Full disclosure: I've never played Jet Set Radio. I was familiar with it before now through a playthrough years ago that I don't remember well and could recognize it when I saw it, but never got my hands on it despite owning it for a while now on PC. Fast forward to last year I heard about a spiritual successor releasing that looked remarkably similar to the source material. I saw a subset of people very excited and enjoying themselves, but it wasn't until now that I got around to it myself.
First off, the movement in this game is why you play it. Yes, the art style is unique and the soundtrack has more than a few bangers (albeit with some that definitely aren't in there), but the draw here is being able to grind, flip, and spray graffiti while racking up combos and completing whatever goofy events the story has planned for you. And it's a good thing it works because when you manage to land a set of tricks while timing your boosts just right to ensure you don't run out, a pretty satisfying feeling. You have a wide range of characters to choose from (with most being unlockable in the postgame) and most of them have pretty compelling designs that really make you feel like you're playing something from the Dreamcast era reminiscent of the first game.
The story of BRC is pretty out there. Half the time I couldn't help but laugh at what I was reading, and the other half was just going through the motions waiting to see what areas opened up for me to grind around in. It wasn't bad necessarily, but frankly this isn't the kind of game i would fault someone for skipping cutscenes in either. The areas themselves are kind of a mixed bag with some being very enjoyable to both build combos in and take in the sights of, while others weren't anything to write home about. The fast travel system wasn't my favorite either, as sometimes the points you were allowed to travel between weren't very convenient especially when doing cleanup.
Some small things like not having a quick turn option when grinding on rails and none of the characters being unique gameplay-wise were also slightly offputting, but weren't enough to hurt my opinion of the overall experience too much.
I may sound like I'm coming off as overly negative here, but realistically most of the positive aspects of the game kind of speak for themselves in the core gameplay which I think is exactly what it sets out to do. I enjoyed my time with BRC and would definitely be open to playing a sequel in the future, although with SEGA's recent announcements it looks like I might have something else to play to scratch that itch instead whenever it shows up. Hats off to Team Reptile for their work here and I'm excited to see whatever it is they pump out next.
P.S. If you're a completionist, have fun with the basketball achievement.
First off, the movement in this game is why you play it. Yes, the art style is unique and the soundtrack has more than a few bangers (albeit with some that definitely aren't in there), but the draw here is being able to grind, flip, and spray graffiti while racking up combos and completing whatever goofy events the story has planned for you. And it's a good thing it works because when you manage to land a set of tricks while timing your boosts just right to ensure you don't run out, a pretty satisfying feeling. You have a wide range of characters to choose from (with most being unlockable in the postgame) and most of them have pretty compelling designs that really make you feel like you're playing something from the Dreamcast era reminiscent of the first game.
The story of BRC is pretty out there. Half the time I couldn't help but laugh at what I was reading, and the other half was just going through the motions waiting to see what areas opened up for me to grind around in. It wasn't bad necessarily, but frankly this isn't the kind of game i would fault someone for skipping cutscenes in either. The areas themselves are kind of a mixed bag with some being very enjoyable to both build combos in and take in the sights of, while others weren't anything to write home about. The fast travel system wasn't my favorite either, as sometimes the points you were allowed to travel between weren't very convenient especially when doing cleanup.
Some small things like not having a quick turn option when grinding on rails and none of the characters being unique gameplay-wise were also slightly offputting, but weren't enough to hurt my opinion of the overall experience too much.
I may sound like I'm coming off as overly negative here, but realistically most of the positive aspects of the game kind of speak for themselves in the core gameplay which I think is exactly what it sets out to do. I enjoyed my time with BRC and would definitely be open to playing a sequel in the future, although with SEGA's recent announcements it looks like I might have something else to play to scratch that itch instead whenever it shows up. Hats off to Team Reptile for their work here and I'm excited to see whatever it is they pump out next.
P.S. If you're a completionist, have fun with the basketball achievement.