Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Review – Funk on the Roll

Imitation is often the sincerest form of flattery, but there’s a fine line between complimenting a classic and ripping it off. Team Reptile of Lethal League fame is on the right side of the debate with Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, a tribute to Jet Set Radio, which feels partly like a spiritual successor. It’s bursting with style thanks to its lovely cel-shaded visuals. However, that sense of style isn’t achieved by simply copying the same art style. It’s in the animations, which are fluid and natural during gameplay but seemingly more canned in cutscenes or the expressionless faces, with that slight hint of texture blurring. It’s in the black bars present during cinematics, the cinematic angle when the coppers suddenly show up to shut you down.

"Story-wise, at least, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk does a lot to separate itself."

From almost every angle, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is an homage to the adventures of Beat and the GGs. That’s more than enough for some players, who want to recapture that same magic that Jet Set Radio offered all those years ago. For those seeking a true-blue sequel or something that expands on the brilliance of its inspiration, it’s a tougher recommendation. At the end of the day, it ultimately depends on what you want from the experience.

Story-wise, at least, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk does a lot to separate itself. Yes, you’re in a crew that’s competing against others for territory, but you’re not just automatically the good guys. Instead, you start as Faux, a mysterious individual and member of the Big 3 in a police lockup. The Big 3 are a fairly big deal in New Amsterdam – they rule the five boroughs yet are each other’s biggest rivals.

After being set free by Tryce, Faux is decapitated by another member of the Big 3 – DJ Cyber, who heads Futurism, his own crew. He awakens in a hideout with Tryce and Bel present, inhabiting the same body but a brand new cyberhead, going by Red and seeking to recover his original head and memories. The Bomb Rush Crew set their sights on All City, hoping to compete with DJ Cyber while solving the mystery of the Big 3’s fall.

"Players start in their hideout and venture to a rival gang’s territory. You’ll explore the borough, tagging graffiti over the latter’s own to earn Rep and establish your presence."

It’s an interesting journey of self-discovery, digging through memories and discerning one’s identity, which ventures to some incredible strange places within Red’s mind. The story is told through extensive cutscenes with some well-rounded characterization. Tryce is laid back, but serious when it comes to getting the job done. Bel may seem preoccupied with her phone yet otherwise enthusiastic with her crew. Meanwhile, Red is an enigma, trying to sort out his new life.

The rival crews are also brimming with personality, whether it’s the intimidating Eclipse or the toxic Eclipse. I’m somewhat partial to the Oldheads – an ageing crew that touts itself as “old school” (don’t judge me) while mediating Crew Battles. DJ Cyber fills the role of an over-the-top villain quite well, though it’s clear there’s more going on than meets the eye.

As prominent as Bomb Rush Cyberfunk’s story is, it’s shockingly simple in the execution. Players start in their hideout and venture to a rival gang’s territory. You’ll explore the borough, tagging graffiti over the latter’s own to earn Rep and establish your presence. They’ll blow you off at first, but complete individual tasks for different crew members – from earning a 5x multiplier to reaching a set score within the time limit and a Crew Battle begins.

"Compared to Jet Set Radio, the controls in Bomb Rush Cyberfunk make it extremely easy to jump in. Everything, from grinding to performing tricks, feels fluid and responsive."

This is where your crew must score more points than the other in two minutes. It’s somewhat of a test of your knowledge of a level, but considering the game’s overall challenge, leaning corners and riding walls during grinds makes it easy to rack up the multipliers necessary for success.

Of course, you have some run-ins with the police here and there, but that’s more or less the same formula. It can feel monotonous, though levels are fun, whether it’s exploring downtown and grinding on tram tracks or bouncing off cars and navigating bus depots. They become more intriguing as time goes on with a decent sense of scale, as you mentally map out the best ways to reach certain spots for graffiti. You also have little signposts to hit consecutively to unlock different outfits for characters, different graffiti designs to unlock.

Compared to Jet Set Radio, the controls in Bomb Rush Cyberfunk make it extremely easy to jump in. Everything, from grinding to performing tricks, feels fluid and responsive. It does take away somewhat from the challenge, but it’s not the worst trade-off, and unique moves for each character – from Red performing a Manual on his skateboard to Bel sliding to keep a combo going – add a bit more flavor. There’s also the Boost Pack, which allows for mid-air dashes and quick boosting on the ground. Performing tricks or collecting specific items restores Boost, and overall, it adds some much-needed bursts of speed when exploring the environment.

"It’s not trying to break the mould so much as to cater to those who love Jet Set Radio, which I can respect."

The tagging could have been more involved – there’s no fail condition when starting one. Move the right stick to each point on-screen to make a design, and you’re done, to the point where I randomly wiggled it around to get it done quicker. The so-called combat can also feel a bit awkward at times. Kicking off enemies and spraying them looks neat, but awkwardly kicking around when surrounded less so.

At least the cops offer some interesting challenges, like turrets that can chain you down, necessitating different tricks to get free. There are larger bosses to tackle, and while few and far between, they do spice things up further.

Overall, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk more or less achieves what it sets out to be. It’s not trying to break the mould so much as to cater to those who love Jet Set Radio, which I can respect. Some more variety to the gameplay and additional content would have been nice, though.

If Bomb Rush Cyberfunk achieves anything, it’s in proving that there’s truly no such thing as “The End” on the streets. It’s a story that will live on, hopefully creating as many interpretations of Jet Set Radio’s legacy as it does glorious homages. Maybe it could serve as a base for Team Reptile to flesh out its ambitions and flex its design muscles. For now, I’m content in basking in the nostalgia, even if it doesn’t outright transport me back to the glory days of the Dreamcast.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.