HYPERFUNK: Everything We Know

From Jet Set Radio to spiritual successor Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, and now the sequel, HyperFunk. Dare I say it’s about to get hella electric up in here? You know when a new game calls itself something and then fails to implement those things in the gameplay? Hyperfunk isn’t at all that case scenario, with the trailer showcasing just how speedier, crazier, and more frantic your playthrough is about to be. 

With new bombastic music and level designs, you’re about to enter a new skateboarding/skating/biking world on steroids, where the walls and ceilings are included in the trails and ramps you can trick your way through. Find below everything we know so far about the upcoming Hyperfunk.

What is Hyperfunk?

For Team Reptile’s second go at it, they present to you Hyperfunk, a fast-paced, extreme, trick, and graffiti game. Much like SEGA’s Jet Set Radio’s marrying of skating to the beat of energetic music, the first game, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk (2023), refined the genre. They add bikes and skateboards to skating, challenging you to pull off stunts and tricks with your graffiti crew. And with the first game garnering high praise, we’re all set for a sequel, aptly named Hyperfunk. 

Rather than a one-second play, this time, you’ll be rolling down graffiti streets in two seconds per second funk style. You’ll go up against rival graffiti crews, beating each other’s high scores. Further, there’ll be a social space to hang out online, exploring the city streets, and pulling off daring tricks together. The streets are also where you’ll recruit new mates into your meet, as well as unlock new bombastic music to jam along to.

Story

We’re heading back to the future in Hyperfunk, setting camp in Hyper, an online space where graffiti crews gather. Not only socialize and interact but also compete against each other in extreme trick and graffiti games. Like the first game, the sequel will have lots of stylized graphics and color. The world will come alive with a variety of skates, skateboards, and BMX bikes to show off your best tricks. 

Gameplay

The catchy gameplay factor here is your personal boost pack. It charges the faster you speed down the tracks. And the higher you hit combo scores off of your tricks, the faster you can speed past opponents. As anticipated, rival graffiti crews will be going up against each other in Dynamic Style Wars. You’ll unlock new areas and dominate them. You can either challenge rival crews to skating, skateboarding, biking, or graffiti wars. Whoever’s the best at escaping the police and bombing through the streets takes domination over the area you’re competing in.

There will be four graffiti types: tags, throwies, pieces, and blockbusters. Moreover, you’ll freely explore the city during downtimes, running into potential people to add to your graffiti crew. You may find dope music tracks, as well as unlock new moves. Meanwhile, the online servers will provide a means to meet and make friends with random players worldwide. This is the space called “Hyper,” where you can hang out online, roaming around the streets without a care in the world. 

You can either play the upcoming Hyperfunk solo or online in co-op and PvP mode. It’s funny how the first game didn’t have local co-op and PvP, given how it could be so much fun dueling with family and friends. And from the looks of it, the sequel doesn’t seem to add local multiplayer, either. 

Development

Team Reptile is the studio that is all hands on deck, developing and publishing Hyperfunk. This isn’t at all their first rodeo, developing Bomb Rush Cyberfunk just two years ago. Not sure the reason for the name change, but it looks like we’ll be getting the same game, only bigger and better. 

Hailing from Hilversum, Netherlands, as a small indie studio founded by Dion Koster and Tim Remmers in 2011, Team Reptile has come quite far. They have developed Lethal League Blaze, also in the same art style and vibe, and Megabyte Punch. As an indie studio, they get to do their own thing and are competing pretty well with SEGA, which has yet to follow up on Jet Set Radio. As the team describes itself, “creating original games with style,” and “a venture in cold blood,” I’ve got pretty high hopes for anything they create next. Apparently, more cyberfunk-style games in the future.

Trailer

Check out the exhilarating teaser trailer for Hyperfunk, released on Team Reptile’s YouTube channel. First of all, absolutely electrifying soundtrack: I want it on my Spotify. And good thing Team Reptile has referenced its source: Dj Zapy & Dj Uragun – Sch Amo (Hyper Version)

It’s not at all surprising that the trailer has blood-pumping music. The first game featured banger after banger, and with the second continuing in the tradition of collecting new music on your expeditions, I can’t wait to bop to the new sets on the way. 

Secondly, the trailer showcases “more of” the first game. From the half pipes to the tricks you can pull off, it all looks scaled up. And even the speed boosts are on another level: an absolute sequel on steroids. The sequel could be more social in the interactive online spaces. Plus, there’s a chance we might get parkour, too, skating on walls and ceilings. Sooooo back, you said? 

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

At the moment, Team Reptile has yet to announce an official release date for Hyperfunk. However, they have put out a call to action to all interested parties to add the game to their Steam wishlist. Console owners can also revel in the fact that the game will be coming to their favorite platforms (although the specific platforms are yet to be confirmed).  The same goes for the editions, for which it remains unclear whether there will be any pre- or post-launch. For now, you can follow the official social handle to keep up with any new updates ahead of release.