Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is Good

Alternate title - A short review of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, but then I'd be worried that I'd be repeating a bad omen. This is what happens when you take the achievement when you finish the game as a hint instead of an instruction.
Anyway
/ leonmassey

[@Gnurklesquimp2]

This game is simultaneously one of the most satisfying yet potential teasing among recent games. I could probably write a book about where I think they could take the design elements. One example... When I heard it has more of a combat focus, I was hoping it'd be a bit more integrated into smooth and continuous movement. There's so many ways to go about it I've already thought of, one of my favorites: Let's say tricks send out energy waves that match the style of the trick, and these auto lock-on to the enemy closest to the center of your screen. A spin could do a little 360 attack around you, landing into a manual could cause a shockwave, but it doesn't have to be THAT intuitive, just nice to have some easy to remember ones like that so you can start to memorize it all. If they can make you choose attacks dependent on how you move relative to the target, that could really marry the two. Terraria's Bubble Gun is my favorite weapon design from games, shoots a slow gradually spreading cluster of bubbles, if an enemy chases you, you land more of the bubbles without them having to be as big and/or close to you, just lift that for a start. Sidenote: Enemies can feel like they're either not there or just things in the way, I like that the turret can BE the way. I don't want janky enemy manipulation to be a part of the next game, but I'd like more of this.

[@tmmbyby5028]

The fact this game exists, and is made by the same people as lethal league, is just mind meltingly perfect🥴

[@indierockguitar6875]

I was so scared at first that this would be bothched but ended up being way better than expected.

[@SafetyServbot]

Put that emoji away ain't no reason to be horny

[@rowleyryan9025]

I can’t wait to see Team Reptile does next! Though I am still holding onto the pipe dream that is Lethal League 3…

[@sylodui]

​@@rowleyryan9025I NEED a lethal league 3

[@amogh4093]

I questioned my whole life when he called Tryce 'Tyrece'

[@sawkchalk6966]

It really shook me

[@donovanfaust3227]

This is like the 3rd white person I've heard say his name wrong by calling him Ty-something. It's not a hard name to remember and all I can chalk it up to is they get the stereotypical black name Tyrone stuck in their head when thinking of Tryce.

[@moonstruck6591]

​@@donovanfaust3227Is this comment meant to imply some sort of unconscious racism from them, or am I imagining that? Genuine question.

[@sirrivet9557]

​@@moonstruck6591not unconscious racism in the way we usually think of racism but like, the very subtle result of a lot of white people having no non sterotypical exposure to black people. So kind of. But you know we're not saying they're evil because of it, just the result of growing up in white culture. Something that probably needs examined a little bit.

[@LeonMassey]

I'm actually thick as hell. I've only just realised that's not his name. I also thought DJ cyber was Called "DJ Cypher" for the better part of 3 weeks until I went to do VO and went "hold on... why would he be called that if the game is called *cyber*funk"

[@mangekyo407]

I honestly loved BRC. I think that one thing that hasn’t been pointed out is the whole Hip-Hop/breaking aesthetic. The whole dancing system is really cool even though it’s not that useful. Every dances were mo-capped and very representetive of the style they represent. I think of the toprocks, breaking, locking, etc. But the thing that really sold me on it was the cypher system. Cyphers are the core of street dancing and the way they implemented it is genius. In real life you just put some music on, start a cypher, people join. In the game it’s really cool that you do that to change character cause that’s just what would happen irl. Great video as always!

[@TheCrewExpendable]

Frantically googling "cypher, street dancing"

[@marzblaq7267]

Fun fact: The director of the game, Dion Koster, actually mo-capped all of the dance animations 🔥

[@adrianr7664]

I love how you reviewed the game and all the comparisons to JSR but BRC is more attune to its sequel: Jet Set Radio Future. The game IS a spiritual successor to JSRF and once you've played JSRF you can really see the comparisons to BRC and you eventually see how BRC is gonna be another cult classic for years to come.

[@DrunkenPumpkin626]

Yeah hes comparing it to the first jet set radio for some reason, when its jet set radio FUTURE that he should be talking about

[@shybandit521]

see its cause no one was able to play JSRF, no one talks about JSRF, and JSR is the one that's on steam

[@SoheiJayce]

​@shybandit521 not really. The unofficial JSRF Online remake from the ground up is free to play.

[@sausagesausage]

I came to post this... why is he comparing this to Jet Set Radio when it's clearly taking inspiration from JSRF... Furthermore, Jet Set Radio is over 20 years old at this point... Trash talking it's mechanics in 2023 is nonsense. When it came out it felt fantastic.

[@ragingnoob3603]

@@SoheiJayce True, but it's unofficial and doesn't give an accurate depiction of the actual game. Plus, you'd have to be a pretty hardcore JSRF fan to really know about it. Since Jet Set Radio Future (the first one) is more accessible and the one Sega references the most, that's the only one most people who are new to the fandom recognize. Unless you grew up playing the game on the original Xbox, it's easy to see why you wouldn't know about it.

