Sometimes the gaming industry unexpectedly brings back projects that seemed to be forever in the past. This is exactly what happened with Streets of Rage 4, the sequel to the legendary beat ’em up series, which in the early 90s was one of the main reasons to turn on the Sega Mega Drive after school.

The original Streets of Rage parts have become a true symbol of the arcade fighting era. The simple formula of walking down the street and dealing blows to crowds of enemies actually hid the surprisingly deep gameplay, excellent music and the atmosphere of a criminal city where former policemen themselves become the arbiters of justice.

When the developers announced the new installment more than twenty years after Streets of Rage 3, many players reacted to the news with caution. Too often, such returns turn into an attempt to play on nostalgia. But Streets of Rage 4 turned out to be a completely different story.

It’s not just a remaster or a careful copy of old games. This is a full-fledged sequel that respects the legacy of the series while adapting it to modern standards.

Why Streets of Rage 4 was waiting for fans of classic games

Fans of retro games have long talked about Streets of Rage as a series that deserves a comeback. The reason is simple: the beat ’em up genre has practically disappeared from major releases.

In the era of complex RPGs and giant open worlds, games where you just have to go ahead and fight your opponents have become rare. But that’s where their special charm lies.

Streets of Rage 4 brings back that same feeling of the old arcades:

• fast and clear battles;
• levels that are completed in one evening;
• local co-op on the couch;

Enjoy the simple but perfectly honed gameplay.

At the same time, the game does not look like an outdated project. On the contrary, it demonstrates how you can carefully update a classic formula without destroying its foundation.

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Streets of Rage 4 gameplay is a classic beat ’em up with modern mechanics

Combat system and combo attacks

The first thing you feel after just a couple of minutes of the game is that the combat system here is incredibly responsive. The blows feel heavy, and each hit is accompanied by clear animation and a sound effect that creates a pleasant feeling of power.

At first glance, everything looks very simple. There are basic punches, jumps, grapples and special attacks. But if you start experimenting, the system opens up much deeper.

The player can build long combos, juggle opponents in the air, and use the environment to continue attacking. It’s especially nice to watch the enemy literally fly off half the screen after a successful hit.

Over time, you begin to realize that Streets of Rage 4 rewards an aggressive style of play. The more actively you combine punches, the faster the streets are cleared of another gang.

It is this balance between simplicity and depth that makes the game interesting even after a few hours of playing.

Weapons, special strikes, and a health recovery system

Weapons have always been an important part of the series, and this element has been retained in the new game. On the levels, you can pick up knives, pipes, bottles, electric batons and other items that significantly enhance the character.

But the developers have also added an important innovation — a system of temporary loss of health when using special attacks.

When a hero uses a powerful special strike, part of his health becomes “potential”. If you continue attacking enemies immediately after that, this strip can be restored. If you get hit, your health will disappear completely.

This decision greatly changes the dynamics of the battle. The player has to constantly take risks and attack in order to regain health.

These mechanics make the fights much more intense and dynamic.

Cooperative mode and co-op play

One of the main reasons Streets of Rage has always been loved is the co—op.

In the fourth part, the developers not only preserved this tradition, but also expanded it. Now you can play the game with your friends, combining attacks from different characters and literally wreaking havoc on the screen.

Playing together creates a completely different rhythm of passing. Instead of cautiously moving forward, a real fight without rules begins.

The cooperative is especially good due to several features:

• the ability to combine attacks from different heroes;
• joint finishing off of opponents;
• chaotic but very funny mass brawls;

The perfect format for playing on one screen.

It is in the Streets of Rage 4 co-op that reveals itself best.

Streets of Rage 4 characters — familiar heroes and new fighters

The return of Axl, Blaze and Adam

Fans of the series will immediately recognize the main characters. Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding and Adam Hunter return in a new story, and each of them has retained their own personality.

Axel is a classic melee fighter. His punches are powerful, but a little slow.

Blaze remains the most balanced character. She is faster than most opponents and is great for long combos.

Adam, who was absent from the previous installments of the series as a playable character, returns with a more aggressive fighting style and excellent mobility.

Interestingly, each character feels different. These are not just cosmetic differences — the characters really have different playing styles.

New characters and their unique abilities

In addition to familiar faces, new fighters appear in the game.

