Bomb Rush Cyberfunk - Watchyaback!

[bork]

Music I've heard so far slaps just right though.  Kinda weird they never put out review copies.  Guess those will come in throughout the next week.
There is a 60fps performance mode for PC, right?

You won't have any issues running this game at well above 60 fps.



This is my favorite track that I've heard so far:

[Himu]

Xbox it is, especially given that price.

[MMaRsu]

I mean its great, and fun to play, but jesus, some voice acting would have been nice especially considering the asking price.

Professor K really dragged you into the story you know



Game really needed something like this

[Himu]

How's the level design and platforming?

Shocked at no vo but it's not like JSR and JSRF had much VO to begin with.

[bork]

How's the level design and platforming?

Shocked at no vo but it's not like JSR and JSRF had much VO to begin with.

Yeah, I don't recall there being any voice acting in JSR apart from Professor K- everyone else was silent or had like one voice sample (which this game has too).  It really doesn't matter anyway-  You're spending most of the game playing it, not looking at cut scenes.

I'm still at the beginning -got the rona and haven't been able to play much- but the first area is HUGE and there's lots of stuff to do.  There seems to be a heavy emphasis on exploring the levels which is definitely very JSR-ish.  I got stuck for a bit because you have to get your rep up to 100 to progress to the next part of the game, and I got to like 90 but could not get to some graffiti areas on the map.  Turns out a missed that there's an entrance to a train station that you can just go inside which leads to the tracks and some other stuff.  After I got past this, it led to another area that is also pretty big.

Game play is pretty awesome for the most part.  I dunno about combat -it's kinda awkward- but one review I saw said the combat parts are pretty infrequent anyway.  It feels a lot like the best parts of JSR and JSRF, but with some added stuff like being able to stop using your skates/board/bike and go on foot if you need more precise controls (you can also use a jet pack and slide when not on wheels) and also you can do ollies to keep combos going when you're not grinding on anything. 

If you like JSR/JSRF, you will not be disappointed in this game.  It's beyond awesome and really does feel like the JSR3 that we never got.  It also runs crazy-good on everything.  I was getting 300 FPS on my desktop at 4K, lol.

[bork]

Looks like you can wall-run on-foot too.  I did not know that!

[bork]

[Himu]

The original JSR is in my top 5 so I'm pretty excited. And annoyed that it's not on Xbox but I can wait.

Sounds good.

[Himu]

I'm pretty impressed. The grinds aren't all in a predictable loopike in JSR or JSRF so you can get an easy I finite grind and the grinds are also at varying heights. Making it even more platform-y. Combining it with Tony Hawk manual is a nice twist to keep an infinite grind.

In the other video you posted it has the JSR swag like reverse skating except it's like skating low or something or doing some drop kick. Enemies are actually a part of the level and not some stupid arena like JSR and you have to deal with snipers also like JSR. Good. Good!

Here's JSR for comparison.

[bork]

You do have to fight enemies in small, arena-like areas.  I just saw something I didn't know, which is that you can kick them, then press jump and it should act as launcher.  You can then just spraypaint the airborne enemies and take them out fast.

[bork]

The original JSR is in my top 5 so I'm pretty excited. And annoyed that it's not on Xbox but I can wait.

Sounds good.

People aren't 100% sure, but the general consensus is that this is a timed console exclusive on Switch.  I'm just glad it's on Steam too.  I almost got it on Switch since it was out first, but I think it's capped at 30 FPS on there.  I know Dark1x got it and he seemed to be impressed with the port, but PC was a lock for this for that crazy-high frame rate alone.

[Himu]

You do have to fight enemies in small, arena-like areas.

Ugh.

I guess I'll see how it handles.

[Himu]

Yeah so this doesn't look like JSRF's bad arenas and this seems to mix tagging with fighting so it looks pretty good.

[bork]

There is a 60 FPS option for Switch, but the framerate dips and seems to be more at 40-50 FPS. 

