Levels like Skytrain and Airplane add little bits of variety (like high-speed train signs flying at you during combat, for example) to keep the environments fresh. Within the constraints of the restricted nature of side-scrolling beat ’em-ups, Streets of Rage 4 at least makes an attempt to spice up the level design. His ability to toss enemies around like rag dolls eventually won me over and had me experimenting with different playstyles. Floyd, for instance, is by far the slowest character, but I soon appreciated that what he lacks in speed is compensated for with strength. Her ability to sprint and weave through attacks feels more in line with what I expected a modern Streets of Rage would play like, which is also why I was initially disappointed with how sluggish the other characters felt in comparison. Like Gears of War’s active reload timed-button-press mechanic, there's a rhythm required to master it, but once you’ve do it’s supremely rewarding.Ĭherry Hunter – despite carrying a guitar on her back – can move at a significant speed, which is (literally) a nice change of pace to the other characters, and that made her my preferred choice in my first playthrough. Throw any weapon at an enemy and, if it makes contact, it’ll bounce back, giving you a split-second to catch it and keep whacking away with it. Using them while fighting the regular goons often feels unnecessary as most situations are manageable, but they’re still a fun spectacle with Floyd’s screen dominating uni beam being a visual treat.Īnother enjoyable addition to combat is the inclusion of the weapon catch maneuver. At the start of every level you’re given one charge, but more can be collected during your travels and they’re almost always best reserved for bosses where you’ll need it the most. Every character’s is slightly different – Axel’s, for instance, is a flaming rising uppercut, while Cherry’s is a Pete Townshend-inspired guitar powerslide – but triggering them will do a huge amount of damage to any Y Syndicate members unlucky enough to be in your path. It’s a simple but interesting minigame, and perhaps the most important addition into progressing the Streets of Rage formula as a whole.Ī stronger weapon in your arsenal are Star Moves. However, as I got the hang of combos I started using them semi-regularly in situations where I felt confident I could earn that precious health back. On my first playthrough, which took between two and three hours, I found myself avoiding special moves due to their risky nature. Any break in this combo results in the health being lost permanently. However, an added risk-reward twist for Streets of Rage 4 is that any lost health can potentially be earnt back if you string a combo of standard attacks together on top of it. Just like in the old games, each character has a special move that does a lot more damage at the cost of taking a chunk out of your own health bar. It’s 10 years since the events of Streets of Rage 3 and series regulars, Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding, return to fight crime again despite likely being “too old for this shit.” To balance out the familiar with something different is the addition of two brand-new characters, Cherry Hunter (the daughter of series stalwart, Adam Hunter) and a cybernetic armed, absolute unit called Floyd Iraia.
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