[@maxlimit9129]

shout out to Dom McLennon, formerly of BROCKHAMPTON, for contributing not only a song to the stellar soundtrack, but also his vocal talents for an unlockable character

[@HeckYep]

Whaaaaaaat? Damn I guess I'm buying this game after all

[@HotlineMok]

Wait whaaaaatttt and how have I not noticed it already u can’t be serious. Now I have to relentlessly guess everytime I play the game who it could’ve been. Is it Mesh? Is it Cyber? Is it Felix? WHO KNOWS? IM TOO STUBBORN TO LOOK IT UP

[@jkl5901]

@@HotlineMokits mesh apparently

[@HotlineMok]

@@jkl5901 Oh. My. God. The fact Dom McLennon voices my favorite playable character besides Rise is both disappointing that I couldn’t pinpoint it before, yet also a crazy dopamine rush that I now know this information

[@ConvoBreaker]

As someone who does love BRC: Yeah you hit the nail on the head lol. I really hope they make a second one and just, expand it to be something I can love without feeling like there's something missing at every turn still.

[@Perdix64]

I honestly hope they add more DLC, maybe a small expansion to the story or maybe more areas to do tricks. I do want more from the game cause I just like the arcade-ie feel from it but I have to agree that it does eventually get a bit boring.

[@Day100]

Wishlist for BRCF 2 -More railgrind oriented big bosses -A more depthfull combat system for humanoid enemies -More threatening enemies -More routes/rail grinds per level -More options/button combos for tricks

[@daylight_anim]

Although of course this wasn't a part of the main game, I wanted to bring up how much the multiplayer mod improved my experience with BRC. The modding scene in general for this game is amazing - improving/altering aspects of the music, movement, world, combat, and more - but the multiplayer mod made by SlopCrew was exactly what I was looking for to add to the enjoyment of this game's world. The relaxing vibe to this game's traversal and gameplay loop that you mentioned is enhanced when you have other players to interact, explore, dance, and experience the game's secrets with. The BIG reason I would recommend this multiplayer mod is the score and combo challenges taken from Tony Hawk's multiplayer games. Because of the differences in combo systems, the feeling you get from challenging people in this game is quite unique. Instead of contesting with people who are also trying to dance that razor's edge of scoring and falling, you are competing to see who is the most efficient and knowledgeable about traversing the map and racking up those multipliers. It gives that tension the base game is lacking (not including the score challenges) which drives you to score as high as possible in the time limit you're given. The cherry on top is its integration with the in-game mobile phone, letting you challenge the player closest to you using the established mechanics. Although with only one other player on the server you can challenge them anywhere - if you are exploring with a friend, it's encouraged to start a challenge from a similar starting point so you can both practice the best routes from that place. This gives a nearly infinite amount of depth to the ways that you play through each stage. Great video Leon, you made some great points and I'm really glad you enjoyed the game! For anyone reading and hoping to get more out of BRC, I'd highly recommend playing the multiplayer mod. It's super easy to set up and has given a whole new layer to the game.

[@indierockguitar6875]

Why wasn't this put in by the developers

[@SuburbanProperty]

It’s my biggest gripe that multiplayer isn’t available for the console version. My buddy and I both have it on Xbox and would love to jam with each other

[@Denter86]

​@@indierockguitar6875It's a bit of an esoteric idea that takes a skilled network programmer to get working, so it's not something that one should have expected from the main game. SlopCrew's creator NotNite is such a programmer and she's known for having worked on other very technical mods for other games, notably Final Fantasy XIV.

[@ArcadeStriker]

I have to say that the Versum Hill "too high up" tag spot was one that had me really flabbergasted at first and endlessly tried to gain enough speed to jump high up there until I found out about the "smack the turret" trick when I stumbled upon another section that needed me to use it to get to a high area and I said "*OH SHIT THAT'S RIGHT*"

[@bb010g]

it's such a good teaching moment

[@shinyslurpuff7403]

I approached that tag by jumping down from the train railing, and thus when I got the subsequent turret part you mentioned I was extra flabbergasted

[@Countryclubguy]

It's refreshing to hear a review these days that is actually a measured response and not just a fanboy/hater piece

[@ariezon]

There are plenty out there dude, I think you just need to get away from rage-bait and the opposition

[@ThomatoSauce]

You’re seriously just gonna ignore probably the biggest influence on this game, which is Jet Set Radio FUTURE?!

[@Kylec3]

huh? he literally says it in the first minute

[@Pie_The_Man]

@@Kylec3 The only footage he really shows is of Jet Set Radio and anyone whos played both games can read into his language that he never played the sequel, as well as tell that BRC takes a lot more inspiration from it than the original.

[@TheMrManjana]

I love this game really really much, but it feels like "the first game" Like it feels like DMC1. Game with really cool things and loads of potential but needs a sequel to reach it. Let's hope BRC2 is more like DMC3 than 2 Great video like always Leon!

[@Pie_The_Man]

we don't talk shit on DMC1 on this channel dawg

[@Scubabooga]

Great video as always! The only thing I wanted to note is that BRC takes a lot more from JSRF than its predecessor, which is where the open-level structure comes from. I really enjoyed my time with BRC but I always have a hard time recommending it to my friends since it always just felt like it was lacking something, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I also felt like 40 dollars was a bit high of an asking price for me to recommend it to others, I was excited and bought it on release but I am a big JSR fan. I just hope the game's success can drive the creation of a sequel that fixes the problems of the first like JSRF did for JSR.

