Bubsy 4D Reviews
Bubsy 4D could have easily been written off as another disappointing attempt to revive the series, but developer Fabraz put some love and care into it and gave us the best Bubsy game since at least the original two. The controls actually work well, the humor is there, and the actual gameplay is quite fun in a 3D environment. The biggest downside to the game overall is just how short it is, with only 15 levels, which feels more like a demo in that way. Even so, at least the series appears to be on the right track, and hopefully, this will be just the foundation to build upon for more fleshed-out adventures for Bubsy.
One of the most unexpected video game releases in a very long time, Bubsy 4D marks a triumphant return for the charismatic cat. With the platforming acumen of indie legend Fabraz, Bubsy finally gets the great game the series has been looking for in its 30-plus year history. Surely this mean's Bubsy's here to stay, right? I mean . . . what's the worst that could happen?
Bubsy 4D tries to modernize, yet still feels stuck in the past. Uninteresting level designs, underwhelming bosses, and a short game overall leave one wanting more.
Bubsy 3D is finally a good game worthy of the bobcat, offering a fun adventure with varied movement options and accessible yet satisfying 3D platforming. While the visuals lack personality and some stages feel repetitive, especially the tube-rolling sections, it still manages to revive the classic mascot with a genuinely enjoyable experience.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Bubsy 4D marks an enjoyable return for the iconic bobcat that goes a long way in repairing his long-tarnished reputation. It is a short, breezy adventure that doesn’t reinvent the genre, but between the rewarding platforming mechanics and the sheer satisfaction of speedrunning through levels, there’s a hell of a lot to like here. And sure, there’s still plenty of room for improvement, but this is certainly proof that even the most maligned of gaming mascots deserve a second chance.
Bubsy 4D has some charm and seminal fun in its platforming, as well as spot-on controls and feel. However, the stages aren't that memorable, and it's over so quick unless you're doing Nine Lives/Tank mode and practicing for future speedrunning, and is very bare longevity-wise. Even for indie gaming standards, there's a good number of cracks that make this sequel feel more like a cash-in rather than a genuine send-off, as lovely-sounding as its soundtrack is.
Overall, Bubsy’s return after all these years isn’t a milestone in platform gaming history. It’s certainly great to see an icon from the 90s return for the modern age and Bubsy’s charm, wit and self-awareness (which is either a blessing or a curse depending on your sense of humour) is still in place which grants him a certain level of charm. The game doesn’t reinvent the wheel as far a platforming goes, however, this in my book is necessarily a bad thing. Gameplay is solid, with a good variety of worlds and the move to 3D, Sorry 4D this time around agrees with this Bobcat. Although it is easy to break the camera slightly during rolling segments at high speed, the game as a whole holds up well overall. The fact that you’re allowed you to complete each world using whatever type of movement and controls you want is a neat touch, despite the frustration of insta-death and respawn with a single misplaced step or hit as this could certainly frustrate and put off younger players new to the series. My only gripe really is that the worlds can often feel barren, with very little in the way of enemies initially. Although I only managed to complete the first world during play for the writing of this review, the levels, although varied, seem to have a lot more platforming than enemy encounters. This might change as the game progresses, but like I said, could be off putting to some people. The Baabot boss encounters provide a good challenge at the end of each world, meaning you have to master Bubsy’s full range of moves if you want to stand a chance. One of the best things for me though, is that the game isn’t charging full price on the Xbox Store at launch, meaning that it’s going to be a lot more tempting for the casual gamer to try. If you’re looking for a solid, fun, yet challenging, colourful slice of gaming goodness reminiscent of the old school platformers from the early days of 3D, then Bubsy 4D might just be the game for you to scratch that platforming itch (great, Bubsy’s humour has started to rub off on me too).
It’s a love letter to a character whose unlikely comeback was fuelled by irony and Bubsy’s first genuinely great game.
Bubsy 4D delivers a strong comeback with fun platforming, varied level design, smooth movement, and the series’ signature humor. Despite some technical issues and a short runtime, it remains an enjoyable experience for platformer fans
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Bubsy 4D is paw-sitively a purr-fectly claw-some game with a-mews-ing levels, hiss-terical comedy, and fur-nally shows that Bubsy isn’t a cat-astrophe of a fur-anchise and can be a claw-somely radi-claw series.
Well… I guess persistence pays off. While Bubsy 4D may be over too soon, it’s still an overall very fun platformer and Bubsy is finally a likeable protagonist. If this is what the future holds for the bobcat, What could possibly go wrong?
Against all odds, Bubsy 4D is an incredible 3D platformer. I promise this isn't a bad joke, although there are plenty of them here.
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.
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Nine lives later, Bubsy 4D does the best it can to revive a nearly forgotten franchise. The game may not be purrfect, but it's a big first step in reviving this snarky feline's 3D platforming adventures.
Bubsy 4D is indeed one of the biggest surprises of the year, not because it’s a masterpiece or anything, but solely due to the fact that it is a Bubsy game that doesn’t suck. Atari and Fabraz weren’t messing around with this project: they knew the franchise sucked, yet they were dead set on proving the world that you can, in fact, make a decent entry in the series, with somewhat decent production values and actually pretty good controls. It’s not perfect, its protagonist is still an insufferable twerp, but it is what it is: a good game that just so happens to star Bubsy the freaking Bobcat. There must be a god after all.
Bubsy 4D is a game where you can switch off your brain for a bit of simple platforming action, but that's about it.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Bubsy 4D feels like a chaotic love letter to old-school platformers, blending exaggerated humour, nostalgic PS1/PS2-style visuals, and constantly shifting mechanics into something deliberately messy yet strangely cohesive. It may not always be polished, but its charm and playful energy make it a memorable, endearing return for a franchise that thrives on controlled chaos and silly jokes.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
Bubsy 4D is a far better revival for the boisterous bobcat than I think anyone could have anticipated he’d ever receive. Fabraz nailed it out of the park here, turning a series that was essentially the internet’s platforming laughingstock into a brilliant and extremely enjoyable 3D platformer that I couldn’t stop playing. The camera can be a bit unwieldy on occasion, but that’s nowhere near enough to stop Bubsy 4D from being a top-notch game.
Contrary to all expectations one might have had for the franchise Bubsy 4D delivers competent gameplay and a fun experience. It's an entertaining and well-made platformer that invites you to speedrunning it with mechanics that encourage absurd maneuvers. The only downside is the game's length. On one hand it's the highest praise a game can receive to wish for more. On the other hand the game's 15 levels are completed so quickly that you wonder if that's all there is. If you're motivated to achieve 100% completion and start climbing leaderboards Bubsy 4D definitely has more to offer, but a few more worlds would have made the experience way more satisfying.
Review in German | Read full review
Bubsy 4D is an enjoyable 3d platformer with a somewhat crude humour, that does not feel remminiscent of its predecessor Bubsy 3D, but that is probably for the better. Compared to the rest of the Bubsy series, Bubsy 4D clearly is the best game, but even when taken on its own as a 3D platformer, it is a well-made game. Demon Turf's influence on the game design is pretty apparent and I would rank Bubsy 4D in between the slightly better Neon Splash and the weaker original Demon Turf.
Review in German | Read full review