[Himu]

That Switch performance makes me want to gag. I love Switch but this type of game due to the type of performance it requires, should not have been Switch timed exclusive. Baffling decision but thank God the exclusivity is just a few weeks but that makes you question the exclusivity even more. Like what's the point? I assume they did this to get more funding, so it's understandable. I'm hardly a graphics whore but the act of putting a 60 fps game like this on switch with actual lag and frame drops is.. Maybe they were going for maximum nostalgia and wanted the Switch version to mimic the Dreamcast version of JSR, frame rate drops and all. Lul.

[Himu]

Just like JSRF this could be the platformer of its generation.

[Himu]

Platformer of the generation if this keeps up.



edit:

yooooo

[MMaRsu]

I mean do the combos have any gameplay purpose or..

[MMaRsu]

Custom songs mod:

https://thunderstore.io/c/bomb-rush-cyberfunk/p/Glomzubuk/TrackRemix/

[bork]

I mean do the combos have any gameplay purpose or..

There are sections in the game where you have to get certain combo counts or a high score in X amount of time to win a 'battle' and proceed, so yes.  The game also keeps track of your high score.

I've been able to obliterate the CPU using a method I saw in a video- lean into rail turns to build up your modifier to say, 8-10x, then hop off the rails and just hold manual/boost and spam tricks.  Got over 300,000 in a battle where I needed 100,000, lol. 

[Himu]

I mean do the combos have any gameplay purpose or..

Points matter just like they do in JSR. I'm sure certain unlocks depend on points.

[MMaRsu]

Ok ok I didnt get to the battle part yet but I did now hehe :p

[Himu]

This looks like the best platformer since Mario Odyssey. Fucking Switch!!

[bork]

LOL console- PC all the way for this one. 


I'm now about seven hours in and beat 3/5 areas.  The game has not stopped being awesome.  This is my GOTY right now.

Points matter just like they do in JSR. I'm sure certain unlocks depend on points.

Nothing unlocks based on scores from what I have seen- points come into play when doing 'battles' against other gangs.

There is also post-game content available where similar to JSR you can end up unlocking the rival gang characters.  I saw that one of the battles with one of those groups involves beating their combo score of six million.  That's gonna be a lot of multipliers needed, lol.

[Bebpo]

Game sounds great. Been paying attention to the reviews and it looks like it lived up to the hype. Crow eaten.

Will give this a play soon.

[Himu]

LOL console- PC all the way for this one. 


I'm now about seven hours in and beat 3/5 areas.  The game has not stopped being awesome.  This is my GOTY right now.

I might just get it on Steam. Problem is my controller issue but I could use a Switch controller.

[bork]

LOL console- PC all the way for this one. 


I'm now about seven hours in and beat 3/5 areas.  The game has not stopped being awesome.  This is my GOTY right now.

I might just get it on Steam. Problem is my controller issue but I could use a Switch controller.

Use an Xbox controller?

[Himu]

Macbook only has USB-C.

[bork]

Macbook only has USB-C.

You can't get a USB-C cable for it or an adapter?  What about pairing via BT?

[pilonv1]

Not bluetooth?

[Himu]

I cracked. Got it and runs great in my MacBook. Impressions later.

JSR really means a lot to me. I can't believe I'm playing this and it's legit. This game is 2000's as fuck.

Edit: sigh, black screens and stuff. This is precisely why I don't game in windows mode on MacBook. I'm getting a refund and wait for Xbox.

[bork]

I cracked. Got it and runs great in my MacBook. Impressions later.

JSR really means a lot to me. I can't believe I'm playing this and it's legit. This game is 2000's as fuck.

Edit: sigh, black screens and stuff. This is precisely why I don't game in windows mode on MacBook. I'm getting a refund and wait for Xbox.

The game got a big patch the other day- I wonder if it might work for you now?  Although at this point you might as well just wait.

[Himu]

I cracked. Got it and runs great in my MacBook. Impressions later.

JSR really means a lot to me. I can't believe I'm playing this and it's legit. This game is 2000's as fuck.

Edit: sigh, black screens and stuff. This is precisely why I don't game in windows mode on MacBook. I'm getting a refund and wait for Xbox.

The game got a big patch the other day- I wonder if it might work for you now?  Although at this point you might as well just wait.

