Streets of Rage 4 – PAX East Preview
It’s been 26 long years since we were last graced with a Streets of Rage title. 26. Long. Years. At that point in time we thought some lewd business in the oval office was as bad as things could get. I know that wasn’t for a few years after Streets of Rage 3 released, but just go with it. At long last, Streets of Rage 4 will finally be released and if our time with the game is any indication, this game is going to make a lot of people very happy.
Though not a remake, the original bones of the series are widely on display in the newest entry to the series. Graphically though, Streets of Rage has never looked better. In our talks with the developers, that was the first thing they said would draw in fans both old and new. A good game is a good game and whether it’s an established property or a new IP – if the game is good, people will play it. Whether or not you’ve ever played a single game in the series, you’ll be drawn to how gorgeous the game is.
Gameplay is tighter than ever. Each of the characters have their own special abilities. With everything from basic melee combos to shooting music out of a guitar, there is so much organized chaos on the screen at one time and it’s really a sight to behold. Be carful though, friendly “fire” can be turned on and you can deal as much damage to your teammate as you do the enemy. You have the option to turn this feature off, but it really adds some extra depth to the chaos.
The game has made strides since our demo last year. The music is fully loaded in and it looks, sounds, and feels incredible. During our playthrough we played 4 player, 2 player and even a round of single player and are happy to report that whether you’re playing alone or with friends you will have a blast. However, it’s always more fun to play with friends than trying to go it alone.
They announced this week that Streets of Rage 4 will be released sometime this spring on all your favorite consoles. That’s great because, as the developers told us, “everybody deserves to play Streets of Rage.”