[@murkywaters5502]

It's a great foundation for a sequel considering how hard it was for them to do what they already did. I do think that the game design weird flaws, namely how boost is not carried from one area to the next, you can't customize your character's appearance from the bathrooms without it being inaccessible after one use, and how the bathrooms/taxi stops/character select squares aren't even marked on the map. Fortunately, mods fix some of these problems, but it's still weird not for some of this to be in the base game considering how easy they are to fix.

[@LLusion]

the editing in this was superb. loved this review

[@SouperWy]

Things I like about Bomb Rush Cyberfunk: 1. The art direction, aesthetic, and graphics are amazing to view. 2. The traversal is fun and engaging, although sometimes held back by level design and the combo system. 3. The story is actually pretty enjoyable, the humor is good, I like the characters. 4. The music. 5. The music. 6. The music. 7. The music. 8. The music. 9. The music. 10. The music.

[@sawkchalk6966]

I really appreciate how light this review is on JSR comparisons. It's very easy to hold the two up and make this to be GOTY when you're comparing it to its 20 year old predecessor. I think this judged it fairly on its own merits and highlighted a lot of mechanical shortcomings that stop it from being the slam dunk it could've been. I'll also ignore that Ben 10 jab.

[@TravTravRA]

Games like BRC put me onto new artists and I love it just for that, _which is insane because this is easily my favorite skateboard game period_

[@crtchicanery9605]

Great video! I hear what you're saying w/ your level takes but I felt pretty differently. I like the mall a lot. Even if the natural path is fairly linear, I found that path to flow naturally and feel very satisfying, getting a rush out of the huge number of corners and taking on the challenge of grinding the billboards without missing the corners. There's also the vertical grinds on the trees to travel between levels that I think you missed. Meanwhile the only way I ever found to get to the top level on Pyramid Island was an orange pipe and I never found a smoothly flowing way to reach it, so getting to the top was always a pain, and it was real easy to fall down and have to start over. It drove me nuts.

[@hoodiesticks]

I'm surprised you had such strong disdain for the story. Towards the end of the campaign, the story was the main thing I was playing for. Normally I can spot plot twists a mile in advance but Faux's betrayal legit caught me off guard.

[@SolidSnake240]

Honesty couldn't have asked for a better spiritual successor to JSRF.

[@daundredrew6114]

Using the wrong jet set radio for comparison is wild

[@headache1256]

This is a very entertaining video (and I like your sense of humor). You're a great dude

[@Pyronectic]

Great video but there is some missed potential not talking about jet set radio future. the game takes a lot more inspiration from future than it does the original.

[@breloopharos1919]

I dont believe he ever mentioned even playing it. Which he should i think itll clear why the cops are fun even when pointless, but also its best to play out of the three funky skate games

[@chastermief839]

I think it's pretty clear he didn't like Jet Set Radio and so he probably never bothered playing the sequel (which makes sense-- if you don't like it why would you want more?). Regardless I don't see how comparing it to JSRF would have enhanced the review at all? He does criticize the original JSR but only to the point of showing where BRC avoids those pitfalls. I guess you could make the case that he credits the game as being more innovative than it actually is (like with the open nature of the levels) but I got the impression that he was trying to judge the game as a standalone experience, rather than judge it by how well it improved on a 20-year-old game. And, again, since he's clearly not a fan of the JSR games I think that is an appropriate angle to take. The JSR franchise is kinda the elephant in the room when you talk about BRC, but beyond giving it it's due credit I don't really see any value in lingering on the old games when discussing BRC. But maybe I only have that perspective because, like Leon: I played JSR, didn't like it, and then didn't bother trying JSRF, but then had a blast playing BRC.

[@7associationfaust]

Leon my Friday has been shit, but now it’s a bit better because I can hear the skateboard man talk about a good skateboard game

[@TheCrewExpendable]

Lol same. A bunch of my co-workers just got laid off. I survived but this place is a sinking ship. Time to watch a video and then dust off the resume.

[@doogs6554]

Always glad to see you put my feelings on media into words. I had similar feelings about the traversal mechanics and the point system. My natural inclination post-game was to increase my multiplier by just finding fun lines throughout the maps, but found myself never interacting with the tagging or combat, as they felt too clunky/slow. If they gave stronger point incentives to tagging like stopping the multiplier from increasing every 10 increments or something, requiring you to tag spots to increase it, it may have helped. It would also make you think more about your routing and have to engage with the police as a constant. Similarly, I didn't like that tagging police drones or posts didn't increase multiplier, I thought that would have been natural inclusion. All of this made it seem like it wasn't worth it at all to engage with them. Mechanically, I think they could have added some depth by giving the player height or speed boosts out of police tags. That way it'd flow a lot better and make you think more about where and how you engage with them, and expanding the possibilities of routes you can plan. It would have given the traversal much needed depth, and this is coming from someone who loved the game.

[@finalninju6021]

It's becoming one of those games which is great but the modding community just continues to make better and better

[@ninjalink0]

Cool Video. As someone with a lot of love for JSR, it's interesting to see the perspective of someone who didn't really enjoy a game that obviously had a lot of influence on it. I think Jet Set Radio Future had a big influence on the game's structure and a smaller influence on it's level design, playing it a bit might give you some more perspective on the franchise.

