Retro street fighter
Streets of Rage 4 by DotEmu is a retro-style, beat-'em-up arcade-style fighter. It takes the series and levels it up with new graphics and controls while returning the old characters of Adam, Axel, and Blaze. The creators also keep timeless electronic dance music.
Gameplay
The goal of the game is to fight your way through 12 levels as you destroy the crime syndicate that threatens the city. You can rest easy beating opponents with different tactics, as the game autosaves your progress.
You have an abundance of people to choose from, including some new faces. Each character has a playstyle, and you can unlock veteran characters when you reach the end. Replayability is excellent. Furthermore, the fighter includes playing with four friends offline or one person over the internet.
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Graphics and feel
DotEmu did a good job of updating the look of the game without stripping away the retro beat-'em-up feel. The visuals are hand-drawn while still retaining a smooth feel.
The developers revamped the music, giving it a nostalgic yet new feeling. With the stellar graphics, it is surprising that you can use it on a computer with 4 GB RAM and of any OS after Windows 7.
Alternatives
When you take this edition and compare it to the older Streets of Rage, this one stands out as the best. The playstyle significantly improved to keep the game evolving. Even the remakes don't surpass SoR 4 in terms of visuals and gameplay.
Fight'N Rage is another retro fighter that got a recent upgrade up to par with SoR. However, it does a much better job than Streets on the smoothness of the gaming, and it features better replayability.
Solid Title
If you enjoyed the previous editions of the Streets series, you will want to get this one. It improves upon the look, controls, and story. If you are looking for a brawler, you won't be disappointed by this game.
