Bust-N-Rush Preview

A runner that will sate your urge to both bust and rush

It’s not quite Hulk smash.  It’s more like gnarly golem smash, or maybe NFL cave troll smash.  Either way, smashing is involved — simple, satisfying smashing.  If you like to smash, Bust-N-Rush was made for you.  If you’re a fan of busting and/or rushing, even better.

Bust-N-Rush is a runner that tasks you with guiding a very large humanoid through tunnels of various themes, from cavernous halls to perilous celestial platforms.  These tunnels are fraught with the sort of danger you might associate with a runner — pits lead to an untimely end and smashing into the wrong rock will chip away at your health bar.

Not all obstacles in Bust-N-Rush are dangerous though.  In fact, smashing through some of them is encouraged.  Levels are also procedurally generated, meaning you will never smash through the same tunnel twice — a must for arcade games these days.

“

Bust-N-Rush also has a story, though I have a feeling it’s not aiming to be the next Braid.  The hulking humanoid you control is named Kovo, and, apparently, the motivation behind his busting and rushing is revenge.  Kovo’s pet plastic flamingo was destroyed by the evil Satellite of Wub, and now it’s payback time.  I find this hilarious.  Any story involving pink flamingos is one I can behind.

I doubt most people will play for the story though.  This is a game about getting a high score.  From what I played, Bust-N-Rush has that special something that urges you to give it one more go after death.  I have a feeling spots on the leaderboard will be hotly contested after launch.

“

Bust-N-Rush is headed to the desktop, web-based, and eventually tablets.  Desktop gamers will get their first taste on July 31st.  Get ready to smash.

Mike Bellmore