[@ZoeBateman]

I would say that BRC is much more like Jet Set Radio Future than the original JSR, especially in music style, a slightly less chunky artstyle and even some game mechanics. Really the only thing mechanically more similar to the original JSR compared to JSRF is the graffiti system, where you have to "draw" a pattern/sequence instead of JSRF's "hold graffiti button while moving past". Personally, I absolutely loved this game. JSRF was the first videogame I ever played as a kid, so it holds a very special place in my heart, and I've been craving something like it for just over 20 years. Team Reptile delivered so well with BRC. I'd even go so far as to say BRC would be my GOTY, easy decision + no questions asked. That is, of course, if I hadn't played a certain incredibly popular RPG/CRPG this year too.

[@SrSKaTiZSrS]

As a JSR fan, you speak the truth. The game definitely had its issues. At this point, the game is just nostalgic but does satisfy the travel, tag, traverse itch I get every so often. I found this video because I just heard of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and wanted to get a preview from someone.

[@spaxhuxley302]

Honestly, yeah, you explained a lot of the gripes I have with BRC. I really liked it, but I didn’t love it and I couldn’t quite put into words. It’s a good game, but not one I love

[@Guysitscorky]

I love BRC, but dude your editing style made this so much more worth watching

[@mikeysaurlol]

YOOO!!!! I commented on your previous video asking if you'd played it, glad to see a video on it, BRC is so good.

[@hdhgjhjdvj]

He just dissed ben 10, Im pissed

[@ugoboom]

Great anaylsis I totally agree the score doesn't need to be there for the free-skate, cause yeah infinite points is trivial. It ONLY makes sense when doing a limited time session. where you need to find enough X multipliers and do enough base score to beat the competition in time. Finding the X multipliers, I just realized this is yoinked almost directly out of the "Graffiti" multiplayer mode for tony hawk. It naturally encourages you to find the best lines that explore as much of the map as possible. And oh my god that's pure genius to yoink it out of a multiplayer-only mode and make it a defining aspect of this game. And yeah, everything else about the comboing, like how comboing fills your boost so that traversing the map as fast as possible requires comboing, this is brilliant stuff. This is what makes the game for me in my persuit to 100% it. And wow i did NOT figure out that launching the lowbie cops was a thing, i was X button mashing them 8x each time omg... They need to explain that for dumbos like me man

[@krisdreemur2587]

BRC is my favourite game, but watching this made me realise i like a lot of the things others dont? like, the path through the levels are always the same, but thats one of the things i love about it. IDK, its just a perfect "vibe game", yknow? its interesting to get other perspectives tho.

[@scrumb7021]

Very well put together. Your points were concise, and you never made me feel "wrong" for enjoying the game. I see where you're coming from, and I agree. I love the game's aesthetic, and I'm putting my faith in the sprouting modding community of the game. Rock on my friend

[@gameman3250]

I always love how honest you are with these reviews. Definitely makes me notice a lot of problems that I didn't see before. Another great video as always.

[@ejandrews3065]

The modding community is great only thing it needs is like a 64 player multiplayer server and people can do tricks and dance offs ect

[@hypocritee_]

When I got past the tutorial and got given the freedom to explore and see all the cool things in this game I instantly gel'd with it, vibe was immaculate, easy enough for me to just play while talkin to friends, watching a show or just to enjoy a quick hour or two of serotonin, and I personally liked the story from start to finish especially the characters which would be my only gripe with the game. I wish there was more to do with the characters post game, like pick a crew out of the squad and just skate around an area or even the collecting aspect being tied to characters who use the same mode of transportation. Glad you liked the game tho and thanks fo the video

[@TheDario64]

So glad you made this video. I felt these exact issues (especially with the combat) in my playthrough and felt like I was just crazy considering the overwhelming amount of positive feedback the game got. I think the positivity is warranted, but to me the game still felt like it was "lacking something" as you put it. I think that a lot of these problems would be fixed or at least able to be overlooked if the movement and tricks were more fleshed out. Traversing bigger levels and exploring kinda aimlessly would be more fun if combos were less braindead for lack of a nicer word. It was a bit too mashy for me, but maybe I set my expectations too unrealistically. til next time mr massey

[@LeonMassey]

Aye, in both circumstances they created the same problem though so I kinda just went with what looked cooler

[@CrabQueen]

BRC is a fantastic first 3d game for the studio. Bomb rush 2 is going to be amazing.

[@jetrink9916]

Decent review, but it was very distracting how Jet set radio future is just never mentioned in any capacity considering literally almost everything in BRC is taken directly from that game. Using JSRF is a SIGNIFICANTLY better point of comparison. Some of the things you praise about BRC were already done in JSRF and in someways done better. Such as the level design which I think is more difficult, varied and creative with a better sense of build up and payoff than BRC imo. Pyramid island in BRC is tame compared to what your average JSRF level plays like.

