To say that I was excited about Streets of Rage 4 is a massive understatement. Streets of Rage 2 is my favorite Genesis game of all time! So as soon as the first trailer for this was shown, I knew this was a game that I was going to have to get day one. Coming nearly 30 years after the last game in the series, Streets of Rage 4 has a lot to live up to.
How to Download Streets of Rage 4
You can download the game for Windows from Steam, Humble Bundle, or GOG. You can also get a copy of Streets of Rage for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch from their respective official stores. Click on the Download button and make your choice.
The Game Review
Ok, so you do not play a game like this for the story, but hey they tried. The game is set many, many years after the fall of Mr. Now his twin kids, Mr. Y and Ms. Y are up to no good and trying to control the city. Once again Axel and Blaze are going to save the city. This time they are joined by two new characters Cherry, the daughter of Adam, and Floyd the protégée of Dr. Zan.
The art style of Streets of Rage 4 is just awesome. It has a cell-shaded comic book style to it and it is fantastic. Each stage feels different (with the castle being my favorite) and they are packed with little details for you to find all over the backgrounds. It is worth noting that you can unlock a pixel style for the characters if that is more your thing.
I would say that Streets of Rage 4 does for the series what Sonic Mania did for its series. They are not trying anything radically new with the gameplay and I am fine with that. Interestingly, the game takes more from Streets of Rage 2 than it does 3. This means there is no running for all of the characters or the ability to roll up and down the screen.
The beat em up action is very satisfying. Axel has been my character since the first one and that has not changed here. Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses and the four default characters each feel different. Not to mention there are plenty more characters for you to unlock as you play.
The enemies in the game feel just like they did in the past game, but I would say that this one is a tad more challenging. Some of the enemies the first time you play will seem incredibly cheap. However, it is on you to discover the patterns and figure out the best way around them.
The campaign can be played through in many different difficulty scenarios. You are working towards getting a high score so you can get new stuff. The game is very challenging, but they have done a great job in making Streets of Rage 4 a game that is accessible to everyone. You can turn on various bonuses that will do things like give you extra lives and super moves. At the expense of how your score moves up.
As well as the campaign, you have other game modes that you can enjoy. These need to be unlocked by playing through the campaign. There is an arcade mode, boss rush, and the ability to play any level you want. Arcade mode is really awesome as it challenges you with beating the game with one credit!
I could not be happier with how Streets of Rage 4 turned out. Does it top Streets of Rage 2 as my favorite in the series? I would have to say no, but this is a fantastic return for the series and a game I am sure I will play through time and time again.
