressed not essentially by its writing (which is common) or its path, however by its audacity and confidence. I gained’t spoil any main beats, however the expertise undoubtedly leans into the surreal at instances, invoking existential questions on what it means to be human. Maybe a bit a lot for a recreation about skateboarding, certain, and sometimes a bit too overzealous for its personal good. But, I discovered myself connecting to the protagonists; their refined love and help of one another felt tangible and grounded, and their values and the methods by which they search righteous justice are like a rallying cry that drives the participant ahead within the recreation. It’s a tough factor to precise, however it simply made me really feel pleased at my core. The primary villain is nice, and uncovering the layers of how he rose to energy and the way he’s linked to the principle character is a few actually good things. There are some genuinely humorous characters to come across, too, whose exaggerated personalities really feel proper at dwelling with the remainder of the sport. I want there was full voice performing somewhat than simply the present set of character vocalizations, as a result of I feel that might have helped all of it come to life much more.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a wonderful recreation; it brings the cel-shaded artwork fashion of Jet Set Radio into the trendy period, dropping none of that recreation’s fashion, and including further visible thrives and particulars that make it appear like a graphic novel come to life. The main points are deliberately low-res, presumably within the curiosity of nostalgia, and presumably within the curiosity of price range, however they’re balanced by crisp character fashions and lived-in environments that assist promote the phantasm. Even the sport’s menus are artistic, as if impressed by lava lamps and outdated computer systems. It’s all bolstered by unimaginable, funky hip hop and digital music that’s not like the rest in gaming immediately, and consists partially by Hideki Naganuma (who labored on Jet Set Radio’s soundtrack). I by no means bought uninterested in the music regardless of how usually I heard tracks repeat, which is a testomony not solely to its high quality, however to how in-sync it feels with the final vibes of this considerably absurd world. It is a world win which individuals break dance on the streets, substitute their limbs with mechanized elements, and carry flip telephones and jet packs concurrently, but all of it manages to really feel grounded because of an impeccable execution of a artistic imaginative and prescient.
Lastly, it’s price noting that the sport runs superbly on Swap, by no means dropping under a constant 30 frames for me, which actually shocked me contemplating simply how huge the draw distances of the world are, and with simply how a lot motion is happening on-screen at any given time. It didn’t really feel compromised in any approach, technically talking, which was my largest concern with this specific model. Relaxation assured that the Swap model is a good way to play the sport.
The Verdict
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is unimaginable from prime to backside. Each ingredient of it has clearly been crafted with immense care, artistry and keenness, and it exhibits within the enjoyable and rewarding skating, high-energy presentation, and quirky, endearing characters. The sport someway manages to evoke the whole lot that was nice about its inspirations, whereas additionally forging its personal id by establishing a novel forged of characters and an unimaginable world to discover. This is without doubt one of the greatest skating titles I’ve ever performed; if SEGA ever makes one other Jet Set Radio, it is going to (and will) be in contrast towards this recreation.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk copy supplied by the writer for the needs of this assessment.