Getting on Xbox

[Himu]

This is finally on Xbox.

[Himu]

Impressions:

Positives:

- Fantastic mix of JSR and JSRF.
- Takes the lessons from JSRF and makes arguably a better game.

Let's examine the main flaws of JSRF:

1. Enemies are only in corralled environment. They do not chase you or interact with you during actual minute to minute exploration play. This renders JSRF too laid back in contrast to the original JSR. There is no tension in the game. Just grind, find tags, paint.

2. Tags are too simplistic and require on button press to tag. However, this made the game about platforming so that you could actually find the tags. You would see it and you would go,"how do I get there?" So this negative is both good and bad.

3. Turned every character into a palette swap. In the original they all had their own playstyles, strengths, and weaknesses. You cannot access some areas with some characters in JSR because they're too heavy. In order to hit some parts of levels you need a character with speed and height. Some characters like Gum and Pirahna are great at getting points, so they're necessary for Jet ranks. Others, like Tab and Mew are great for graffiti challenges. In JSRF every character plays the same. This means you can articulate yourself how you want by choosing what character you enjoy the most without worrying about play style but it also makes JSRF have zero to no replay value of the original.

BRC fixes the negatives of JSRF by:

1. Letting enemies chase you outside of controlled combat scenarios. The inclusion of Heat (GTA like wanted system), which makes enemies come out the higher and the more you combo is fantastic. Enemies can slow you down and sometimes you need to take out turrets to get access to exclusive tags. This results in a unique mix of combat, platforming, and exploration being used to problem solve. Essentially this expands upon the original JSR's tier enemy system and makes for a more overall fun and tense game.

2. Focusing on one character. In JSRF the main character is Yo Yo but you wouldn't know because you can be any character you want. In BCR there's a larger emphasis on story and while you can play as other characters, and they're interchangeable, you have to put more effort into unlocking them. This is the main characters story. Unlocking characters in BCR is more earned compared to JSRF where they throw new characters at you like candy.

3. Made tags more complex to complete and therefore more fun to do.

Continuing with positives in BCR:

- Exploration is really good and there's lots to find, from new tags to new music, to new areas.

- Platforming is really fun.

- Trick and combo/chain system is fun. Easy to do, hard to master to get millions of points.

- Story is cool and adds a new dimension to the game in ways JSR and JSRF didn't have.

- Just a refreshing, fun as fuck game that feels and looks like it could have been on the original Xbox.

Let's get into the negatives:

- Soundtrack is...really disappointing for me. Too much upbeat music, not enough laid back songs like The Answer or Did You Call Me? Also, so far there's zero rock. The soundtrack is serviceable.so far but nothing to write home about. Hopefully it improves.

- Too much emphasis on tricks/combos in the gameplay. So far when challenging other gangs they only ever do so with a combo/point challenge. This means that BCR lacks variety compared to JSR and JSRF where there were races, graffiti challenges, regular story levels, exploration levels, point challenges;etc. The lack of variety in challenges is the main negative. This could be alleviated with DLC.

Xbox Series X performance:

Really good! 60 FPS is stable, no frame drops.

Overall:

So far really fun game that in my personal opinion fixes the negatives of Jet Set Radio's sequel. It is everything I've wanted in a Jet Set Radio 3, a few negatives aside.

[Himu]

Switched to Bel and the inline moveset is so ill. She's so fun. Making characters have their own style (bike, inline, skateboard) was a genius decision.



BEL

[bork]

Switched to Bel and the inline moveset is so ill. She's so fun. Making characters have their own style (bike, inline, skateboard) was a genius decision.

BEL

Any character can use any style.  You just need to progress a bit further and then you can swap between the styles using whoever you want.    There's no real difference between the way the styles play, but you'll need to use certain styles to get some hidden places.

Also most of the character unlocks are optional and you'll have to seek them out on maps.  Rise is my favorite one so far-



I also like Shine because she looks so late 90s/early 2000s, lol.

[Himu]

Theres no difference between how they play but they have different movements and I think the skates have the best moveset.

