The Streets of Rage IP hasn't seen a new entry since 1994, so being somewhat reserved in your feelings is a fair reaction to have when a new game arrives after decades of nothing. However, with two notable dev studios at the helm, Lizardcube of Dragon's Trap remake fame and Guard Crush Games who worked on Streets of Fury, reservations turn cautiously-optimistic for 2020's Streets of Rage 4. Then, when you're in the middle of combat for the first time, pummeling punks and thugs with returning vets Axel and Blaze, along with two newcomers, there's no doubt: this feels like a proper Streets of Rage title.
Whether it's grabbing a familiar mohawk-donning, jacket-wearing goon for a combo attack, beating someone with a metal pipe, or eating turkey dinners from rusty barrels, this latest iteration certainly doesn't forsake its heritage. But instead of battling it out with 16-bit sprites, you're treated to Lizardcube's instantly-recognizable artwork with fluid animations. You're practically playing a comic book come to life as vibrantly-drawn characters with attitude clash in front of gritty streets filled with neon signs and erotic stores, nasty sewers, and even an art exhibit. And also staying true to the series roots is an electronic dance soundtrack that follows the mayhem.
Community review by dementedhut (May 03, 2020)
I actually played Rad Mobile in a Japanese arcade as a kid, and the cabinet movement actually made the game more fun than it actually was. Hence, it feeling more like an "interactive" experience than a video game. |
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