Cherry Hunter— a young guitarist who uses a musical instrument as a weapon, stands out in particular. Her fighting style is fast and very mobile.

Another interesting character is Floyd Iraia, a huge fighter with cybernetic arms. His punches are slow but incredibly powerful.

Each character in Streets of Rage 4 has their own strengths:

• speed and mobility;
• powerful power strikes;
• long combos;
• crowd control of opponents.

Thanks to this, you want to replay the game to try different fighting styles.

Visual style and music — the atmosphere of the arcade 90s

Manual animation and updated graphics

One of the boldest decisions of the developers was the complete abandonment of pixel graphics. Instead, the game got a bright hand-drawn style with smooth animations.

This may seem strange to retro fans at first. But after a few levels, it becomes clear that this is the right choice.

The characters are animated in great detail. Every movement — from punching to falling of the opponent — looks expressive and lively.

The levels also turned out to be diverse:

• neon streets of the night city;
• noisy bars;
• gloomy dungeons;
• industrial areas.

The artistic style makes the game both modern and nostalgic.

Soundtrack and influence of classical music series

Music has always been the heart of Streets of Rage. In the original games, composer Yuzo Koshiro created one of the most recognizable soundtracks of the era.

In the new part, the developers have preserved this tradition. The soundtrack combines modern electronic music with the motifs of the classic compositions of the series.

Sometimes the tracks sound like club electronica, sometimes like a real retro techno sound from the 90s.

The music perfectly matches what is happening on the screen. When a big fight starts, the rhythm gets faster, and the game literally pushes you to move forward.

This is the case when the soundtrack not only accompanies the game, but enhances its atmosphere.

Is it worth playing Streets of Rage 4 today

Advantages and strengths of the game

Streets of Rage 4 is a rare example of a sequel that truly understands why the original was loved by players.

The main advantages of the game are obvious:

• excellent combat system;
• bright artistic style;
• powerful soundtrack;
• diverse characters;
• excellent cooperative.

The game doesn’t try to be huge or overloaded with mechanics. She’s focused on giving pleasure to every fight.

Does the game have any drawbacks

For all its advantages, Streets of Rage 4 is not perfect.

The main feature of the genre is its repeatability. Despite the variety of levels, the structure of the game remains the same: go ahead and fight the enemies.

For some, this will be part of the charm, but other players may feel that the game reveals all its mechanics too quickly.

Besides, the campaign is quite short. An experienced player can complete it in a few hours.

However, a lot depends on how you perceive the game. Streets of Rage 4 is not a project for hundreds of hours. It’s a concentrated arcade adventure that feels good to come back to over and over again.

And if you like the beat ’em up genre or just want to spend an evening playing a dynamic game with great music and stylish graphics, Streets of Rage 4 is definitely worth a try.

Streets of Rage 4 System Requirements for PC

How to play Streets of Rage 4 for free on Steam via VpeSports

Sometimes, after a long day, you don’t want to deal with complex mechanics and huge open worlds, but just start the game and let off some steam. Streets of Rage 4 is great for that mood. This is the kind of game where everything is clear almost immediately: you walk forward through the streets of the city, enemies appear around you, and a fight begins. Punches, combos, dodges — everything happens quickly and quite spectacularly, but without being overloaded with unnecessary systems.

The Streets of Rage series was once a symbol of street beat ’em up, and the fourth installment feels like a neat continuation of that idea. The city is once again at the mercy of criminal gangs, and familiar characters are returning to deal with it. But the main thing here is not the plot — it rather creates a background. The real pleasure comes from the process itself: from how you gradually begin to feel the fight, understand the timing of strikes and cope with whole groups of opponents.

At first, everything seems pretty simple. But after a while, you start to notice the details: different enemies behave differently, some require different tactics, and the characters have different fighting styles. Some are faster, some are stronger, and some are better at long combos. Because of this, the game gradually opens up — at first it’s just fighting in the streets, and then there is a desire to experiment, try other combinations and complete the levels more carefully.

The atmosphere is felt separately. Streets of Rage 4 has very expressive hand-drawn graphics and music that supports the pace of the game well. All together, it creates the feeling of a classic arcade action game, only in a modern way. That’s why the game is easily addictive — you can literally go to one level and spend a lot more time in it unnoticed.

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