[bork]

Theres no difference between how they play but they have different movements and I think the skates have the best moveset.

Agreed.  I usually use skates.

Posted this before, but remember that you can destroy the CPU in score battles by just building up multipliers (grind and lean into turns), then go into a manual and hold down the manual and boost buttons, then start spamming tricks.  They cannot keep up and you will one up them in seconds.

[Himu]

I'm well aware and it's actually a negative for the game, personally .Thanks for the tip.

Where do I get Rise? She looks rad.

[bork]

I'm well aware and it's actually a negative for the game, personally .Thanks for the tip.

Where do I get Rise? She looks rad.

Hey, spam it if you need it, lol.

You won't find Rise until you hit the Pyramid Island area.  That was the most challenging part of the game for me in terms of platforming/grinding stuff.  There is a dream sequence at the end of this with a certain platforming part that drove me nuts.  Thankfully it didn't take too many tries to get past it and the game is really generous where it respawns you when you fall.

[chronovore]

I loved the idea and aesthetic of JSR, but never got the hang of it. I never cleared the 4th map.

Is this one easier to play?

[Himu]

I loved the idea and aesthetic of JSR, but never got the hang of it. I never cleared the 4th map.

Is this one easier to play?

Yes, it's considerably less difficult. This is more based around Jet Set Radio Future which is less arcade-y, more accommodating, and considerably less difficult. JSRF is a relax kind of game compared to JSR's jet fueled adrenaline rush. Bomb Rush works in a similar vein, though it has some tension like the original JSR, it's still mostly chill gaming like JSRF. Also like JSRF it doesn't have the original JSR's physics and weight system. It's nice and light and comfy.

[Bebpo]

Went to buy and play this and was surprised it was $40 since it's an indie title. Sounds like it's worth it though.

[Himu]

When this game clicks it really clicks. Nearly 1 million points combo in just a few minutes. Nothing to brag about but wanted to show how fun this is and how incredible the skate moveset is.

[bork]

Went to buy and play this and was surprised it was $40 since it's an indie title. Sounds like it's worth it though.

I would have happily paid $70 for this- it's so much fun!

[Bebpo]

Yeah, I'm just saying I can't remember the last time an indie game cost more than $25-$30 at launch. $40 is like Sony AA Miles Morales kinda price point.

Guess they feel their production values are close enough to that to be worth it.

[remy]

does the sound track have any weirdo bangers like birthday cake and aisle 10

[Himu]

does the sound track have any weirdo bangers like birthday cake and aisle 10

So far nope. Like I said, so far the ost is actually the most disappointing thing.

[Himu]

BRC is better than Jet Set Radio Future.



JSRF is too relaxed, even in its platforming. BRC applies both skill and knowledge to the gameplay. Traversing the level in the clip seems easy when you watch but so much can go wrong.  BRC is deceptive in that it looks completely easy but mastering the combo system requires far more skill than you would think. Easy to play, hard to master. I won't claim I'm a master in this game yet, either. In the clip you see I almost boosted outside of bounds in the half pipe. BRC is full of stuff like that in its gameplay. Traversing the level isn't hard or difficult, but doing it perfectly, without breaking combo, and not falling off a rail in a badly placed jump takes practice and you will not get this on first run. By separating the levels into multiple "zones" BRC achieved a perfect marriage marriage of JSR's "perfect run" gameplay with JSRF's smooth controls and relaxed vibe. The result is a game that has the depth of JSR but is more freeform and open in terms of goals in how you approach the level design.

One of the biggest complaints of JSR was that it was too difficult. Not to flex, but I ranked in the top 5 in JSR HD on Steam when it came out. I have played JSR at least 20+ times. I say all of this to admit that even I find it a bit rough around the edges at times and it's a game that I have mastered. Yet its sequel JSRF took the opposite approach and made a game that's too easy and laid back. BRC strikes a beautiful medium between the two. It can be a challenge but often the challenge is against your own skills in attempting to master it while at the same time not necessarily being a super difficult game.

