Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Reviews
There’s no doubt that some Jet Set Radio fans hungry for more will enjoy Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. I’ve been waiting for this series’ return in spirit along with the rest of them, but in the end, it did little more than inspire nostalgia for the original, gorgeous though it may be.
This is a shame because there's a fun game here – it's just trapped in a hollow shell. Its final sin is having a miserable story hardly even worth bringing up. It's boring and bad; we can leave it at that. There's room for games that want to recapture some old glory – to remind you how cool games used to be – but to do that, you have to add something new to the conversation. Neon White is a great example of a game that did this right. Bomb Rush isn't interested in adding anything new. It just wants to have the same conversations we've been having for years. Jet Set Radio was cool. Go play that instead.
The mechanics and visual presentation of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk are unbelievably refined. It truly looks and sounds the part of delivering a spiritual successor to Jet Set Radio Future. However, it is held back by an underwhelming gameplay structure and some of the worst combat implementations in a 3D game.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk may come across as nostalgia bait and falter with the tagging, combat and difficulty. However, as a homage to Jet Set Radio, it succeeds while offering some neat little twists.
But, even then, there’s this overwhelming sense that the tricks don’t really serve much purpose until the game tells you that points and graffiti tags matter, basically driving a wedge between the best thing about the game and the activities that actually progress the story. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is resuscitating what made Jet Set Radio so great back in the day, and it’s far from being a disgrace to the name. But it’s off-kilter in every way that the original games felt cohesive.
No matter how excellent its soundtrack or sense of momentum may be, there's no shaking the sense that Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is in a race against its own sense of nostalgia. The game rips, but more often than not it feels like that's because Jet Set Radio ran before it. That's not to say it's bad, but part of what makes Jet Set Radio so fun and unique is its raw originality. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels like a sequel in everything but name-for better and for worse. For every banger in its soundtrack, there's a moment of jank or a feeling that this game hasn't left 2000. Again, it's still a great time, but it's lacking that lightning-in-a-bottle feel that JSR had. That's totally fine, and for people who missed out on it, this will feel much fresher.
It captures the soul of Jet Set Radio perfectly but with only a limited attempt to evolve the formula for modern times this feels uncomfortably trapped in the early 2000s.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is the perfect spiritual successor to Jet Set Radio. Not only does it capture the idea of cruising the streets, but the intuitive controls and simple mechanics allow anyone to pull off impressive-looking tricks. Unfortunately, the combat is weak, and segments where this is at the forefront hinder the overall quality of the product. However, when you hurdle this bump, you’ll fall in love with the banging beats and addictive gameplay loop.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a hell of a mic drop. While it’s no reinvention of the wheel, it’s definitely a more compelling and accessible take on the formula that has a lot to recommend it, both for fans of those titles and younger gamers in search of something new.
The epitome of street-action romance, showcasing dazzling moves and graffiti as it races throughout the city. The stylish action perfected by intuitive controls is also complemented by outstanding scores. However, story without context, bothersome random enemies and not so intuitive UI tend to hinder the immersion.
Review in Korean | Read full review
A shear blast to play. Grab your board and hit the rails! This game will have you dancing until the very end. Don’t forget the spray paint!
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is the Jet Set Radio successor we never got. The comparison doesn't come out of nowhere, it's practically provoked. Whether it's the visual aesthetics, the cool sounds or the game design. The source of inspiration is obvious. But instead of just copying a great work poorly, an excellent spiritual successor succeeded here, which wonderfully manages to create a gameplay that builds into each other, through which I keep getting lost in the game world in my combo build-up. Thanks in part to the great humor, I can absolutely recommend this title to anyone interested in a mix of Jet Set Radio and old Tony Hawk games. Unfortunately, the story and the battle system don't manage to slide to the same level. In view of the other strengths, this can be forgiven and doesn't change the fact that it's a real insider's tip in the midst of the many AAA games.
Review in German | Read full review
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk rescues the past and invites us to dive into a stylish platform adventure. Using skates, skateboards or bicycles, the gameplay stands out with simple commands and many possibilities for combos and exploration through an elaborate metropolis. Furthermore, it's hard not to be impressed by the atmosphere that oozes identity with its vibrant colors and eclectic and urban soundtrack.Inspired by Jet Set Radio, the game modernizes concepts, which results in a vibe that is both modern and retro. However, it makes the mistake of replicating even what was not good at that time, such as the simplicity of some aspects. That so, to take full advantage of it, it is important to be willing to overlook some problems.In the end, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is an imperfect but sensational exotic mix.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
"Futuristic Amsterdam is almost as fun as Neo Tokyo."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Drawing inspiration from "Jet Set Radio," "Bomb Rush Cyberfunk" not only revives old-school 90s metropolis vibes but masterfully brings them to the modern era.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk lives up to the promise of being a spiritual successor to Jet Set Radio for modern systems.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a delightful skating and hip-hop mash-up that builds its foundation on Sega's classic Jet Set Radio series, but contains enough narrative and gameplay freshness to stand on its own as an arcade-style action game.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a modernised love letter to Jet Set Radio that combines fun and stylistic gameplay, with a kaleidoscope of updated Dreamcast-era visuals and sound to create a sequel in everything but name. We may never see Sega release another Jet Set Radio again, but this is the next best thing and an exciting foundation for the future.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is no doubt a worthy successor to Jet Set Radio. That’s not to say the game is perfect; there are some notable issues, such as falling through the floor on occasion, as well as the aforementioned poor combat sections. But those issues don’t detract from this still being one of the most fun games released this year.