bro, i JUST CAN'T GET ENUF.
i was so beyond hyped when this game first got announced and i'm so, so happy it turned out this well. it succeeds at its goal of bringing back the Jet Set Radio vibes with absolute flying colors, and it improves on so many of the problems JSR had itself.
almost everything in this game is so satisfying. movement feels like a dream, tagging spots makes you feel cool as hell, even navigating the phone menu has such a nice feel to it. the commitment to making it so your character can have their phone out at literally any time and be looking at it while still doing all their normal actions is insane and i love it.
you gotta mention the absolutely stellar soundtrack of course; it's great that they got a wide array of artists to contribute to the soundtrack, really captures the vibrant diversity that's seen everywhere else in the game. that said, the Hideki Naganuma songs in this soundtrack are probably some of my favorite work by him.
at first i wasn't sure if i was into the structure of the game, but as i played more i got pretty into it. the lack of levels with time limits like Jet Set had was absolutely the right move. i feel so much more at ease in this game without that timer being a constant worry.
i also really dig how this game gives you more ability to actually deal with enemies, and that they don't chase you everywhere around the damn map. they're so much less obtrusive in this game, but still provide a challenge when needed.
i was also pretty impressed by the story; in what i played of JSR (haven't played Future so can't speak on that), the story had some interesting mystery going on, but it's not really what you remember about that game. BRC, on the other hand, has a really character-driven narrative with a decently interesting arc and beats that grab your attention. the ending is also really fun and satisfying.
my only major criticism is that i felt like building combos didn't feel quite rewarding enough outside of the actual combo challenges. they do build up your boost meter, but it didn't feel quite enough, so i think there should have been something more in that regard.
my other complaints are super minor; i think the hit sound effects in combat could be a lot better, they're not nearly punchy and satisfying enough. i know the combat isn't a main draw of the game, but it would make everything just a bit better by improving that small thing.
i'm also very confused as to why there's no music on the title screen; feels very odd for a game as in-your-face and full of energy as this game, but maybe they were going for a different way of starting you off.
massive props to Team Reptile for making a game that both brings back everything people loved about a currently-dormant series and adds a ton more to chew on to create an even better experience at the same time.
this is the first time i've written and posted an actual comprehensive review for a game because i just had to talk about all this. thanks for a rad as hell game that i'm definitely gonna be playing more of, guys!
i was so beyond hyped when this game first got announced and i'm so, so happy it turned out this well. it succeeds at its goal of bringing back the Jet Set Radio vibes with absolute flying colors, and it improves on so many of the problems JSR had itself.
almost everything in this game is so satisfying. movement feels like a dream, tagging spots makes you feel cool as hell, even navigating the phone menu has such a nice feel to it. the commitment to making it so your character can have their phone out at literally any time and be looking at it while still doing all their normal actions is insane and i love it.
you gotta mention the absolutely stellar soundtrack of course; it's great that they got a wide array of artists to contribute to the soundtrack, really captures the vibrant diversity that's seen everywhere else in the game. that said, the Hideki Naganuma songs in this soundtrack are probably some of my favorite work by him.
at first i wasn't sure if i was into the structure of the game, but as i played more i got pretty into it. the lack of levels with time limits like Jet Set had was absolutely the right move. i feel so much more at ease in this game without that timer being a constant worry.
i also really dig how this game gives you more ability to actually deal with enemies, and that they don't chase you everywhere around the damn map. they're so much less obtrusive in this game, but still provide a challenge when needed.
i was also pretty impressed by the story; in what i played of JSR (haven't played Future so can't speak on that), the story had some interesting mystery going on, but it's not really what you remember about that game. BRC, on the other hand, has a really character-driven narrative with a decently interesting arc and beats that grab your attention. the ending is also really fun and satisfying.
my only major criticism is that i felt like building combos didn't feel quite rewarding enough outside of the actual combo challenges. they do build up your boost meter, but it didn't feel quite enough, so i think there should have been something more in that regard.
my other complaints are super minor; i think the hit sound effects in combat could be a lot better, they're not nearly punchy and satisfying enough. i know the combat isn't a main draw of the game, but it would make everything just a bit better by improving that small thing.
i'm also very confused as to why there's no music on the title screen; feels very odd for a game as in-your-face and full of energy as this game, but maybe they were going for a different way of starting you off.
massive props to Team Reptile for making a game that both brings back everything people loved about a currently-dormant series and adds a ton more to chew on to create an even better experience at the same time.
this is the first time i've written and posted an actual comprehensive review for a game because i just had to talk about all this. thanks for a rad as hell game that i'm definitely gonna be playing more of, guys!