[@joganesha4151]

Honestly, kinda appreciate that he judged BRC on its own merits rather than comparing it to JSR. Yes it is very easy, yes it is still relevant to BRC, but then it just frames BRC as JSR2 electirc bugaloo instead of its own game. Tbf I understand why not comparing BCR to JSR is not everyone's cup of tea, I personally don't really get it because I see games individually even if two games are related (i.e. sequels, spiritual successors, etc) Perhaps this is my biased thought towards seeing games as its own thing rather than a branch of a bigger tree, same way I see Dark souls and Demon souls as two different games (even if they're made by the same people)

[@Crazybark]

@@joganesha4151 but he does compare it. thats why its weird future isnt mentioned because its a much better comparison

[@joganesha4151]

@@Crazybark either he's aware of it but decided to choose to compare it the original (albeit very lightly), or he doesn't know it exists (tbf sometimes things like this can get glossed over unsuprisingly). Still appreciate the light comparisons.

[@wakassjak]

No one has played JSRF because it's not widely available.

[@pendranomechannel6786]

That’s not an excuse. If your are a game reviewer it’s your job to know these kinds of things.

[@TehNoobiness]

I have a wild idea: User-created race challenges. Activate the edit mode, then press a button to drop a waypoint, then the last waypoint becomes the finish line.

[@Snowpanel]

Great review! Well written and well edited. I felt pretty much the same after completing BRC's campaign. It's a perfectly fun and enjoyable game, but you can feel the missed potential in its every corner.

[@Lastofthemohaggens]

Fascinating to see the other perspective on this. I came to the game from the JSR side and found it to be the best game yet with improvements to map design and control without losing the vibes that were always stronger than the actual gameplay. Even as a JSR veteran, it took me most of the game to really get a hang of the combo system, and many of my friends with less experience took even longer. As a result, the post game freedom felt appropriate and earned, and I really disagree that combo movement should get harder and push towards a fail state over time, since the (initially) exploration then (later) routing is the main point. Boost tricks resetting the entire manual bar is definitely overkill though, and I wish there were more and more varied score challenges in the post game than just the one per level. Coming from these different backgrounds, there's a clearly a difference in what's valued, and a lot of the JSR side of the equation seems to bring things you don't care about much. Like, you didn't even mention the music, which is maybe the single most appealing aspect of both both JSR and BRC for me. Shame it couldn't do for tony hawk for you what it did for JSR for me.

[@robertrodriguez-ub5cf]

This game is nothing like Tony hawk and or skate. Jet Set radio was more of a hip hop game than a Tony hawk style game. Which since Bomb Rush cyberpunk is made from jetset radio this is more still like a hip hop game. You literally have almost every aspect of hip hop in it the only one you're missing in BRCF is DJing but Jet Set had all of that. That's why the game is so chill and fun to play without even playing the storyline. Dudes like you are looking for a way more in such a simple game and then you end up making a 34-minute video practically talking s*** about the game instead of just enjoying it for what it is. It's literally a upgrade to jetset radio and for people who like the game for what it is the game is phenomenal.

[@Person-ru2ot]

Leon's opinions on JSR short circuited my brain from how bad they are.

[@PotatOS_Sack]

JSR's aesthetics are peak, ost is too, but the actual game is just awful. It's aged very poorly

[@islandboy9381]

the fact he didn't talk about JSRF at all is more short circuiting

[@Soniman001]

JSR has not aged well which is why JSRF is so much better, great game, the fact it goes unmentioned in this video is baffling

[@viorsomething]

As someone who loves BRC, I agree with this entire review, I really feel that they should've pushed the collectathon part of this game a bit more to give it a bit more juice because I think that's the best part but it feels like the devs didn't want to spend too much time with cool collectables bc they had all these other systems that led to the collectathon being a little shallow.

[@zoromax10]

I absolutely loved this game and it went straight into my all time favorites, but one thing I feel could remedy the lackluster endgame and give more purpose to the combo system is giving more Time attack trials. Time attack is one of the many objective types in the game, and while in the campaign they are okay but pretty easy, at the endgame they give a couple more meaty ones. To unlock each of the rival crew characters, you have to beat a 3 minute trial with a decently high score. And those were the points that the trick mechanics were best pushed on the whole game. While it is almost trivial to keep a combo, and getting a good multiplier just means walking around, when you get a timer you now have to plan and strategize a good route, so while the execution is as zen as it always is, you are actually being tested on your map knowledge, since you don't have the time to just go to every grind corner and wallrun, and if you end up missing one of them on your route it's too much of a time sink to go back for it (in theory). That also puts heavier consequences on dropping a combo, since not only it means losing your multiplier, the corners and wallruns you used are not reset during the trial, so you can't go back and redo your combo on them. So even if it's still pretty easy to keep the combo going, at least you have proper punishment for failing at it. I think what would really elevate the endgame is some sort of repeatable time attack challenges, dotted around the map so to give different starting points, and each with varied time limits. So no "cow stuck between infinite and screwing around" issue no more. Throw a online leaderboard and you're golden.

[@zoromax10]

Also races. The existing races are pretty fun, and some like the one for unlocking Coil actually has the AI cutting corners, but they are all too short and there's not that many of them. Sadly they aren't infinitely repeatable like time attack trials, but still, I'd like more races

[@jerm5466]

Great comment

[@Broificationable]

babe wake up new leon massey OC just dropped

[@omegazero5884]

A part of me wonders if this game will go down what happened to Lethal League. >-> if one can remember Blaze is in fact a sequel to a far simpler game with WAY less meat on it's bones, and it's only after they have some semblance of flow and understand what they want from the game's base systems that you get that game everyone loves to talk about and discuss and rave about but none choose to play.

