- Main
- 3
- hours
- Main + Extra
- 6
- hours
- Platinum
- 25
- hours
Streets of Rage 4 is a side-scrolling beat 'em up that continues the series following the original trilogy. Players fight through Wood Oak City using a mix of returning and new characters, each with their own combat styles and special moves. The game builds on the classic formula with new mechanics while maintaining the responsive, straightforward action the series is known for. Featuring hand-drawn visuals from the team behind Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap, it supports both solo and cooperative play locally or online across multiple difficulty levels.
About the story
Ten years have passed since the fall of Mr. X and his Syndicate. The city has been at peace... until now. A new crime empire has arisen, corrupting everything good in the city. It is rumored to be led by Mr. X's own children: the Y Twins. Former detectives Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding join forces with their old friend's daughter, Cherry Hunter, along with Floyd Iraia, an apprentice of the brilliant Dr. Zan. Together these four vigilantes stand against the Y Syndicate on the... Streets of Rage.
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Critic Reviews
26 years is a very long time for Streets of Rage 4, especially when it comes to the video game industry. To put it into perspective, in 1994, Rare and Nintendo released the first Donkey Kong Country, Sony was putting the finishing touches to the Playstation which was due to release in Japan in that December, and Sega released Streets of Rage 3 worldwide in June. Most series that haven’t had an entry in that amount of time is long considered dead.
9 Monkeys of Shaolin is the type of game you pick up and play over the course of a weekend or after a long day at work. The martial arts movie style works well and wears its grindhouse love on its sleeve. Combat is entertaining and challenging, and like a proper beat 'em up, you can have a friend join you for the ride. It's over after about five hours, but in that time you're treated to a really good time.
For $24.99 Streets of Rage 4 is a good game, but it can really benefit from better balance between the characters and some of the levels. There is a good amount of replay value thanks to the unlockable characters, additional difficulties, a boss rush mode and online play. You can fight with each other in the story or Arcade mode or fight against each other in battle mode. In any case, if you are a fan of 2D beat ’em ups, this is one worth checking out.
Streets of Rage 4 is a great return of a beloved series that will please both nostalgic fans and the new generation of gamers. It's nothing revolutionary, but it isn't outdated and stuck in the past either.
A beautiful art style and a fun soundtrack lay the groundwork for Streets of Rage 4’s fun, free-flowing, surprisingly nuanced combat to make it a worthy entry into the long-dormant, much-revered franchise.
