Bomb Rush Cyberfunk | Games of the Year 2023

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Before I start this feature, I would be remiss not to acknowledge that the games industry is now nearly 10,000 people shorter. Writing my feature as this celebratory thing feels weird in light of that fact.

Now, I don't engage with media for escapism mostly because escaping reality is 1) not a privilege for people like myself, and 2) real-life demands that I keep essential matters in front of my mind.

What I find interesting is seeing what creators do with entertainment based on real things. Creative work is not made without its social and political influences. Are these creative works ten toes down on their point, or will their sanitized approach leave a bad taste in my mouth?

This brings me to my game of the year, Team Reptile's skating, graffiti writing, and street culture-inspired Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (BRC). BRC tells you precisely what it's about within the game's first five minutes.

You bust someone out of custody and spray paint art on the walls of New Amsterdam's police headquarters. All the while learning the game's basic controls - this is now my favorite tutorial chapter of a video game to date.

If the title hasn't made its stance against the police clear yet, the last thing you do in the introduction chapter is fight cops to evade arrest.

Then, Red's story with the BRC crew (along with Bel and Tyrce) unfolds across six chapters. You'll find an upfront, highly stylized, vibrant title that never eases on its themes over its eight-hours-or-less runtime.

The team aims to become the best graffiti crew, gaining the title of All City in New Amsterdam. It also serves as the narrative underlying Red's efforts to find out who he is in this weird