[@maxschwitzer9390]

A great response to a game I happen to really enjoy myself. I do wish you at least touched on the soundtrack a bit, but I also understand it was more about gameplay than anything else. Great video!

[@The_ace-1233]

I love when you play a game and you can just FEEL the pasion and love the creators put into it

[@tuerry]

After playing BRCF I went back to THPS 1+2 remaster because it just came to steam and THPS feels absolutely lifeless to me now after playing BRCF. The trick system is obviously dumbed down in BRCF but the grinding system where you hit hard corners and wall riding on the bill boards is so satisfying

[@amaulana090]

Tip: ground boost tricks are way more reliable for resetting your manual timer. It seems you tend to use air boost tricks a ton to extend manuals

[@HotlineMok]

But which one LOOKS cooler is the question here🥸

[@amaulana090]

@@HotlineMok an air boost trick resets the manual only if it completes - which it tends not to in this vid... and a combo that ends ain't cool at all

[@idakev]

You should try Rollerdrome as well. Obviously it's very combat oriented but it's a very fun extreme sports game.

[@Jojooo__]

I feel very different about the game, my opinion is that you're not supposed to see it as a tony hawk tryhard scoring system. This is a vibe game, you just chill around with the banger music and the great artsyle. Stop caring about the figthing and the scoring and the game is instantly way better

[@albertlofling7310]

That spoilers ahead going to the headcut is brilliant XD

[@FloofPuppy]

I remember being so hyped for this when I saw the first couple trailers, when I finally got my copy I was blown away! And now that we got a brand new Jet Set Radio in the works I'm more than ready!

[@just_matt214]

It'll be a battle royale apparently, so yeah. That said, you should totally play Butterflies, *another* JSR spiritual successor that's also super cool.

[@FloofPuppy]

@@just_matt214 And there goes my hype for it.

[@TheBlackboxgameingCo]

I implore you to try jet set radio future. If didn’t like the level and mission structure of the first one, the sequel will more than make you happy. Wide open levels that emphasize vertical and horizontal movement and improved spray can layouts that make filling up not a chore at all. Plus the removal of times segments until postgame challenges for extra goodies. My favorite game of all time

[@silgon8705]

Hell yeah I was waiting for this video, I wanted to see if you'd stream it as well

[@LeonMassey]

I probably wouldn't stream it at this point (since I was so hype I kinda just wanted to play it without the intervention of chat for my first playthrough) just because now I've put enough time into it that I've kinda seen it all. Maybe if I ever need a game to play while I just have a big chat that'd be a good shout though.

[@MegaHellstrike]

Ok but why is the main character doing the Killer Bean breakdance choreography constantly?!

[@thecorndog8419]

i agree with most stuff here!! i honestly found the story in particular quite disappointing, i know it definitely seems like a game that put the story last and gameplay first but it introduced interesting concepts and story beats and doesnt do as much as they could do with it and its incredibly disappointing if they do more with this universe i hope they do more with the story and worldbuilding even if its not the focus, theyve got a very interesting universe with interesting characters and concepts on their hands and id love to see them do more with it especially disappointed about the completely dropped character of escher as well, they couldve atleast confirmed he (somehow) died from the skateboard hit but theres not even a body, he just disappears

[@oatiegames]

appreciate the commentary, thanks for making this

[@zlosov5817]

I think BRC is more pivotal to us right now as a kind of sample and tester for the waters then the ice-breaker we've been expecting. Team Reptile is still not exactly an AAA backed studio that can churn out something massive, and for their size, Bomb Rush is decently Meaty if you also acknowledge all the secrets and extras. Still, the best possible future for it is that it's used as a platform for modders to build something more lasting than a fairly small online skate park it is today with the multiplayer mod. To be perfectly straight, i was contemplating throwing my own hat into the ring with adding one or two locals in, but time simply isn't on my side with this.

[@soloshottie]

you mentioned at the end the overwhelmingly positive rating and your shock at it, and I feel obligated to put some logic to it often the best rated games arent the best games. the best games tend to generate some amount of controversy that puts a bad taste in some players mouths, even if that population of players is very much a minority. games that are just really good though, not great or excellent, tend to be satisfactory enough in its constituent parts that most players wont even notice it was heavily flawed under the surface. basically, the best rated games tend to be just experiemental enough to be fresh and exciting without going so far beyond standards that they start to rub people who dont like change the wrong way for this games sake in particular, it's also quite likely most people only ever made it to the finish line of the campaign, never playing any further than that, if they even finished before leaving a review, and they likely didnt analyze much deeper than their surface level experience. leaning back into the best rated games, which also tend to appeal to a more surface level playerbase

[@kytsop3295]

Amazing when compared to JSR but disappointing next to Tony Hawk was pretty much how I felt when I finished the game. Great video as always and while we're on BRC I wanted to share some thoughts on the game. It's a shame we don't have a grab despite the 3 buttons dedicated to tricks. I get that it would be functionally redundant but having the choice between frenetically chaining tricks and holding the pose to match the rhythm of the current song would have been really nice for a game where the music is such an important part of the experience. I also think the turrets showed a lot of potential for the chase sequence. They can reach the player pretty much anywhere around them while still giving them room to work their way around their projectiles. It's also neat that they weigh down the player instead of straight up damaging them. It creates tension while forcing a response from the player. They just lack another significant threat to work with for them to be really menacing. Finally, I like the way some enemies can be used for plateforming and I think more of that kind of stuff would have made the heat system much more interesting. Imagine crossing the Mataan gap by grinding on an helicopter passing by or getting a speed boost by dodging a sniper bullet with a well timed trick. It wouldn't make the game simply more risky but also give the player more options in return. Given that the gameplay is mainly focused on routing, it would give more variety to the levels and reward players for adapting to new layouts.

