I easily consider Demon Tides to be one of the best games of the year so far, so seeing that developer Fabraz already had another game coming out so soon was another cause for celebration. Bubsy 4D is the first time that the titular bobcat has starred in a game that’s legitimately good thanks to its excellent controls and bright, interesting level design. It’ss hampered by its surprisingly short length, though, and I simply can’t ignore that, for all intents and purposes, it looks and feels like a re-skin of Demon Tides.
Who Are All These Cat-People?
Bubsy 4D kicks off with Bubsy and his other cat people friends (well, one of them is apparently some kind of vole) who are after a group of cyborg sheep that have stolen Golden Fleece, so they give chase in a spaceship. You’re then able to select each world and level from the map console on the ship, as well as purchase new outfits and abilities. There’s a VR sim option too that lets you replay the tutorial, move around in a test area, and a mysterious third option that never unlocked for me.
The game only has 15 levels in total, each with 150 yarn to collect (which is used to purchase outfits). The non-boss levels (of which there are 12) all have blueprints used to buy one new ability, and all levels have an associated speedrun medal for finishing them prior to the target time. I did all of the above, save for speedrunning two of the three boss levels. There simply isn’t enough to do here to justify the price tag. Bubsy 4D retails for $20, which is only $5 less than Demon Tides, despite the fact that Demon Tides is over 20 hours longer.
One Way to Re-Skin a Cat
As a 3D platformer, you’ll spend your time jumping around leves, taking down enemies, and making your way to the Golden Fleece at the end of each level. Bubsy can jump, flutter jump afterward, pounce, scramble up walls, float a bit, and turn into a ball for quicker movement. It’s a fairly varied moveset that’s got more depth to it than such a short game probably needed. It all mostly feels fantastic, even if his ball form can feel legitimately difficult to control. As his fastest movement option, I used it regularly, but the smaller amount of traction did lead to some irritation.
Overall, though, Bubsy 4D has incredibly similar controls to Demon Tides. Every single main move in Bubsy directly corresponds to another in Demon Tides. For instance, pressing the left bumper on controller transforms Bubsy into his ball form, just as the same button in Demon Tides turns Beebz into a snake, with the right trigger making both characters boost. Bubsy’s pounce is his attack, which launches him forward, just as Beebz’s dash attack does the same for her. Due to these and more, it sort of ends up feeling like the same game with a different coat of paint.
War of the Furlds
Each of the three worlds in the game has its own theme. The first is fabric, the second is crafting, and the third is garbage. The first two are obviously much more charming than the third, which is exactly as putrid as one might expect. The levels have varied elements that keep things feeling fresh, to the point that each level feels notably different on its own, such as one that has highways made of lace in one level or walking on surfaces covered in glue in another.
Everything is strung together by checkpoints marked by litter boxes. Bubsy can take three hits by default, which will result in being taken to the last-used checkpoint upon taking a fatal hit. You can purchase an ability that lets him take a fourth hit, though, plus another that lets you warp between checkpoints in case you want to search for collectibles. There’s even an ability you can purchase that has Bubsy point in the direction of these, just like Beebz does in the developer Fabraz’s other games.
You’re Not the Boss of Me
Each of the world’s boss battles is of high quality, with the final boss in particular being a highlight. These battles are varied and make good use of the game’s mechanics, all while presenting some unique challenges. Granted, the second fight is extremely familiar, as it puts you up against a large boss standing in the center of a circular platform who you hurt by hitting openings in a mech’s hands after they’re slammed at you.
Verdict
Once you finish the last boss, though, Bubsy 4D ends and there’s just not much left to do. The game can easily be beaten in just a few hours and won’t take all that long to 100% either, which is low for a $20 game. It’s undoubtedly great fun while it lasts, however, so it’s hard to not appreciate what the game offers. It just probably should have offered considerably more of it, as it’s only somewhat longer than the short expansion the devs made for Demon Turf.
Score: 7/10
Bubsy 4D launches May 22 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, Switch 2, and PC. Review code provided by the publisher.
