Bubsy 4D Review

Bubsy is one of the few platforming games with a harder existence. Bubsy was first created in the early 90s, during the mascot platformer trend. He rapidly became one of the most famous characters in video-game history. 

It was an era of Super Mario World and Sonic the Hedgehog, yet the early Bubsy games were more notable for their ambition than their execution. Bubsy 3D, infamous for its terrible reception and hard-to-use controls, dealt a significant blow to the character’s reputation and went out of sight for good.

Since the beginning of Bubsy, everyone knew that it wasn't going to die easily. Publisher Atari kept trying fresh strategies to get the character moving, with revivals, throwback collections, and reimaginings. But none of them hit the ground. That all changed when indie developer Fabraz, known for its work on Demon Tides and fluid platforming design, took on the task of making Bubsy look and feel different in full 3D.

The ultimate result is Bubsy 4D, released on multiple platforms as a half-hearted attempt to bring the game into the new age of platforming.

From the very beginning, diverse hopes were held for it. Some regarded it as a story of forgiveness; others thought it was just another failed revival. In real life, it falls somewhere in the middle, with a lot of it depending on the individual playing and what they are looking for in a game.

The concept behind Bubsy 4D aligns with the series’ customary self-awareness. The Woolies have stolen the golden fleece and created another mess across the galaxy, forcing Bubsy into a fight for the second time. Woolies' deeds result in more and more ludicrous circumstances involving slave groups, robot armies, and stolen sheep power structures in different versions of the story.

One constant, no matter whose version of the story you read, is that the game doesn’t take itself seriously. Bubsy is always cracking jokes, breaking the fourth wall, and talking about how ridiculous his life has become.  But people disagree quite a bit about how this tone works well. Some individuals find Bubsy rather adorable, especially when she sings with a more grounded tone.

Some parts of the writing are inconsistent, and the supporting characters are all over the map, from mildly annoying to outright annoying. So the plot is less to be taken seriously and more to be used as a tool for playing movement-oriented games. That’ll work or it won’t, depending on how well players can handle insane fun and characters who don’t always follow the rules.

The story is quite basic: Bubsy has to retrieve the stolen golden fleece, traveling through numerous planets ruled by the Woolies and their unstable ecosystem of allies and foes. The worlds have a theme loosely tied to each other, culminating in a boss fight. People view the supporting cast quite differently.

Some variants place more focus on characters such as Virgil (a smug computer specialist) or Oblivia (a cold and unpleasant individual who contrasts with Bubsy’s cheerfulness). Others worry about Bubsy's niece and nephew, who are apparently causing havoc by stealing his stuff and selling him upgrades.

Some find the funny, cartoonish tone delightful; others find the character too juvenile and nonsensical.

Most would agree that the plot isn’t the best element of the game, but it does provide the gameplay loop enough structure. The good and bad thing about Bubsy 4D is its gameplay. One thing all the evaluations agree on is that Bubsy himself feels amazing when the system clicks. In Bubsy, you can jump, double jump, slide, wall scramble, pounce, and hairball roll to build speed.

The talents can be combined creatively, allowing a fluid movement system that invites experimentation. At its simplest, the movement system is similar to existing momentum-based platformers, with the goal of perfecting speedrunning and traversal. Levels are designed to be semi-open obstacle courses, not generic sandboxes.

At the conclusion of each chapter, players must find the golden fleece. They'll have to pick up yarn and plans along the road. Yarn is the basic money for gathering items. Plans allow you to obtain new talents and upgrades that allow you to travel in various ways. But here is where people are divided sharply. Critics claim the games have good replay value, first encouraging discovery, then speedrunning, and finally mastery.

The settings are too empty, others argue, with enormous gaps that only work if you’re speeding through them. Played slowly, the levels can feel empty and incomplete. A lot of people claim that fighting is simple. Most foes are either Woolies or basic robots, and can be killed in one or two strikes. Bubsy’s pounce concept allows you to quickly combat and auto-target adversaries, but it rarely elevates beyond easy confrontations.

The boss fights are usually more fun than the normal ones. There is usually a three-hit pattern with predictable attack cycles and times to dodge. Some reviews are good but not spectacular; others focus on the few standout moments that make things more fascinating.

The puzzle parts are easy enough and primarily revolve around the environment.

There are no stock puzzles in the game. Instead, it uses challenges such as timing jumps, climbing walls, and crossing moving platforms. The game features several extras to add to the fun, including pieces to roll up hairballs, adhesive surfaces, and spots to fire cannons. These mechanisms, however, segment people.

Some players enjoy experimenting with new things, but others find them unreliable or unpleasant, especially when precision is required. A common issue is that gimmicks are used only briefly and not fully explored, leaving their full potential unrealized. Instead of regular experience points, in Bubsy 4D, you acquire objects to advance.

Game progression is based on blueprints, and yarn can be used to buy cosmetic goods. These unlock new skills, improved movement, and better-quality-of-life features like checkpoint warping, healing stations, and traversal aids. This strategy makes it easier to play levels more than once. Early runs, you are focused on exploration and collection; later runs, you are focused on efficiency and skill.

Ghost data and time tasks are tools for speedrunning that make this loop even more powerful. Some critics claim this structure is elegant and exciting, especially for those who prefer to optimize and aim for the top of the ranking. Others argue the progression is too short overall, with a few talents and levels, making the game less engaging in the long run.

Bubsy 4D looks cartoony and over-the-top. Each planet in the game has its own theme. From wool and yarn-manufactured worlds, to paper-crafted settings, to even digital worlds that appear like junk yards and are built up of shattered pieces.

Even though the gameplay feels rushed and weird at times, the developers made sure that the art direction is incredibly innovative.

The bright cel-shaded art style used to draw Bubsy fits the game's hilarious tone. However, environmental congestion is frequently mentioned as a problem. When you’re not moving very rapidly, much of the countryside can feel vacant or unfinished. The game's performance is mainly stable, with some minor technical difficulties noted. Some players have nevertheless spotted visual aliasing or a presentation that isn’t quite polished.

The music, on the other hand, is a blend of jazzy lounge-like songs and exuberant platforming sounds. It is said to be quite lovely and fit, but not very memorable. Voice acting is uneven. Bubsy is often commended for being surprisingly pleasant, thanks to his more realistic portrayal. But some of the supporting characters aren’t always consistent, and some of the acting feels overdone or not well-managed.

There are also occasional audio issues, such as spoken lines overlapping or voice clips being cut off during checkpoint resets. It’s a little less immersive. Bubsy 4D is a tremendously divided experience in every manner. On the one hand, the game is the best attempt so far to make Bubsy playable in a modern 3D platforming environment.

A lot of people like the movement system because it’s fluid, swift, and has a lot of intricacy for gamers who are ready to use it all the way. However, the game is pretty short, with poor level design and a lack of effort in its fighting mechanics. This game is either worse than expected or pleasantly fun, depending on how you play.

The one thing that does change is that Bubsy 4D finally solves the broken base of the series. Whether that foundation is strong enough to support future games remains to be seen, but for the first time in decades, Bubsy feels like a character with real potential rather than a relic of the past. Bubsy may have a few unfixable problems, but is delightful to handle, something thought impossible once. And that feels like a small miracle in itself for this brand.