[@1Henrink]

Ooooh yes the pro, the master the guru posted another banger!

[@Mediumhatlogan]

WE LOVE CONTSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IN THIS HOUSE. You explained everything so well, some points I agree on and some I disagree. All in all an amazing video voicing your opinion without actually shitting on the game. At least we can rest easy knowing it will fall into the guilty gear tier of "paying for an album with a game attached*

[@itsDeej.]

damn whos this guy

[@cameroncurtis7261]

Algorithm, love your vids Leon praying for your continued success

[@dannyalternis4526]

The mechanics relate more to JSRF I think you should play it to understand the game play. Using the first version Jet Set Radio really isn’t doing the game justice. It’s overlooking that game being a masterpiece in itself, no hate. Definitely should try it though!

[@jerm5466]

Great review

[@DrDoggoat]

Im genuinely appalled that nowhere throughout this video did you mention Jet Set Radio Future. I understand that you hate Jet Set Radio, I've been writing my own video on this game based on my rose tinted nostalgia goggles for Jet Set Radio Future. Future was spawned from a deal between microsoft and sega to make a whole bunch of exclusive xbox remakes of past sega games as a last hoorah and swan song of Sega's Hardware Division, Which is what lead to Future being a...a thing. I can't really describe it. What's really important and worth your addressing is the fact that Future has a unique combo system that I feel like Bomb Rush Cyberfunk was sorely missing. Yes, Tricking is tied to X and Y however you can't *Just* bang tricks out willy nilly. Every character has a specific rythm you trick to. You do this to not only keep up your combo, But also to boost your speed grinding around rails, Maintain airtime as doing tricks in the air acts as a sort of glide, prevent taking fall damage, and feed much heavier into the exploration. Allowing tricking to be more skillfull in BRC by giving character based rhythm and tying it to speed the exact same way that Jet Set Radio Future does COULD have solved a lot of problems you have with the combo system in this video. Future by the way is hideously far from perfect even with my rose tinted goggloids telling me it's the best video game ever made. The campaigns a bit bloated and it suffers that completionist problem where you have to tag all the spots before you're allowed to continue, it's just not as insufferable in JSRF due to having a much better 3D map and level design improving 20 fold with a free roaming linked up kitchen sink world. Seriously Leon, If you liked Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Go "Legally track down and xbox and purchase a copy of Jet set radio future" and definately do not download xemu and also associated xbox files and definately do not go to a shady website to buy an iso and then extract the default.xbe file from the iso to play it on the computer. That would make you a very naughty boy.

[@sleepyjustin1922]

I was very excited for this game for a lot of the same reasons and when I saw people day 1 finding little infinite loops to grind high scores on for an achievement and noticed there was little to no way to fail I kinda went "oh nvm"

[@ericwitney5086]

as someone who got frustrated with the more hardcore element of jsr/f i was so happy with how chill this game was. its really what i wanted. Vibes and Flows

[@fewtonone4321]

Just "legally" downloaded this game for the "full price" because i saw a meme where the main character was the graduation bear and the face looked cool

[@l0ned1ver95]

the most disappointing thing for me about the story is SPOILERS: the fact that Red isnt his own separate character... how could Dion Koster do this to me... i loved my robot guy 😢

[@_mazarico_]

SPOILERS: While the game doesn't say anything about it directly, Red still being playable along side Felix after the credits roll could be easily explained as the Bomb Rush Crew recovering Red's body (Faux did casually throw it away rather than destroy it) and uploading Red/Felix's memories to an actual cybernetic head reattached to the body so the two become separate characters in the post game.

[@l0ned1ver95]

@@_mazarico_ man, its just... not the same for me id accept it, but its not the same :/

[@GrungeBrownie42]

Personally the fish section of millennium mall is my favourite area in the game and it's a big part of why chapter 3 is my favourite part of the game. Personally I just find it really fun to do combos there but I totally agree with mataan, that one feels pretty linear at times

[@sourlab]

Perfectly said 100% agree

[@HeyItsMattSmith]

Pretty much summed up my thoughts. When the game opened with the lackluster combat in the prison, I was honestly quite worried, but as I played more, I did love how the combo and tagging system encouraged exploration, and I did enjoy most of the mech fights. I wish there was a bit more feedback in the fighting to make it punchier and more rewarding, but it clearly wasn't something they were focusing on, and it really did feel a bit like an afterthought. Thoroughly enjoyed the game though, even with the downsides.

[@thelastthingyoulleversee]

LEON MASSEY LISTENS TO JSR? LES GOO!!!

[@cassplss]

Leon, this is your best video yet. Keep it up!

