With three long years of teasers from Team Reptile, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk has finally dropped - to high praise from both fans and critics. The scope of this game seemed almost limitless; taking a multi-genred approach to every gameplay element, alongside an absolute critical mass of creative energy. The result is super engaging and fun; by combining world class level design with solid controls, the game has a very satisfying and addicting core. That being said, I don't feel the same sense of longevity and timelessness that I was hoping for in a game so open-ended, with many of the secondary features feeling somewhat shallow. Either way, it shows above all else that Team Reptile is filled with unbelievable artistic talent, tons of inspiration, and a "Yes, we can"-mentality that promises a very bright lookout for the indie studio.

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Immediately going in to the game, similarities to historic skating games are apparent. The starting area features half pipes, railings, ramps - even the high voltage cables overhead are grindable. The player is naturally encouraged to unfold the level, and to tie it back together with strings of combos and tricks. Scattered high on rooftops and billboards are designated spots for your choice of graffiti. Getting points and earning "REP" - this is the core "gameplay loop" of BFC. As you earn REP, you also fight members of rival gangs, racing them to drawspots and battling for high scores, in order to unlock more levels, and more of the story.

But when it comes to actually getting down and pressing buttons, I was a bit disappointed with the delivery. There are no trick-based combos, and grinding doesnt feel too good in the long run. When you eventually discover one or two of the cooler tricks, it's exciting - but that doesn't last. It's the levels themselves that are doing the heavy lifting. They are in my opinion BFC's best element, completely nailing a multitude of difficult design balances. The environments are incredibly colorful but still mechically engaging. Putting together combos is always natural, but not so natural that it's "easy". And they're thoughtfully sprinkled with tons of collectibles - but not at all in a way that feels draining or like a chore to get.

As you fill the cityscape with your graffiti, you attract the attention of cops - enemies that leave a lot to be desired. Beating up the low-level police officers feels like punching gummy bears covered in oil. Combat combos are non-existant, and your finishing move - drawing grafitti on them - feels too clunky to pull off reliably. Higher level police enemies quickly just become nuisances, rather than interesting obstacles. Eventually, you learn to just ignore them, until there's too many spawning at once, at which point you can just insta-clear your heat by finding a toilet. To me, it was very reminiscent of Mirrors Edge- which is bad, because that game outright tells you not to bother fighting the cops.

One might look at that and say that there is gameplay value in having "threat" that you're not meant to fight head-on. Think games like Need for Speed, which has you drive faster and faster to outrun ever more desperate police - it's some of the most nailbiting fun in the world. This game, for one reason or another, neglects this approach entirely. The music doesn't dynamically intensify to match your heat; and cops are too slow to match your speed, so they opt to just spawn in in front of you, or shoot you down from a distance.

The story itself is also one of the weaker elements. Admittedly, I doubt anyone goes into a title like this expecting a masterpiece of storytelling. At its core, I think it also accomplishes what it seeks out to do - tickle the mind a bit to keep the player curious. But to some degree the story tries too hard to speak about its main theme, and the final plot twists come out of nowhere, leaving a sour aftertaste. There are also these very forgettable story-levels in between cutscenes, which I feel only distracted from getting back in the real action.

Back to some of the good stuff, the game is an absolute artistic powerhouse. Bringing in Hideki Naganuma, the Jet Set Radio superstar, Klaus Veen, whose music helped iconize Reptile's Lethal League, and more impressive names. The credits sport a near endless list of brought-on grafitti artists, whose independent work helps put BFC in a creative league of its own. That said, I don't think it's quite enough on its own to make this game the cult classic that (I think) some of us hoped it would become. The most memorable of its skate-sim precursors had very realistic approaches - which seems almost minimalistic in comparison to BFC. These games were built with simplicity for immersion and depth, allowing players to mold it into their own experience. To put it simply, I just don't feel that BFC can be the same kind of mold for a lot of players.

I fear for this games longevity; at some point, you've grinded every corner (in the just 7 levels), done every trick (of which there aren't many), and gotten every collectible. BFC shows, in my opinion, that if you want to make a timeless game, the stars really have to align. Then again, with the talent that Team Reptile has put on display, especially on top of Lethal League's success, I am very excited to see what they have in store for future titles.