Bubsy 4D Review – Don’t Call It A Comeback

Bubsy is back, and if your first instinct is to ask, “Literally who?”, then that’s the correct response. At best, Bubsy was an answer to the breakout success of platforming mascots like Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog (though mostly the latter). Despite how uninspired his 2D platformers could be – not to mention his annoying personality that seemingly never let up – everything from Bubsy 3D onwards cemented his downfall. Or further slide into irrelevance if you would.

With Atari once again owning the rights to the character, it’s roped in Fabraz of Demon Tides fame to deliver a new 3D platformer that should actually do the series proud. And in a damning with faint praise sense, it does, but it’s also riddled with significant flaws that prevent it from truly competing with the genre’s best (including the developer’s previous platforming efforts).

Story-wise, the alien Woollies are back at some point, kidnapping Earth’s sheep for their own nefarious purposes, and Bubsy can’t really be bothered. That is, until the spaceships return again and have seemingly been modified into sheep-like forms. Upon hijacking one, Bubsy and his unwitting family (alongside the ever crotchety Virgil Reality) discover that the Baabots are responsible—the sheep have seemingly usurped their captors.

"Of course, the main meat of the experience is platforming, and Bubsy 4D offers some extensive options. Beyond the jump, double-jump, pounce and glide combo, he can also convert into hairball form and roll around at the legally distinct speed of sound."

With the Golden Fleece in their possession and a “neener neener” demeanor towards the group, it’s up to Bubsy to bring the fight to them, unwillingly on most occasions and breaking the fourth wall on others.

I didn’t walk in expecting much of a story, and neither should you – not that this is an insult by any means. Bubsy 4D cuts right to the chase, to the point where I wondered if I had accidentally skipped a cutscene. There’s no explanation about who Oblivia is, how Bubsy has a niece and nephew (Terri and Terry), why they’re stuck with him (not that they’re really complaining), or why Virgil is the way he is (beyond being a nerd). And you honestly shouldn’t worry about it, because 3 out of the 4 were only ever touched upon in a Bubsy TV show that never went beyond its pilot episode, and personality-wise, are completely different here.

They can be fun to interact with between levels and after significant story beats. Seeing them chilling in certain sections—whether it’s the kids taking bets on a pit fight Bubsy is involved in, or Oblivia coming up with different ways to misspell Bubsy’s name—can be entertaining. Granted, the joke that no one cares about what Bubsy thinks can get tiring – we get it, he sucks – but there is some fine humor about EULAs, older titles, and even a nice little jab or two from Bubsy himself when you pause the game. I do wish Bubsy had more lines during gameplay, since hearing about why Golden Fleeces float in the air gets repetitive. But at least there’s (mercifully) an option to mute him.

Of course, the main meat of the experience is platforming, and Bubsy 4D offers some extensive options. Beyond the jump, double-jump, pounce and glide combo, he can also convert into hairball form and roll around at the legally distinct speed of sound. Discovering Blueprints leads to upgrades for things like teleporting between litter boxes, which serve as checkpoints in a level, or using hairball form to bounce between two adjacent buildings at a much faster pace than simple wall-jumping will allow. You can even uncover other moves like a triple jump or the ability to chain a single pounce into a series of follow-up leaps. Pouncing also helps Bubsy scamper up walls, though managing which abilities go on their internal cooldown during all this can take some getting used to. Pounce also feels like it can overshoot the mark at times, requiring some awkward finagling in mid-air.

"At least the boss fights can be enjoyable. Baarbee, the first of the Baabot “bosses” who makes contact with Bubsy and friends, can feel overtly straightforward…until each hit in a phase transitions to an outright chase through the surrounding level."

The biggest problem is that the levels in Bubsy 4D are initially intriguing but can end up feeling empty. There is a lore reason as to why they feel so artificial – the first planet comprising of wool, the second of arts and crafts, and so on – and you can encounter some interesting challenges that will put your precision to the test. The side stuff can also be occasionally compelling, even if it feels unnecessary to gather more blueprints beyond collection purposes after a point.

However, the overall look leaves something to be desired, lacking much by way of personality or ingenuity. Which isn’t to say that Fabraz doesn’t try to inject some, like meeting up with downtrodden Woollies who are less than thrilled about their current plight. If nothing else, they were intriguing to talk to in a depressing kind of way.

Despite those aforementioned challenges, you’ll spend a not-insignificant amount of time navigating half pipes in hairball form. It’s more than occasionally iffy – be prepared to make ample use of that brake button – but it’s all the more annoying when simply trying to enter regular pipes, since it can easily bypass them and slip off the edge into the abyss. Add some camera flubs on more than one occasion – wall-jumping from a side perspective is especially annoying – or how finicky the targeting on pounce could be against enemies, or the distance between checkpoints when first running through levels, and the act of actually navigating these levels frustrated me more than I would have liked.

That’s not to say it’s horrible all the time or completely unwieldy, but it definitely needs more fine-tuning and polish. At least the boss fights can be enjoyable. Baarbee, the first of the Baabot “bosses” who makes contact with Bubsy and friends, can feel overtly straightforward…until each hit in a phase transitions to an outright chase through the surrounding level. Meanwhile, Baartholomeo, her aniki, offers manic platforming on a fixed circular walkway as you dodge his many projectiles and lightning strikes.

"Regardless, if you feel weirdly compelled to embark on this adventure with a main character that’s treated as mostly a joke, then you could do far worse than Bubsy 4D. But you could also do a heck of a lot better."

Regardless of whether you like Bubsy 4D or not, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the longest experience. Once you’ve cleared all 15 levels, it’s possible to return to them and collect any remaining yarnballs or Blueprints. Yarnballs can be used to purchase cosmetics, including a horrendously tacky line-up of jackets, Bubsy’s classic look and even a 3D model which calls back to the bad ol’ days. The more competitive-minded have leaderboards and ghost data, and there’s even a hardcore mode called Nine Lives where you’re only allowed to take nine hits throughout an entire playthrough. Die, and you’ll have to start all over.

If you’re looking for the next big 3D platformer to deliver tons of memorable moments, excellent level design and tight gameplay throughout, then rest assured that Bubsy 4D probably isn’t it. It’s not the worst experience out there – and keep in mind that this franchise has seen its share of horrible experiences – but it’s also not something that I can wholeheartedly recommend for everyone. If anything, Demon Tides is a far better time investment and showcases what the developer is really capable of in terms of 3D platforming greatness.

Regardless, if you feel weirdly compelled to embark on this adventure with a main character that’s treated as mostly a joke, then you could do far worse than Bubsy 4D. But you could also do a heck of a lot better.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.