Retro Mini-Review: Streets of Rage 4 (Steam, PC)

Yes, yes, I know. It came out this year, so its not really retro, but it's one of those games that very deliberately calls back to the 16 bit era. Back then, the Streets of Rage (or Bare Knuckle) franchise was a big name in the console wars, Sega's answer to Final Fight. Then, the series just stopped, and the scrolling beat em up genre went soon after. The closest modern descendants are probably the Dynasty Warriors games, and Castle Crashers. Eventually came the retrogaming boom, and Streets of Rage games, especially the the second one, were always among the first people went for. Now comes Streets of Rage 4, with its hand animated style, and many expectations. I am happy to confirm it meets those expectations, although I'm unsure if young people will be into it.

This style of game was always very simple, just you and a buddy walking right, and punching criminal stereotypes as you go. SR4 does not attempt to reinvent the wheel, but it does refine the concept, and present it impeccably. Playing it for the first time was like encountering a lost sequel; my muscle memory still worked, with the changes they have made feeling completely sensible. There is now a separate button to pick stuff up! I didn't know I wanted that until it happened. More substantial is the introduction of a combo system, and a risk/reward mechanism for special moves. These debit your health, but if you punch enough without taking a hit, you get it back. This combined with tangible differences between characters, and occasionally clever level gimmicks, made for a pleasently tactical experience in single player. Meanwhile, online multiplayer seems functional, if reliant on Internet randos, and I regret I cannot test the local 4 player mode. That sort of thing is always fun. Replay value also seems fairly good, due to an extensive selection of legacy character unlocks from the previous games. Meaning you achieve silly things like a 4 player game featuring Axel in each of his iterations. 

So then, it's deeper and more rounded than it looks, but nostalgia may be required. There is however something I haven't mentioned yet: the music. Streets of Rage was made famous by its soundtrack, and yes, SR4 holds its own here. Perhaps not for everyone, but I found it transcendent at times. The glass elevator sequence is a real highlight.

It boils down to this. If you were around for the 16 bit days, you'll probably have a good time. If you weren't? Well, if you ever wanted to try a game like this one.... Better try this one.