Streets of Rage 4 revives the old-school beat-em-up with gorgeous hand-painted art and a soundtrack that slaps. Air combos and the health-recovery system add modern bite. With four players, it's a nostalgic feast.
Your verdict
Category
Beat-'Em-Up4 players12+
Co-op
Description
The series' heroes return to clean up a city given over to crime. Published by Dotemu, released worldwide in 2020. Snappy brawling built on extended combos, characters with distinct styles, hand-drawn animation and co-op for up to four.
Streets of Rage 4 review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
2/5
Story
★★★★★
"Classic"
The cult beat-'em-up returns in vibrant hand-drawn art: neon city streets, nervy comic linework and a punchy candied palette. This modern reinterpretation, faithful to the Mega Drive spirit yet enhancing it, proves a classic can be reborn without betraying its roots.
Olivier Deriviere orchestrates an electrifying return to neon-lit nights, backed by series fathers Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima. House, drum'n'bass and synth pads modernize the Mega Drive spirit without betraying it. Every punch lands on the beat of taut basslines: a brawler that pulses as hard as it hits.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
Throwing punches has rarely felt this clean: every blow links into readable aerial combos, and the health you reclaim by staying aggressive nudges you toward bold play. The snappy pacing, precise hitboxes and hand-drawn animation make for brawling that answers to the frame. It's a beat'em-up engine that still holds up beautifully, especially with four players.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Every hit lands with a gratifying heft, and chaining combos, throws and weapons scooped off the ground delivers an immediate rush. With two or more, the streets become a neo-retro playground where colors explode. This flamboyant reimagining of a classic fuses raw energy with modern readability, and makes you want to start the whole thing over at once.
The beat-'em-up is reborn with stage bosses that demand hitbox reading, juggle management and the choice between safe or risky damage through the special-health bar. Each guardian floods the screen with telegraphed yet punishing attacks, from the electric boxer to the crooked commissioner, setting a tempo where grabbing a pipe or katana off the floor reshapes the whole exchange.
An underrated gem
Plenty of players filed this under pure nostalgia, but the comeback does far more than dust off a sleeping legend. Its fully hand-drawn animation, electric color palette and combo system built around recoverable health give it a texture few modern beat'em ups match. Somewhat lost behind louder blockbusters, it reveals real depth in co-op, rewarding anyone who'd rather read a fight than just mash buttons.
Better with friends
Up to four of you pummel through stylish streets in rhythm: the retro co-op lives on mutual support, reviving teammates and stringing team combos together. But the brawl quickly heats up, between accidental friendly fire and a crowded screen that breeds joyful pandemonium. Waves of enemies and bosses bond the group as much as they spark bickering. A snappy brawler, easy to fire up for a couch night with friends.
Is Streets of Rage 4 still worth playing in 2026?
Streets of Rage 4 pulls off the delicate feat of reviving a cult beat-'em-up series without betraying it. The brawling is snappy, readable, and the extended-combo system with health recovery adds a real layer of skill. The hand-drawn animation is gorgeous and the soundtrack alternates between homage and modernity. The solo content stays a touch short, but co-op for up to four extends the fun. For a genre fan or a Mega Drive nostalgic, it is an exemplary sequel, one of the finest recent retro revivals.
