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

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

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!

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.

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

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.

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*"

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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_

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.

the editing in this was superb. loved this review

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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

appreciate the commentary, thanks for making this

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

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.

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

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

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!

Algorithm, love your vids Leon praying for your continued success

Wonderful review, this was really a fun watch. I love BRC but I totally agree with all the points you highlighted in this video.

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.

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

That spoilers ahead going to the headcut is brilliant XD

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

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

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

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

He just dissed ben 10, Im pissed

babe wake up new leon massey OC just dropped

great video mr. Massey

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Duuudeee I fucking love Solace. Fav character

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.

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.

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.

Perfect review

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.

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

thank you for reminding me of this game hot damn

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.

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

Sounds like the devs need to take a second crack at the formula and really figure it out...I wonder how Bomb Rush Cyberfunk Tomorrow could turn out? Also, good review. I like your reviews. You're good at reviewing. :Dd

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.

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.

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.

Weird, I actually despised Pyramid island, but Millennium mall was one of my favourites. Totally agree about Mataan tho

"Get your epic mickey on" thank you for that

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.

i think there's a lot of great criticism here, really awesome video! i'm really hoping for the highs from TR's next game to hit some of the peaks that you feel it missed. TR has solidified themselves as an indie dev team to look forward to no matter what it is. and with the way that they've been talking about this game, it seems they've learned a lot and are ready to apply it all to their next project. also, i've been speedrunning this game since release, and holy shit is it not some of the coolest stuff you've ever seen. seriously, i'd go check out some runs, there's amazing stuff in there.

YEAHHHH LEON MASSEY BRC VIDEO

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

As a zoomer who's never played a jet set radio or tony hawk game i loved brc but it does feel like it doesn't quite reach its full potential and i totally agree with the stuff you said in this video

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

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.

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

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

Thanks for the vid

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!

Love the skillgirls soundtrack put in here

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"

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*

Not for the Ben ten roast but am for the xiolin showdown shout out

HESSSS BACKKKKK

LEON MASSEY AND BRC LETS GOOOOO

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

Life is, priceless.

the goat returns

gosh that chibi Red looks cute, I wish there was a figurine or plushie of it

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

Yet another fantastic video. I love this game to death, and you pretty much highlighted all the shortcomings that keep the game from being a masterpiece. I do think though looking at this game as a "Jet Set" game or better yet a Jet Set Radio Future like (or whatever silly name that might sound better lol) makes some of the complaints seem more like aspects to the formula of the genre. Which is probably why i liked it soo much. This game feels like an huge improvement over JSRF and step in a new direction for games like it. JSRF is not exactly a platformer, not exactly a extreme sport, and not exactly a collectathon either. It's more so a game about vibing, taking in the art, music, and flowing through the levels with the mechanics presented. And I think BRC is the natural evolution to that. In other words, I'd love to hear your thoughts on JSRF. Excellent review/shit show/thing and I can't wait for whatever you put out next.

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

Some all time great games: Last Of Us 1&2, Uncharted 2 and 4, Resident Evil 4, JSR & Future, Persona 3-5, MGS1-5, Sonic 1-3, Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2, Rock Band 1-4, Guitar Hero 3 and World Tour, Shenmue 1 & 2, House of The Dead 2, Streets of Rage 2 & 3, Cuphead, GTA 3-5, RDR 1 & 2, The Warriors, Bully, Def Jam Fight For NY, Halo 1-Reach, Half Life 2, LFD 1 & 2, Portal 2, Soul Calibur 1 & 2, Street Fighter Third Strike and the Metroid Prime Trilogy. All are on the 9-10 scale.

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'

fair review for comparing to the og JSR. i was sad to see no mention of jet set radio future which BRC takes after far more

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

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.