You don’t make up for your sins in church, you do it in the streets
It was a long wait, but it proved completely worth it. We knew it was going to be good, and itstillexceeded expectations. Following a hiatus of two decades plus, Sega’s iconic ’90s brawlerStreets of Ragefinally returned in 2020, sporting a brand new look, an instantly recognizable sound, and the same button-pounding, face-smashing action that had entertained many a Sega Genesis owner in one of gaming’s most golden eras.
A passion project of developers DotEmu, Guard Crush Games, and Lizardcube,Streets of Rage 4absolutely delivered on all levels, offering a great-looking, great-sounding, and compelling gameplay experience. It was like the franchise had never left. And the key to this fantastic release lies in one word: Evolution. WhileStreets of Rage 4undoubtedly felt like a genuine series sequel, the dev team ensured that it brought new depth, quality, and longevity befitting a 2020 release.
And with today’s launch of theMr. X NightmareDLC, the trio of studios once again finds ways to reinvent one of the oldest wheels in gaming, further blending the repetitive combat of the brawler genre with the finesse, style, and expertise on a top-tier one-on-one fighter. Sporting new characters, new modes, new music, new moves, and much more, theMr. X NightmareDLC brings incredibly welcome additions toSoR 4.Better yet, it evolves the title beyond its already splendid status.
Perhaps the main draw of Mr. X Nightmare, for many, will be the addition of three new characters, all of whom felt oddly conspicuous by their absence in the original release. Leading the charge is my personal fave: powerhouse copEstel Aguirre, who has seen the corruption driving Oak Wood City’s police force and has turned her Krav Maga skills andthoseshoulders to the side of our vigilante force. Estel utilizes a crunchy MMA combat style, complete with Superman Punches and ground-and-pound takedowns, while also utilizing crowd control weaponry for when things get too close for comfort. Estel does not dash, but makes up for her lack of speed in raw punching power, while her double-leg takedown coversa lotof distance.
Returning from the roster ofStreets of Rage 2is former pro-wrestlerMax Thunder,who was kicked out of the business for “refusing to throw a fight”. Ilovethe ’90s. Old-school Max heads will be pleased to hear that his knuckle bomb, dropkick, front choke, and German Suplex are all present and correct, (although his previously devastating Atomic Drop fromSoR 2isn’tquiteas OP as it was in the original). Max also cannot dash, but does retain his classic rolling shoulder charge which, again, helps the meathead cover a lot of ground quickly.
The final character is ex-bad boyShiva, who has turned from his life of crime to the solemn teachings of Buddist philosophy. Shiva is anexcellentcharacter and may prove to be one of the game’s S-tier protagonists. Shiva has a selection of beautiful-looking martial arts maneuvers at his disposal, as well as game-best agility. Equipped with a dash so fast he almost cuts the air, as well as an air dash, Shiva can skip around the arena better than perhaps any other roster member. In a wonderful touch, Shiva despises weapons and as such he cannot hold them, but hecankick-flip them off the ground before sending them hurtling toward the enemy. It’s anincrediblysatisfying tactic.
The second major addition inMr X. Nightmareis the titularSurvival Mode, in which we find our heroes stepping inside a Holodeck-style VR machine, constructed bySoR 3′s Dr. Zan. In this mode, Up to four players take on a host of villains pulled from the entireStreets of Ragefranchise, (‘member that clown with the whip?), facing off with the bad dudes in a variety of virtual arenas. Electrified wrestling rings, abandoned factories, even a quick trip to the dawn of time — players will take on round after round of increasingly difficult enemies, armed with a single life, on-site weaponry, and a variety of buffs and effects that can be applied at the end of each round. All of the ensuing chaos is backed with an expanded soundtrack, featuring a selection of great new tracks fromSonic ManiacomposerTee Lopes.
For those who have all but wrung the Arcade Mode dry, Survival Mode hopes to be the long-term replacement, offering scaling difficulties, unlockable artwork, and bonuses for each and every playable character, including the old-school iterations of Axel and chums. Survival Mode also facilitates perhaps the most low-key but the biggest addition to Mr. X Nightmare: Fully unlockable and customisable movesets.
As players progress through the Survival Mode, they will unlock new moves for every character in the game. That’s new dash attacks and specials. Once unlocked, players can switch these moves in and out for every mode inStreets of Rage 4. Essentially, players will have the opportunity to build their own custom special/dash moveset for their favorite characters, opening up the incredible potential for new combos and strategies. This is a fantastic addition to the depth and longevity ofSoR 4. Not only can you now fine-tune your playstyle with your best bro/gal, but you can also master combos facilitated by your own bespoke moveset. That’s fuckingawesome.Another testament to the developer’s wise decision to designSoR 4as afighting game, as opposed to a straight brawler (in before “Why Can’t Axel Dash?”)
Today also brings a free update forallplayers, which adds an in-depthTraining Mode, perfect for honing your justice-bringing beatdowns skills. The mode features almost all of the features you’d expect in a training mode for, say,Street Fighter, and even allows you to select any villains in the game, in almost any number, and choose exactly where to place them on the playing area, thus creating the perfect situational offensive and defensive tactics. For die-hardSoR 4fans, the mode will eat up hours of your time. Also included in the update are a newly written tutorial, a selection of cool palette swaps for the roster, and the challenging “Mania+” difficulty setting, increasing enemy speed, frequency, and damage, dropping your chosen hero with a few cheeky few slaps. Ow.
TheMr. X NightmareDLC retails for $7.99, a modest price for three hand-animated characters, an expanded soundtrack, two new modes, and the customisable moveset option — a feature that practically reinvents the game. While many fighting titles would offer a single DLC character for a similar price, the affordable eight buck price tag is just the final cherry (Hunter) on the cake, makingMr. X Nightmarean absolute must-have for each and everySoR 4player.
TheStreets of Rage 4: Mr. X NightmareDLC is an absolute no-brainer. This quality expansion offers three excellent and unique characters, a compelling Survival Mode, and greater gameplay depth for a modest fee. Meanwhile, the free update adds a brilliant training tool for those who have adoptedSoR 4as a regular haunt and offers an increased challenge for the most hardened of street sluggers. Simply put, one of the best brawlers ever made has just gotten even better.
We’re just one Roo away from perfection…
[These impressions are based on a retail build of the DLC provided by the publisher.]
