Perhaps it's how it plays on the nostalgia of Y2K aesthetics, or how it evokes a positive sense of futurism in a rather bleak point in history, a game like Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is special.
What should be understood is this kind of game rarely seems to come out because it's probably hard to tackle. With obvious influence from games like Jet Set Radio, the THPS series, and SSX, developing Bomb Rush Cyberfunk probably took a lot of care on how it interpreted extreme sports. I'm more than happy they approached it with a more comic book stylization, something that is outlandish, imaginative, and most importantly fun. It's cool when a new character is introduced and it's stunning when a new level shows twisting rails and big landmarks to trick off of. I believe this was very intentional from Team Reptile and it was executed so nicely. And to prevent any potential gameplay fatigue, they implemented inline skates, skateboard, and BMX all for you to pick up and just go. Sick.
With an emphasis on collectibles (clothing, music, and characters) you explore a distant-future, colorful piece of earth that's run by punks, at odds with systems like the police and enemy crews, with only one goal in mind: conquer every zone. That is so beautifully simple and video-gamey that I almost forgot that's what video games are supposed to be like. I won't rant about the greater state of games, but reigning in the focus of this project's story to focus on stylish trick mechanics and platforming, ease of traversal, and enjoying the art of your graffiti is a welcome idea. I'm attempting to 100% this game not only because I really want to, but I feel like it actually CAN do this too. That should tell you something about other games...
The only other thing that this game offers and is worthy of touching on is how it explores some psychology of expressing yourself. Interviews with one of the lead developers has shown this was an important part to include in the game because it's important for participating in these kinds of subcultures irl, ones where art and dance, rule-breaking, and team loyalty converge at an intersection that only you, the protagonist of your own world, can find inside yourself and put back out. As dense and deep as a topic as that is, I would disagree with anyone that this was ever overstated or overexerted throughout the entire Bomb Rush Cyberfunk campaign. It only adds a layer of personality to an otherwise standard plot.
I think this game deserves its hype before and after release, and it probably even deserves a sequel. However, I would just as equally love how it exists as is, cemented in 2023 as a successful indie release which made some waves and was fun to play. I maybe didn't justify every point or star for scoring, but the best way to see what I described above and justify for yourself is this: launch the game, get on some inline skates, find your way to the top of a tall building, and do a 1080 California Roll off of it. Now you'll understand why this game rules.
What should be understood is this kind of game rarely seems to come out because it's probably hard to tackle. With obvious influence from games like Jet Set Radio, the THPS series, and SSX, developing Bomb Rush Cyberfunk probably took a lot of care on how it interpreted extreme sports. I'm more than happy they approached it with a more comic book stylization, something that is outlandish, imaginative, and most importantly fun. It's cool when a new character is introduced and it's stunning when a new level shows twisting rails and big landmarks to trick off of. I believe this was very intentional from Team Reptile and it was executed so nicely. And to prevent any potential gameplay fatigue, they implemented inline skates, skateboard, and BMX all for you to pick up and just go. Sick.
With an emphasis on collectibles (clothing, music, and characters) you explore a distant-future, colorful piece of earth that's run by punks, at odds with systems like the police and enemy crews, with only one goal in mind: conquer every zone. That is so beautifully simple and video-gamey that I almost forgot that's what video games are supposed to be like. I won't rant about the greater state of games, but reigning in the focus of this project's story to focus on stylish trick mechanics and platforming, ease of traversal, and enjoying the art of your graffiti is a welcome idea. I'm attempting to 100% this game not only because I really want to, but I feel like it actually CAN do this too. That should tell you something about other games...
The only other thing that this game offers and is worthy of touching on is how it explores some psychology of expressing yourself. Interviews with one of the lead developers has shown this was an important part to include in the game because it's important for participating in these kinds of subcultures irl, ones where art and dance, rule-breaking, and team loyalty converge at an intersection that only you, the protagonist of your own world, can find inside yourself and put back out. As dense and deep as a topic as that is, I would disagree with anyone that this was ever overstated or overexerted throughout the entire Bomb Rush Cyberfunk campaign. It only adds a layer of personality to an otherwise standard plot.
I think this game deserves its hype before and after release, and it probably even deserves a sequel. However, I would just as equally love how it exists as is, cemented in 2023 as a successful indie release which made some waves and was fun to play. I maybe didn't justify every point or star for scoring, but the best way to see what I described above and justify for yourself is this: launch the game, get on some inline skates, find your way to the top of a tall building, and do a 1080 California Roll off of it. Now you'll understand why this game rules.