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STREETS OF RAGE 4 (PS4)
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Publisher: Dotemu.
Developer: Dotemu; Lizardcube; Guard Crush Games. Released: April 2020. Genre: Roaming beat 'em up. Other versions: XONE; SWI; PC. Posted 27th December 2020. By Tom Clare © 2020 |
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Streets of Rage, SEGA’s seminal roaming beat ‘em up series, lay dormant for an unfathomable twenty-six years. Not a peep, for four generations, from a sequence of games considered amongst the greatest of the 16-bit era. In tandem with the roaming beat ‘em up itself, Streets of Rage fell into obscurity with the emergence of 3D. SEGA dabbled with reviving the series firstly for the Saturn and then the Dreamcast, before thinking better of it. Revered as it was, SoR would remain conspicuous in its absence. No childhood-sullying AGES respray, like that which befell Golden Axe. No dodgy spin-offs to chip away at the respect held for the brand, like Sonic. No dubious HD reimaginings, like so many other games with roots in the early nineties. When SEGA Mega Drive Collection arrived sporting 28 of the company’s biggest Mega Drive games, Streets of Rage was nowhere to be seen.
Thus, the nostalgia for the series was of an unusually undiluted kind, when finally instalment number four released in 2020. Anticipation, as a result, was fearsomely high and Streets of Rage 4 was left to walk an awkward tightrope. Too heavy a reliance on nostalgia and it would risk appearing kitsch and dated. Too great a focus on modernity and it would risk losing sight of what made the series so enduringly popular, thus alienating fans. Any worries were misplaced though, as it’s hard to believe it could have been any better.
Thus, the nostalgia for the series was of an unusually undiluted kind, when finally instalment number four released in 2020. Anticipation, as a result, was fearsomely high and Streets of Rage 4 was left to walk an awkward tightrope. Too heavy a reliance on nostalgia and it would risk appearing kitsch and dated. Too great a focus on modernity and it would risk losing sight of what made the series so enduringly popular, thus alienating fans. Any worries were misplaced though, as it’s hard to believe it could have been any better.
Streets of Rage 4 features lots of cool nods to its predecessors, but is awesome fun for newcomers too
It’s a game to please almost everyone. Series diehards will love how it captures so completely the spirit and the feel of the earlier games. The appeal of the gameplay is so recognisable, that it channels the same addictive, endlessly playable co-op paradise its predecessors captured. It pays attention to the small details. You can play with a control scheme that mimics perfectly the Mega Drive 3-button configuration, or a modern revision with separate buttons for weapon pick-ups and special attacks. Every version of every character to have featured in the original games is unlockable, save for Roo. But even he hasn’t been forgotten: you’ll find the kangaroo behind the bar on one of the levels. But as well as the return of Adam, Axel and Blaze, there’s two brilliant new protagonists: Cherry, a speedy fighter with an electric guitar in tow and Floyd, an absolute beast with huge reach and power, but limited agility. The five make for a fantastically well-balanced combination, arguably the finest to date. Take advantage of their strengths, learn to mitigate their shortcomings; they're all deadly, with practice.
There’s great reverence for the Mega Drive instalments. For aficionados, there are countless little nods to the series history, from the more obvious appearance of the PinePot restaurant iconic of the first level of the original game, to posters of old bosses and stained glass depictions of Mr X in his iconic seated pose. There’s even a quartet of bonus boss battles from Streets of Rage 2, played with a neat retro filter. Speaking of bosses, SoR4’s are as superb as they are varied, with only one or two employing cheap or spammy tactics. The last boss is a bit divisive, as there are aspects of the fight that prove quite frustrating, but there’s no question, it’s also rather epic.
It’s important to note that this isn’t just a game for misty-eyed SEGA anoraks. Streets of Rage 4 is legitimately among the greatest roaming beat ‘em ups there has ever been, on its own merits. You need no prior experience of the SoR to love this one. The developers deserve huge credit for preserving the many, many fantastic elements of the Mega Drive games, whilst adding a host of common-sense improvements (such as the ability to juggle foes and smash them against walls) and fantastic design that distinguishes itself. One of the best new features is the combo system, which rewards player’s unbroken attacks, based on damage caused. These contribute towards extra lives, as well as rankings at the end of each level.
There’s great reverence for the Mega Drive instalments. For aficionados, there are countless little nods to the series history, from the more obvious appearance of the PinePot restaurant iconic of the first level of the original game, to posters of old bosses and stained glass depictions of Mr X in his iconic seated pose. There’s even a quartet of bonus boss battles from Streets of Rage 2, played with a neat retro filter. Speaking of bosses, SoR4’s are as superb as they are varied, with only one or two employing cheap or spammy tactics. The last boss is a bit divisive, as there are aspects of the fight that prove quite frustrating, but there’s no question, it’s also rather epic.
