Bubsy 4D [REVIEW] – Fast, Furry, and Surprisingly Fun 

Let’s face it, nobody was really clamouring for a Bubsy comeback, right? The wisecracking bobcat has spent the last three decades as a bit of a joke across the gaming landscape, something owed to a disastrous foray into the third dimension that I was unfortunate enough to have given to me as a gift as a child. Yet, against all odds, Bubsy has been given another shot, and perhaps most surprisingly, it’s actually a pretty solid platformer that shows there’s still some life left in this old bobcat. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

The premise of Bubsy 4D is pretty by the books as far as 3D platformers go, with Bubsy facing off against a robotic sheep army known as the Baabots. These mechanical menaces have pinched Bubsy’s prized golden fleece and retreated to space, prompting our hero to commandeer a flying saucer and chase them across three distinct alien planets. It is a silly yet fun setup that never gets too deep, but is charming enough to make the world feel interesting. 

One thing that’s worth noting immediately is that Bubsy feels wonderful to control. Fabraz has built quite the reputation for platforming prowess across their previous releases and that standard continues here, with Bubsy kitted him out with a surprisingly deep set of moves that make traversing each world incredibly satisfying. Alongside his standard jumps and glides, he can now execute a huge horizontal pounce, scramble up walls, and curl up into a high-speed ball to build some serious momentum, and when you start chaining these abilities together, everything feels fantastically intuitive. A far cry from Bubsy 3D, right? 

You can expand his repertoire even further by exploring, and while the 15 main levels are mostly linear, going slightly off the beaten path will yield hidden blueprints. These unlock toggleable skills back at your ship, with each bringing a little something different to really toy about with how Bubsy 4D feels to play. Admittedly, it’s not particularly difficult to find these blueprints, but it still adds that something extra to levels that will encourage players to play around with their platforming capabilities.  

“Bubsy 4D marks an enjoyable return for the iconic bobcat that goes a long way in repairing his long-tarnished reputation.” 

It’s also worth noting that Bubsy seems to have taken a page out of Sonic’s playbook, because Bubsy 4D is entirely built around going fast. While there are collectables to find – namely 150 balls of yarn per stage to buy new outfits – this isn’t a slow and methodical scavenger hunt, with levels essentially elaborate obstacle courses designed to be learned and then absolutely blitzed. Once you know a route, the game actively encourages you to shave seconds off your completion time, offering leaderboards and downloadable ghost data to chase. It’s something that I’ve found pleasantly addictive whilst playing, and with Bubsy’s robust moveset, it’s surprising what sort of tricks you can pull off to get those better times. 

The worlds you visit are also lovely to look at, whilst the soundtrack offers an upbeat mix of funky tunes that keeps the energy high throughout. Oh, and Bubsy himself? He’s a lot more bearable than before, and whilst he still drops some cheeky jokes, they (mostly) hit. It’s just a big improvement across the board and something that goes a long way in repairing Bubsy’s reputation. 

So… what’s the catch? Well, a heavy focus on speed means that other elements of the platforming experience can feel a bit neglected, and because the stages are designed as what are essentially racetracks, they end up feeling rather sparse and static if you actually slow down to look around. There are no clever puzzles to solve or interesting side quests to complete similar to other platforming releases, whilst the yarn balls are mostly just left lying around in plain sight rather than hidden in clever spots that encourage scavenging. It was built to be this way so it’s hard to complain too much, but for those who want more than speedrunning, there’s not a lot here to make you engage with the world. 

Check out some screenshots down below: 

The combat is also incredibly lightweight, with the Baabots you encounter barely a nuisance, dying in a single hit and functioning more as minor speed bumps than actual threats. Aside from a few standard boss encounters, you can easily ignore most of the enemies entirely. Again, it’s built that way, but I’d rather deal with more interesting platforming hazards than foes that pose little threat. Add to that the camera that can get a little confused at times, and it’ll be clear that whilst Bubsy 4D gets a lot right, it’s still some way from platforming perfection. 

But you know what? It’s still a bloody fun game… what more could you ask for a platforming mascot these days?

Developer: Fabraz 
Publisher: Atari 
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox one, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC 
Website: https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/UP0182-PPSA32667_00-BUBSYTBOBCATIS4D