I’m not a big beat-‘em-up guy in general. When I find myself in an arcade that has one, I’ll usually play it for about five minutes, lose interest, and walk away. They’re often both repetitive and frustrating, with shallow gameplay that repeats ad nauseum and doesn’t require enough thought or strategy to make either victory or failure feel earned. I’m not criticizing the whole genre—these games can definitely be fun at times—but it’s hard to make this particular formula work in a modern context. Streets of Rage 4, however, does exactly that, staying true to what people love about classic beat-‘em-ups while updating that aging formula in smart ways. The main thing I love about Streets of Rage 4 is simply how good it feels. Landing a hit always feels really satisfying, and juggling an enemy up against the edge of the screen while racking up a huge combo seriously never gets old. Unlike a lot of beat-‘em-ups, enemies don’t fly off the screen but instead bounce off of it and come back, to which makes building up combos easier and more satisfying. This isn’t a deep game; you’ve got your basic four-hit combo, a rush attack, a grab, a defensive and offensive special move, and an ultimate attack that can only be performed after you’ve picked up a star. Most of the time, you’re probably just going to be smashing that attack button, dishing out that basic combo, but your other abilities have their uses and make the combat more thoughtful than in other beat-‘em-ups I’ve played. Your rush attack varies between characters, but it’s always a good way to finish off a combo or get a group of enemies out of your way; your grab can provide you with some invincibility frames, and you can use it to toss enemies into each other or off ledges; your defensive and offensive specials can be great ways to avoid damage when you’re not able to get out of the way, but they also drain some of your health and require you to land hits in order to get it back; and your ultimate attack is great for attacking a bunch of enemies at once and getting out of a desperate situation. The game has five basic characters, plus a bunch of unlockable classic characters. The variety between them lends a lot of value to replaying the game. Axel’s a good all-arounder, while Cherry’s fast attacks can build up big combo. All of the characters are fun to play as and let you approach combat a bit differently. I don’t usually opt for the big, slow characters in games, but Floyd’s slowness is compensated for by the fact that he can carry enemies around and toss them across the screen. My favorite, however, is Adam, who splits the different between Cherry’s speed and Floyd’s strength. Streets of Rage 4’s story mode is a respectable length for a game of this sort. It probably took me about two hours to beat, but once I’d finished I immediately jumped back in to improve my scores, try out new characters, and unlock the classic characters. It’s also worth noting that this game is gorgeous. I love the vibrant background art, charming character designs, and the well-realized comic book-style cutscenes. The music isn’t the most memorable ever, but it fits perfectly with the game’s aesthetic and lends extra charm to the whole package. I’m not saying it’s a perfect game or anything. I would have loved to see a larger roster of original characters, especially since there are a few characters who appear in the story who I think would have made fun playable fighters. There are also certain enemies that can be frustrating to deal with; specifically, the shielded police officers force you to slowly chip away at their shields, landing a few hits and then backing away to avoid an attack. I like the introduction of enemies that require more than simple button-mashing to beat, but these guys slow the pace down quite a bit, especially when a large group of them enters the scene. Overall, Streets of Rage 4 is some of the most pure fun I’ve had with a game in 2020. It’s a perfect balance between old-school gameplay and modern polish, and it gives me hope that fresh new beat-‘em-ups can have a place in modern gaming. Even if you’re not a fan of the genre, I highly recommend checking it out.
