Axel, Blaze, Cherry, Floyd, and Adam are the good men, and the Y Twins of the Y Syndicate would be the bad men with strategies to control the minds of the city through sound waves. Story Mode yells in some short snippets of narrative with subtle animations and bits of text, but it gets the work done and frames the action of Wood Oak City fairly well.
For those familiar with all the original entries, the activity remains the same.
Players progress from left to right, using an attack button, jumpa jumpton, hold button for weapons, a special, and a get-out-of-jail Star Move at their disposal. There are a variety of variants at play — one can jump strike, pull off blitz attacks, or even catch objects in motion like boomerangs and plumbing. Grabs may come into play also, which can be used to vault, reverse, and slam into oblivion. The principal control scheme is fairly simple, but there’s enough nuance with time and factors to keep things clean throughout.
The Special System especially stands out in Streets of Rage 4. These moves offer up an added edge, but price a bit of health, which is marked as green on your meter. But this meter can be earned back if enough damage is landed back on opponents. This puts a focus on the offensive, and helps gamers prioritize who to go after. It often becomes a game where the ultimate aim is to put waste to the tougher foes with these Special Moves and seek out the lowly Galsia mooks to serve as makeshift punching bags — it is an absolute thrill.
It can be downright unfair to deal with a throng of enemies which all bum rush the participant simultaneously.
Particularly since moves could be disrupted by other foes that were left to their own devices. The ones that have to memorize each stage and its enemy placements are going to be at a distinct disadvantage. For better or worse, it is old school roots show in such minutes. Even though this is far from a deal breaker, it does add a bit of frustration for those going through their initial playthrough.
Leaderboards and positions are awarded in the end of each level, and people that desired assists will have their scores punished. When a streak goes well — using cleavers flying akimbo and whip-wielding dominatrixes mercilessly thrown into walls of spikes — all of the memorization and skill makes everything worthwhile.
MusiThe musicls from both electronic and house, with influences from artists such as RATATAT and Kavinsky shining through. Animation is fluid as well, ebbing and flowing amidst the chaos and incorporating incredible detail and lifestyle to its world.
The main game is a short one, neatly wrapped up in a couple of hours. But, an Arcade Mode and Boss Battle Mode could be unlocked, along with a Battle Mode for those looking to struggle with a frenemy. Of program, Online Play is also an option.
Following a series as renowned as Streets of Rage using a brand new entry is no small feat, however, Streets of Rage 4 hits hard with its signature frenzied activity and trendy audiovisual presentation.