This games only flaw is the overemphasis on combos/score in gameplay from rivals. This leads to a lack of variety in challenges and things to do. No race challenges (let's race to the destination and whoever tags the graffiti first wins) or graffiti challenges (whoever can paint the most in the least amount of time wins) limits its potential. BRC would really benefit from DLC for more variety but as of now that stands as a nitpick.

Team Reptile has managed to merge the best of JSR with JSRF while creating something truly unique on its own merits. Jet Set Radio is my second favorite game ever and I can say with the serious of faces that while I don't think BRC is better than the original JSR (yet), I think it offers up its own thing and unique take on the formula enough for it be close.

Game is fun as shit.

[Himu]

Correction: BRC does have races and stuff but they only start mid game. Still, they add to the variety and make for a better game.

[bork]

https://twitter.com/ReptileGames/status/1699432770710188489

[Himu]

Bro this was sick.

[Himu]

This games story bro

This shit is amazing.

[Bebpo]

Started playing this, got to the 2nd area Millennium Square.

Game is great, feels like I'm playing a Dreamcast game with all the good and bad that comes with it (mostly good). Music is better than expected since I saw y'all saying the soundtrack was weak.

Feels good to play and combo. Only negatives so far are too much story (the story/cutscenes are cool, but I just want to be skating) and the boss fights are annoying trying to find the boss and platform into them. A lock-on for the camera for bosses might've been helpful idk.

Also I kinda wish this borrowed more stuff from Tony Hawk even if it would make it less faithful to JSR/JSRF. Like I wish you could grind everything and wallride everything just to make traversal even more fun and free-form, but I get that's not what the originals did and this wants to be them, so it's fine.

[Bebpo]

Also I definitely don't fully understand some of the platforming physics like grinds + boost momentum. There's one tag in the first zone that I can't get high enough to hit off the rails + jumping and I'm not sure what I'm missing. Maybe one of the tutorials later on will teach me it.

[bork]

Started playing this, got to the 2nd area Millennium Square.

Game is great, feels like I'm playing a Dreamcast game with all the good and bad that comes with it (mostly good). Music is better than expected since I saw y'all saying the soundtrack was weak.

That's just Himu- I really like the soundtrack.   

Was mowing the lawn this morning with Light Switch on repeat, lol.

Also I kinda wish this borrowed more stuff from Tony Hawk even if it would make it less faithful to JSR/JSRF. Like I wish you could grind everything and wallride everything just to make traversal even more fun and free-form, but I get that's not what the originals did and this wants to be them, so it's fine.

Just remember that you can manual to keep combos going!

Also I definitely don't fully understand some of the platforming physics like grinds + boost momentum. There's one tag in the first zone that I can't get high enough to hit off the rails + jumping and I'm not sure what I'm missing. Maybe one of the tutorials later on will teach me it.

In some cases, you might not be able to get to something without coming from another part of the stage first.  Like there's some stuff in the first area that you'll want to get to by going into the train station and riding the rails to get out to. 

[Bebpo]

How do you get to the train up above?

[Himu]

There's a subway ticket kiosk with glass.

Physics: manual keeps your combo. Manual has a bar. Once the bar runs out your combo ends. Getting on a rail or doing boost button plus trick resets manual bar while also giving you a boost so you can always maintain momentum. If you want to keep your combo but you're not near a rail do a boost trick to reset the manual bar. BRC is very much a momentum based platformer. It feels like JSRF but it actually has more in common with JSR's physics than at first glance. Going up stairs while on vehicle (skates, bike, board) ends the combo but there's a trick in that if you switch to on foot while mid combo you retain that combo if you switch to feet when going up stairs.

Music is good but I wish it were more varied. Condensed Milk and Light Switch are bops but I wish there was more.

[Bebpo]

When I'm talking about physics, this is the one I can't figure out:



It looks like you should just be able to shoot up that rail and use the momentum from the rail to leap off and tag it, but even if I boost while on the rail and jump at the last minute before it turns horizontal at the end I don't get anywhere near the height to reach that and double jump air boost doesn't get me anymore height.

Like maybe I should just go from the train and jump to it? But it sure looks like I should be able to rail jump that high? Not sure if I'm missing how to do high jumps off rails?