Bubsy 4D

Bubsy 4D isn't the best 3D platformer out this year, and probably doesn't even rank in the top ten, but it is a solid return for the character, if you can stomach the various issues.

Bubsy 4D appears to get the joke. The never-a-mascot bobcat has been around for decades, scraping for relevance. And after 30 years, this game isn’t going to move the needle much. It is absolutely a competent platformer but is that truly enough? Everyone around Bubsy seems apathetic if not outright dismissive to his existence, so it shouldn’t be a surprise I feel the same way. And hey, maybe that’s the point?

As with many platformers from the era of the original Bubsy games, mechanical issues with the camera and controls can disrupt the smoother moment-to-moment gameplay. The snarky sense of comedy is likewise hit or miss, scratching a nostalgia itch while never fully escaping the drawbacks of this style of game. Bubsy 4D is a flawed but fun retro title that, at its best, makes a good case for 3D platforming’s modern applicability. The stronger moments of the game’s refined platforming deliver some solid fun and make a good case for Bubsy’s modern revival. If you like older platformers, this is a short, sweet, and imperfect example of that genre. Hopefully, the team behind the game gets another opportunity to continue sharpening the gameplay and addressing the drawbacks of the genre so that Bubsy can truly step out of the past and into a brighter future.

Bubsy 4D is a fun and clever platformer that despite being a bit too short, rises above the average thanks to its ambitious mechanics and mostly great level design. It’s just a shame that Fabraz – well known for developing highly regarded indie platformers – stumbles slightly when it comes to the technical side and certain gameplay aspects. Even so, the bobcat’s commendable comeback shouldn’t be dismissed with a mere eye-roll.

Bubsy 4D doesn't feel like a true revival of the character from the 90s. The lack of variety means that after a few minutes it feels like a soulless 3D platformer.

Bubsy 4D isn’t the great mascot claw-back tale it could’ve been. The movement toolkit occasionally shines, the self-aware humour can zing, and there’s enough chaotic energy here to entertain OG diehards for an afternoon. Unfortunately, shaky camera work, pussyfoot combat, inconsistent platforming systems, and a tiny runtime stop the whole thing from properly landing.

Bubsy 4D truly feels like a project born under the sign of superficiality, where the ambition of creating a functional game was sacrificed on the altar of marketing based on a now-deadly caricature. It’s difficult, really difficult, to find a truly positive starting point for the game.

Bubsy 4D is definitely an improvement over the last 3D outing for the wise-cracking bobcat, but there's still lots of room for improvement. Both the camera and controls will feel like your biggest enemy here at times, and unless you're into speedrunning the experience may feel rather brief.

In some ways, Bubsy 4D is the best the series has ever been; the bobcat's wide range of abilities affords him a huge amount of freedom to move through levels with style. However, a fairly narrow focus on movement means other aspects suffer; enemies may as well not be there, and stages are static and sparsely furnished. The result is a good 3D platforming character stuck in a pretty bland 3D platformer.

Bubsy 4D does one thing, and it does it well, but there’s nothing here for someone looking for anything more in-depth.