CHRISTMAS DOUBLE REVIEW SPECIAL (1 of 2)

I just so happened to have beaten 2 games on Christmas Eve so I'm working on putting out both reviews today. Yes, I know it's a day late but I wasn't writing backloggd reviews on Christmas. I was spending time with my loved ones. Deal with it.

Now, on to the review:

I feel like this game just constantly gets in the way of itself.

Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is a sort of spiritual successor to the Jet Set Radio games, and I just want to preface this review saying I have never played the Jet Set games. So keep that in mind. The goal in BRC is to take over all 5 boroughs and make it "All City" which means you're in charge of the streets I think? I'm not really sure. The story is not this games strong suit. A lot of it, at least to me, doesn't really make sense. The story has some twists that also don't make much sense, so much so that it actually bothered me at the end when they try to make some stupid reveals about the main villain to explain his motivations. It just doesn't work for me.

But let's be real, no one is playing this type of game for the story, so how is the gameplay? Well it ranges anywhere from fine to downright awful. The actual act of skating around, putting up graffiti, and chaining together crazy combos is fun enough I suppose. I'm by no means an expert on these types of games but the trick/combo system here seems so much weaker than similar games like the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series. It's fine mindless fun, but the systems here aren't deep in the slightest. I found that once I got into the flow of the game I could pretty much beat any challenge the game threw at me on my first try.

When I say the gameplay can be awful at times I'm mainly referring to the combat. Holy shit this might be the worst combat system I have ever experienced. It's so obviously tacked on and is not satisfying in the slightest. This really stands out during the games several boss fights. They're really bad. Like, really, really bad. ESPECIALLY that DJ Cyber fight towards the end my god what were they thinking. I almost dropped the game but figured I was so close to the end I should just see it through.

I guess if I had to pick a highlight I would say it's the music (sometimes)? There's some really good tracks in here, but man there are also some stinkers. Some of these songs are just so grating I would have to switch them off them when they came on.

This review seems mostly negative but the game isn't bad. I wouldn't have beaten it if I wasn't enjoying myself at least a little bit. It's overall a totally fine game, just one I don't see myself ever coming back to.

Stay tuned for another review later today on a game I enjoyed much more than this one!

After a bit of nostalgia seeing this on a retro games blog, I decided to play it all over again and it still holds up as a very solid downhill snowboarding game. Especially in the final run of a championship where it shifts from a race to a time attack with a sudden avalanche putting the pressure on. Very arcadey variety of characters and boards, nothing completely special. The levels all feel varied enough, with enough alternate paths and opportunities for tricks where I don't feel like I'm simply running down a straight path, though the trick system feels a little bit undercooked, or maybe just unintuitive to me.

The soundtrack is unbearably distracting. Rock and techno, licensed post-grunge buttrock and pop punk. Gotta rank it from best to worst. It's unofficial policy for me to do this with games with licensed music at this point. Ultimately it could've benefited from more variety, but what can ya do?

Cauterize - Choke
This sounds so unbelievably like a Get Up Kids song that it makes me wanna listen to Something To Write Home About over again
Seether - Fine Again
I can say what I will about this scene of bands looking to round off the edges of grunge music after the deaths of Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley. But this is a well put together song.
BoySetsFire - Handful of Redemption
More cynically sounds like a weaker Thrice fan band but I love Thrice and Thursday so sure
Cauterize - Killing Time
Finger Eleven - Conversations
Finger Eleven is definition Post-Grunge. I liked them as an 8 year old but it's not great listening to today, though I'll take it over Creed.
Finger Eleven - Other Light
BoySetsFire - Rookie
Finger Eleven - Good Times

A hidden object game where you embark on a quest to find cats and colorful balls of yarn across 20 snowy islands. Hidden Paws, with its cold winter night atmosphere, is visually appealing and creates a cozy ambiance. The game offers over two hours of gameplay, which, while not extensive, is perfect for a casual gaming session.

At first glance, the graphics are fair; they do the job but don’t particularly stand out in the crowded genre of hidden object games. One major highlight is the soothing soundtrack, which really sets the mood—although it’s unclear whether the tunes are original or sourced from elsewhere. Finding hidden felines and yarn amid cleverly crafted environments can be both entertaining and challenging, especially since they are often tucked away in unexpected spots like car trunks or behind piles of logs.

However, the game does have its downsides. For players prone to motion sickness, the camera controls can be a significant drawback. Although I eventually got the hang of it after about an hour, the camera movements felt cumbersome and made me a bit sickly, making the exploration of each level a tedious task. Searching around multi-sided buildings for hidden objects can also be frustrating, as you'll find yourself constantly readjusting the camera for a proper view.

In conclusion, Hidden Paws is a cute game with a lot of charm and hidden surprises. Yet, the frustrating camera mechanics hold it back from achieving its full potential and it made me give this game a negative review. If you can tolerate the camera controls, you’ll find a fun experience waiting. Otherwise, it might be worth keeping your eye out for other options in the genre.

The first segment of this game where the giant is chasing you was honestly pretty magical (in a horror game sort of way) but after that it just dies down in a really unfortunate way. There are a lot of improvements on the lethal company format here especially in the mini dungeons but it's just missing some polish and finishing touches and also a reason to keep pushing the cart after you close the gate on the first giant. It seems like it's in early access so I have my fingers crossed that they keep adding to it.