Xyla Entertainment’s PC-only title Rush Bros is a unique beast. To sum the game up in a single sentence, it’s a multiplayer platform racing game with a music-themed art style and design.
Within the first few seconds of loading up Rush Bros, players will be bombarded with bass-thumping house music and a vivacious color palette. Once they hop into the actual “game,” however, things turn into a mixed bag.
While the concept of a platformer that doubles as a racing game sounds interesting, Rush Bros’ execution is decidedly lacking. The explosion of color in each level is great, but oftentimes it’s hard to determine what obstacles lead to instant death, and which are there just for decoration. Moreover, the game’s bold art style and color palette occasionally make it hard to discern where to go next, which is one of the cardinal sins for racing games.
Racing online also causes more headaches than it should, with specific power-ups not just hindering the player but rendering them practically useless for about 30 seconds. Yes, the idea of switching a players controls or flipping their screen makes for the perfect punishment, but when a game requires the most precise leaps, slides, and wall-jumps, getting hit with a power-up sucks all the fun out of the experience.
Personally, there is much more fun to be had just traversing each level solo, enjoying the game’s excellent soundtrack and marveling at the atmosphere. But, when the focus was on trying to get to the finish line first, Rush Bros pretty much lost me. That might be by design - perhaps the game is about repetition and memorization - but for a first look, I struggled to find my way through each level.
That being said, the game is only $9.99 on Steam, and there’s no doubt some players will have a ball while racing online. They’ll do so despite some finicky gameplay mechanics and occasionally disorienting level design, but there’s nothing wrong with finding the joy in a game, especially when it’s so affordably priced.
Also, it would have been nice if the game’s soundtrack factored into the game’s levels a la Rayman Legends, but that’s something to save for a sequel. If Rush Bros seems like a game you might be interested in, make sure to check it out on Steam.
Have you had a chance to check out Rush Bros? What do you think of the multiplayer platformer racing concept?
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Rush Bros is currently on sale for $8.99 on Steam.
