So it’s finally here. A sequel that fans never thought they would see. Nearly 26 years after the last installment, Streets of Rage is back! Arguably the most beloved 2D side scrolling beat ’em up of all time. Developer Guard Crush Games had an incredibly difficult job on their hands; stay true to the source material while still satisfying a 2020 audience. It was an unenviable task, but they have pulled it off in style.
The side-scrolling beat ’em up genre has been pretty starved for affection in recent years with a few exceptions. Back in 2018, I reviewed Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn which I really enjoyed, but it had a very brief runtime. Late last year Arc System Works released River City Girls which by all accounts is excellent, but I haven’t gotten a chance to play it yet.
Unsurprisingly the story here is pretty thin on the ground. Wood Oak City once again, 10 years after the events of the third game. Mr X’s twin daughters have built a new crime syndicate and it’s up to you to tear through 12 uniquely designed stages to overcome your opposition. It would have been nice to see some greater depth put into the short pieces of narrative that bridge the stages together, but it doesn’t hamper the overall enjoyment of the game.
The game’s roster is a mixture of old and new. Returning from previous entries are Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding, two staples of the series. Cherry Hunter makes her debut, with her back story being that she is the daughter of Adam Hunter. The last playable character you start with is Floyd Iraia, a newcomer with bionic arms. Certain milestones in the game will unlock more characters, including some from previous SOR games in their original pixel form.
The biggest overhaul in the game’s 26-year absence is the graphics. It would have been safe for the development team to deliver a retro aesthetic that would be instantly recognisable to fans but instead they have gone back to the drawing board (literally) with a great comic book art style. This move is unlikely to satisfy all fans, but I do think it was the right call and gives the game a much more enticing look for newcomers.
Gameplay on the other hand is very familiar. The combat remaining so faithful to the original trilogy is both the strength and weakness of the game. Longtime fans will be happy that the wheel hasn’t been reinvented but I can’t help but feel the results are limited. It would have been nice to see more variety in moves and specials. Expanded ways to block incoming attacks would also have been welcome, as too often I was mid-combo and unable to cancel out of the animation when I saw a blow coming my way.
As I said earlier each of the 12 stages has a unique look and feel to them. This extends to the types of enemies you will find on any given stage and the type of attacks you’ll face. The Police Precinct for instance will have convicts escaping from cells and burly policemen, the tougher of which are armed with shields, nightsticks and tasers. The latter two can be picked up and used against other enemies a few times before being automatically discarded. Each stage also has an end boss which will require some creativity to take down.
There are many other weapons to be found across the different stages from baseball bats, to knifes, to bottles and lots more in between. Breaking inanimate objects in the environment will unearth some pickups including cash which is added to your score and apples and a cooked chickens which restores health. On a rare occasion, you may even find a star which allows you to unleash the aptly named ‘star move’ by pressing triangle and circle that delivers big damage.
The story mode can be played solo or with a co-op partner online. If you have a few gamers in your household during the current lockdown then a 1-4 player co-op is available locally. There is an arcade mode where you are tasked with completing the full story with no continues in a homage to the arcade machines that were likely a huge part of your childhood if you’re currently in your thirties like me. There is also a boss rush mode and a battle mode where you square off against another player either online or locally as well.
Trophies are tough and if you want to unlock the platinum in this one you’ll need some serious skills. S-Ranking all stages on hard difficulty or higher, clearing arcade mode on hard or higher and completing a level without taking any damage will only be possible for beat ’em up pros. Then there are the time consuming feats like a lifetime score of 5,000,000 points and you’ll have to complete the story with a total of 8 different characters, which will test your love for the game for sure.
Overall Streets of Rage 4 is a welcome return for a classic franchise. Hardcore fans of the series are likely to be smitten with the amount of fan service and love that has gone in to this and rightly so. In a potential Streets of Rage 5 I would like to see a leap forward in terms of mechanics and move variation, but for now if you like classic side scrolling beat ’em ups you can’t go wrong with this.
-Craig
A review code for this product was kindly provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PS4 Pro.
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