It’s important to note that this isn’t just a game for misty-eyed SEGA anoraks. Streets of Rage 4 is legitimately among the greatest roaming beat ‘em ups there has ever been, on its own merits. You need no prior experience of the SoR to love this one. The developers deserve huge credit for preserving the many, many fantastic elements of the Mega Drive games, whilst adding a host of common-sense improvements (such as the ability to juggle foes and smash them against walls) and fantastic design that distinguishes itself. One of the best new features is the combo system, which rewards player’s unbroken attacks, based on damage caused. These contribute towards extra lives, as well as rankings at the end of each level.
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Whilst there’s a sterling retro BMG option to evoke further connections to the early nineties, you’d be doing Streets of Rage 4’s eclectic soundtrack a grave disservice were to swap it out. It’s a stunning accompaniment from a number of artists. The legendary Yuzo Koshiro’s handful of contributions inevitably draw the eye (or perhaps the ear), but on this occasion, the lion’s share (and indeed many of the finest tracks) are the work of Olivier Deriviere. Special mention must also go to Das Mörtal’s “Next of Kin Showdown”, which makes for a truly grandstanding final boss encounter. The charged, funky and energetic tunes can stand toe-to-toe with the series’ finest compositions.
It strikes me, that this sentiment is true to almost all of SoR4. Visual design is no different, it sets an amazing standard. It barely puts a pixel wrong, with bold, stylish graffiti-art and distinctive, vibrant surrounds. There are never any issues with clarity. Characters never become lost amidst the backgrounds. With thousands and thousands of animations, all in motion is like velvet. Even amidst the chaos of an eight-character scrum, there’s an effortless beauty to it.
As a contemporary roaming beat ‘em up, Streets of Rage 4 sits a country mile ahead of its competition. The new, twelve level story features some of the best and most consistent level design ever in a game of this kind. Highlights keep rolling in, thick and fast. “Skytrain”, which sees the player battling goons atop a speeding passenger train, captures perfectly the series’ exciting aesthetic. Ditto “Airplane”, whereupon rushing aboard an aircraft, the back portion rips clean off, taking anyone unfortunate enough to be situated there with it. The police station near the beginning is an absolute riot too, with police and goons engaging in their own skirmishes. A few levels provide environmental interactions that can be both hazardous and helpful to the player. For example, the sewers are chocked with hazardous barrels and steaming pipes. Ideal, if you can lure foes toward them. The sauna has a slippery floor which makes movement more sluggish. There’s even a couple of elevator sections where, with a bit of manoeuvring, you can hurl enemies clean off the edge.
It strikes me, that this sentiment is true to almost all of SoR4. Visual design is no different, it sets an amazing standard. It barely puts a pixel wrong, with bold, stylish graffiti-art and distinctive, vibrant surrounds. There are never any issues with clarity. Characters never become lost amidst the backgrounds. With thousands and thousands of animations, all in motion is like velvet. Even amidst the chaos of an eight-character scrum, there’s an effortless beauty to it.
As a contemporary roaming beat ‘em up, Streets of Rage 4 sits a country mile ahead of its competition. The new, twelve level story features some of the best and most consistent level design ever in a game of this kind. Highlights keep rolling in, thick and fast. “Skytrain”, which sees the player battling goons atop a speeding passenger train, captures perfectly the series’ exciting aesthetic. Ditto “Airplane”, whereupon rushing aboard an aircraft, the back portion rips clean off, taking anyone unfortunate enough to be situated there with it. The police station near the beginning is an absolute riot too, with police and goons engaging in their own skirmishes. A few levels provide environmental interactions that can be both hazardous and helpful to the player. For example, the sewers are chocked with hazardous barrels and steaming pipes. Ideal, if you can lure foes toward them. The sauna has a slippery floor which makes movement more sluggish. There’s even a couple of elevator sections where, with a bit of manoeuvring, you can hurl enemies clean off the edge.
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The best part of any roaming beat ‘em up is its co-op of course, and Streets of Rage 4 nails it with excellent two-player, both online and local. There’s the option to play through the main Story mode with a light sprinkling of cut-scenes, or to tackle stages individually so as to improve your high-scores. Better still, the old-fashioned way: start-to-finish, no distractions, Arcade. It’s endlessly playable with a friend, especially if you pair-up to try and beat it on Hard, for one of the game’s trickier trophies. The only slight discrepancy results from a lack of continues and under the new points system, extra lives don’t pop up especially often.
Everything about the game is outstanding: the level design, the game mechanics, the graphics and sound. More importantly, it’s a gigantic amount of fun. Like its predecessors, don’t be fooled by its relatively modest start-to-finish runtime – this will be one you’ll play again and again with friends for years to come. Streets of Rage 4 is the best roaming beat ‘em up of the last twenty-five years, at the very least.
Everything about the game is outstanding: the level design, the game mechanics, the graphics and sound. More importantly, it’s a gigantic amount of fun. Like its predecessors, don’t be fooled by its relatively modest start-to-finish runtime – this will be one you’ll play again and again with friends for years to come. Streets of Rage 4 is the best roaming beat ‘em up of the last twenty-five years, at the very least.
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VERDICT
"It’s a gigantic amount of fun and one you’ll play again and again with friends for years to come... Streets of Rage 4 is the best roaming beat 'em up of the last twenty-five years, at the very least." OVERALL: 9/10 |
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