[@0why]

I think one of the things you really hit the nail on was that this is by far THE BEST jet set radio game ever created. And there have only been 2 of them created before which is why it's so overwhelmingly positively received. I do agree with most of the criticisms in the video, but in that same breath I will say that the game is a visual treat, it's character design is wonderful, it's music is fucking banging. There just isn't another experience that's had the entire package like that before which is why it's so amazing to me. Most of the other Jet Set Radio games are amazing music and beyond amazing art design followed by an utter slog of gameplay. This game is pretty good, fun gameplay WITH amazing music and beyond amazing art design. Which automatically puts it as one of my all time favorites just because there is no other good game that exists like 'this'

[@austinmorrison6953]

This game is far from perfect but it’s still so good and addictive that I just can’t put down the skateboard.

[@MightyReeN]

I can already tell this guy has not played jet set radio future

[@ADukesJustice]

This is the first time I've seen someone include Yanya Caballista in a video

[@thisidforsjit]

Im gathering this games comes off a lot better the more you came for the aesthetic, and the less Tony Hawk you have played haha Great video!

[@DjinnGeist]

When it comes to the cops you aren't actually meant to fight the ground troops. The whole point is to just avoid them, I mean you wouldn't just go picking a fight with a cop in real life 🤷‍♂️ But nah, you can litterally just ride by and tag then so it stunlocks them for a sec and can carey on performing your combo. The only time you should really be messing with them is during thw story 🤷‍♂️

[@GamerTowerDX]

That just seems like a weirdly inefficient design decision, at that point just have them appear at certain story points and that's it.

[@sporekid2002isaiah]

Wait so then what is your opinion on jet set radio future, or were you never able to look at that game?

[@LeonMassey]

Future is a game I played a very small amount of but ran into too many emulation errors to keep going. I should probably go back and play it properly now that the emulation has (apparently) gotten a lot better. I'll do that when the genre of JSR-like games are more fresh to me though - I played enough of BRC for this video that I think I wouldn't go into JSRF with a clear mind.

[@sporekid2002isaiah]

Thats's a very fair assessment. Thank you for taking the time to respond, it's really appreciated and makes me excited for the future, whether you end up playing Future, or you do something else, because your video format is just really nice and relaxing to listen to~!@@LeonMassey

[@TurdleShell]

Seriously valid points. I only did 1 playthrough and a bit of post-game collecting after i got bored of it. Some things like the circular mall with only 2 ways up i had also noticed and gotten bored of quickly. With some hindsight, after having thouroughly enjoyed playing the game but feeling that same sense that it lacks something, i now see it more as a playable art piece. They got the aesthetic down perfectly and i want more of that, but hopefully next time without the feeling that gameplay comes secondary.

[@shortrooper1442]

Thanks for showing footage of you collecting obscure items. Just found out I still haven't seen every piece of graffiti despite having almost 30 hrs. logged

[@hucaseal]

I think the overwhelming positive is both due to hype and beginner approachability - I never play these kinds of games (I didn't miss the craze I was just a PC gamer lol) but this one was super easy for me to get into and then want to improve at, to the point that now I'm invested in exploring the genre more! Something JSR never did for me even though I appreciate the style. I definitely noticed some of the lack and the issues with level design but I was so excited by it as someone who's new to this genre that it evened out for me. Also, being an artist and music nerd the attention to culture was a huge draw for me too. I might've forgotten about BRC after finishing but now the modding scene that's fleshing out the combat and adding new areas is carrying it super far. Which is to say, you right, take my subscription btw, but this might something that can be missed when you're a genre vet.

[@greenoftreeblackofblue6625]

The way you feel about jet set radio I feel about bioshock

[@dylankurtz8423]

Original Bioshock is a top 10 all time great game

[@I.Am.Terrible.At.Usernames]

Jet Set Radio isn't just fun for music, or for the aesthetics, or for nostalgia (I never even played it until like 2018). But I just think the core gameplay is incredibly fun and challenging. I liked the mission structure, I think it's very arcadey, and i could see it working as an Arcade machine. I don't understand how you couldn't enjoy it, I would say it's one of the games that borders on being flat out objectively good. But each to their own youre allowed to not like things I like. Amazing video, keep up the great work!

[@justplayfly]

"Get your epic mickey on" thank you for that

[@matthewdoesntlikeit]

I just keep waiting and waiting for this title to be discounted before I buy it and after watching this review - I can wait no longer. I will part with my skrilla.

[@i8dacookies890]

I think it's great that combat is incredibly ignorable most of the time. Think about it in universe, a bunch of skate punks wouldn't want to fight the cops they would just run circles around them, so that's what you do!

[@sourlab]

I actually enjoyed the combat it felt good I rlly love how they challenge your movement AND I ADORE THE HEAT SYSTEM

[@V4Lanz]

Damn, no comments about the OST?. You play on mute or something 😂. Nice video btw, i agree with you in a lot of things and i recently was playing jsr and i hate it (personal opinion but the music is gorgeus). I hope they take the innitiative to create a 2nd part of this game

[@dreamthief286]

awesome little game. desperately needs a bit more depth to be truly great

[@genericfriend2568]

Leon, you're a real well-spoken guy on this topic, I think you should come back to Brc in a few months time to cover how much the modding scene has done.