How do you resurrect a classic game series that’s been dormant for over twenty years? For some, the answer is a gritty reboot, and a new title that bears little resemblance to the source material save for the name. For others, it’s to craft a flawless recreation of the original. Developers Guard Crush Games and Lizardcube have chosen a middle path with their upcoming Streets of Rage 4 title, trying to bring everything fun about the original ‘90s titles up to date with a newer art style, and a few new gameplay touches.
At PAX South, I had the chance to play the current game demo, which roughly encompasses the first level of the game. Somehow, I managed to step through a time portal to a simpler time, blazing my way through Streets of Rage on my cousin’s Sega Genesis console. In reality, I was teamed up with one of the presenters at the Dotemu booth, but for anyone with fond memories of the original games, Streets of Rage 4 feels like it will be a trip down memory lane. At least, if Memory Lane were on the wrong side of town and populated with a motley assortment of thugs, ninjas, and other baddies. Together with my partner, we punched, kicked, and stabbed our way through the game.
To my memories of the older games, Streets of Rage 4 feels right. Controls on the Xbox One version were nicely accurate, and enemies felt suitably tough. This is no dumbed-down modernized game, but at the same time, nor is it needlessly difficult. Side-scrolling brawlers have always been all about throwing a bunch of enemies at the players, and Streets of Rage 4 does an excellent job of both that, and also furnishing players with suitable tools for dealing with hordes of enemies. When we died, it didn’t feel like a cheap shot, it felt like I let my partner down a bit.
Blaze and Cherry put some serious hurt on some enemies.
The updated graphics style provides a nice look while still being reminiscent of the original 16-bit games. In the demo, players could choose between OG characters Adam, Axel, and Blaze. A new character, Adam’s guitar-slinging daughter Cherry was also playable and her dash move opens up some interesting new attack options.
Streets of Rage 4 is due out sometime in 2020 for all major platforms. PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The game’s official website is https://www.streets4rage.com, and updates are also posted on Facebook, and the Twitter accounts for Dotemu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games.
