Rush Bros. (PC) Review

The term 'ostensibly' is used because despite the "music" aesthetic of the game - from music particle effects to discs and the like - the tie-in between the game's music and the game's levels is mild.

Unlike procedurally generated music games such as Audiosurf, in which a level is created on the fly based on the waveforms of the music file being played, the levels in Rush Bros. are premade. Each platform and each pit will always be the same, no matter which song is being played. Where the game does meld music and play is through rising-falling platforms and assorted traps, which are sometimes tied to the music's tempo or beats. It's a nice idea, however in execution it's not very noticeable given how quickly levels are completed.

A small note on the game's default music: it tends to lean towards the dub-steppy side. Thankfully, a custom soundtrack can be loaded from a personal collection of MP3 files.

Rush Bros. isn't exactly a terrible game. It's not exactly a great game either, though. Every facet of classic game software design carries the aura of… well, just "not quite there".

Platform physics? "Slidy" - not exactly satisfying. Animation? Very sparse two-frame stuff. Level design? Convoluted, sometimes requiring significant amounts of back-tracking and several repetitions of earlier parts of a stage(!). Unavoidable traps lead to mandatory deaths. Online? Well, yes, there is online gameplay, and it's probably the best part of the package. It's rare to see an online platformer and Rush Bros. does a good job of creating a competitive multiplayer experience. Mostly it does this by not allowing the other player to interfere with the gameplay experience. They are, basically, a "ghost" against which the other player races. Given how few platform games have an online component, it is something to give Rush Bros. kudos for.

As for the graphics, this is another area where Rush Bros. deserves good marks. The game's neon aesthetic is striking and effective. Some stages bring to mind the glory days of Pac-Man and Tron, with bright luminous greens, reds, yellows, and blues against a midnight black; glowing bumper walls floating on an inky abyss - very nice effects there.

As far as the story, all levels are unlocked from the start of the game. There's no overworld map on which progress is made, nor branching paths or secret exits, and there really is no story, not even on the level of Mario or Rayman's paper-thin plots. All in all, it feels like a sparse experience. Aside from a high score, there's no incentive to play through any particular level, unless the player really loves what's going on with the game's mechanics, art style, and music.