Music has a very adverse affect on people. It can relax us, inspire is, and can motivate us to go full speed ahead. Not only that, it can influence our games, and how we play them. In this case, it’s a crucial part of Rush Bros, the latest 2D platformer by XYLA Entertainment.
The game plays out like a 2 player, two dimensional racer, where you traverse the levels to reach the goal in the shortest time possible. Sounds simple enough, with a good inclusion of traps and jumps that requires no hesitation, or you’ll end up skewered or sliced like Freddy Kruger’s sushi. The music comes into play by influencing how fast the traps and level changes, meaning you build up a natural rhythm, leaping over obstacles and pits as naturally as a heartbeat.
What I’d like to see alter slightly is the feel of the characters. Like most games, they utilise wall jumps and slides to help you traverse the location. On some occasions, I felt the control was a little ‘sticky’, altering the flow and impetus of the game. If I could give an example of momentum and flow, then Fancy Pants Adventure would be good to illustrate my point. You can also wall jump and slide, and it has its own flow to the gameplay. I feel Rush Bros, with a few small tweaks to the flow, could make this a near perfect game.
Rush Bros is a great little game, with simple pick-up-and-play controls, and a fantastic soundtrack to accompany the fun game. If I had a friend or two, I would have been able to play the multi-player portion, so all I say is, try the game, it’s a great price, and see how fun it is for yourself
Rush Bros is out now on Steam for PC and Mac priced $8.99.
For more info visit www.myxyla.com/games/rush-bros