Bubsy is back, and, to my shock, many veteran players who were traumatized by 1996’s Bubsy 3D were genuinely excited to see their beloved and hated cat come back to pixel life. And, 30 years later, we got Bubsy 4D.
I, always willing to submit myself to existential dread, decided that I wanted to give this game a go. Perhaps, I thought, I was about to encounter the next landmark in 3D platform gaming. Perhaps, I thought, Bubsy could become my favorite not-at-all dead mascot.
Neither of those things happened. And, unfortunately, I believe Bubsy 4D is a worthy successor of its 3D predecessor. That’s not a good thing by any measure.
Story and Gameplay
The story is simple and direct. Also, it is very absurd, which is, of course, in character with the series at hand. The Woolies, the historical antagonists, abduct all of Earth’s sheep, and Bubsy lets them do it because he is a lazy feline. Moments later, the sheep, enhanced by technology, become the Baabots and overthrow their captors. Then, they come back to Earth and steal the Golden Fleece.
Bubsy, almost against his will, finally decides to step up to the challenge and get the Golden Fleece back, one level at a time. If you are expecting any depth or stakes in the game, you’re probably better off picking something else. The story is as formulaic as stories go, and the plot is connected by a single, brittle thread.
Gameplay-wise, Bubsy 4D is a mixed bag. Compared to the nightmarish controls of Bubsy 3D, this time around, you’ll feel that you can actually control the godforsaken cat. Groundbreaking, I know, but a 3D platformer with sluggish tank controls is a recipe for disaster, and Bubsy 4D fixed that.
And when I mean “fixed that,” I mean it went all the way to the opposite side of the spectrum. At times, Bubsy feels very slippery. Jumping and moving around are okayish, but when you pounce or glide, you will lose absolute control, oftentimes resorting to gliding to course correct an overshot pounce, a move which is also your only attack.
Hairball mode, where you become a ball of fur, is quite fun, but also very chaotic. Either you go at a decent pace, or you end up nearing the speed of light. It is enjoyable, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like it is a mechanic that was exclusively introduced for tracks and not fully integrated in other ways. Still, I can see it being used by speedrunners, as the bouncing can get out of hand pretty fast.
You’ll be able to unlock more moves by collecting blueprints in the world, and while some increase survivability, I don’t consider them extremely impactful for the regular player. Again, those attempting to break records might find moves such as the Hairball Bouncer or Wall Claws useful.
Graphics and Sound
The game does have a distinct cell-shaded aesthetic that fits well with the aforementioned absurdity of the story. After all, we are fighting against cyber-sheep for crying out loud. Bubsy looks cool, especially when you buy alternate skins with your collected yarn. Enemies? Well, Woolies are Woolies, and the regular Baabots are just fine. The bosses, though generic, are also well-crafted.
My main issue is the levels. I think they are appropriately built for a series such as Bubsy. However, some of them feel barren and like half-baked afterthoughts that an overly enthusiastic, albeit amateur level designer decided to hand over in his very first Game Jam. This is partially solved in the harder levels, which feature some smart and challenging platforming.
I found the voice acting in the game appropriate, as it is as extravagant and overperformed as everything else in the game. Some parts of the game do not feature voice acting at all, though, so it all feels a bit random. And maybe I don’t get the “Bubs,” but if I have to hear Bubsy saying the “Paws Menu” pun again, I will lose my mind. Not that I had it in the first place.
Feedback
Other than the “lighthearted” criticism I have already laid out in the sections above, my main issue with the game is that it feels rushed. On top of the occasional emptiness, there are only 15 levels in Bubsy 4D. That translated to a 3-hour story. In contrast, Bubsy 3D, with all its faults (and they’re a lot), is a much longer game, with its main story having a reported length of six hours.
More levels would mean more variety, of course. Some of the ones featured in the game are great and present enjoyable areas to traverse, such as the low-gravity zones or the superglue surfaces. I would have loved to see more clever ways to make Bubsy’s time more miserable. In a good way, of course. Wink wink.
Verdict
I don’t want to say that Bubsy 4D is “a game that exists” or that it is “one of the games of all time,” but that’s exactly the feeling I have after completing it. Bubsy 4D is an incomplete and underpolished game that shows promise at times, but also leaves you with an overwhelming sensation of disappointment and occasional regret. But hey, at least it’s better than the previous 3D installment in the infamous Bubsy series of games, so that’s… something.
