Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The streets are alive with the sound of rage. Back when Beat ‘em ups were on top of the
world, there were a couple series that were king, and one of them was Streets of Rage.
And while the first game will always be a classic, Streets of Rage 2 improved on everything
that was great about the first game to make a game that is arguably even better.
Mr. X has returned and so has his syndicate, and it is up to Max, Axel, Blaze, and Skate
to save the city. This is done by going through the streets and beating up every enemy that
appears. Each character has gotten an overhauled move set, with many more option available
for taking out the syndicate. This makes for the combat to feel even more rewarding, as
it requires a little more strategy than just mashing the attack button. Also, each enemy
now has their own life bar, which comes in handy when having to prioritize which enemy
to attack.
But you are not just limited to your fists. Returning is the ability to pick up and use
weapons. Using these has been tweaked too, as you can now throw them at will. There are
not too many things more satisfying than taking out an entire street of thugs with a lead
pipe. It is a little disappointing to see the police attack taken out. That was always
my favorite part. But instead, it has been replaced with each character getting their
own special move, but performing takes away a little health. This requires you to use
a little bit more wits while cleaning up the streets.
And speaking of the street, said streets have been largely expanded. They are much longer
than before with each level now having multiple areas, and each one having a mini-boss and
then a main boss at the end. There is a good amount of detail and I like the elemental
effects. Although I always hate it when enemies are behind the foreground objects and you
can’t see who is attacking you. I’m playing it here on the Playstation 3, which gives
the game just that extra level of polish and makes the game look truly outstanding.
While the Beat ‘em up genre has fallen by the wayside, it doesn’t change the fact
that they are still insanely fun. You need to find a friend, and play the local co-op.
It is still tremendously fun to clean up the raging streets with a friend.