The roadmap of a future DLC for Streets of Rage 4 was clear to me from the moment I laid hands on the celebrated continuation of the classic. However, Guard Crush Games has managed to surprise me again very pleasantly with its new addition and enrich, even more if possible, an already excellent game. I tell you about it in the analysis of Streets of Rage 4: Mr. X Nightmare.

Streets of Rage 4 is one of the most brilliant beat ’em up exercises ever done in the 21st century. Developed by a team of true “me versus the hood” enthusiasts, Guard Crush Games has not only lived up to the myth; has been able to study it with such devotion that it shines with its own light in a saga canonized by any fan of the greatest Sega . And it is true that the first designs did not arouse the sympathy of the fans, but it was when I put myself at their controls that, truly, I was moved by what my eyes saw. A celebration of what the words Streets of Rage meantthat enjoyed the general quorum of the ever-demanding retro fan: it was brilliant.

It was perfect? Fortunately or unfortunately, I could not stop thinking about two or three details that surprised me that kept him from such a great rating. Anyone would think at his controls where the shots would come before a more than expected continuation of the game in DLC mode and few have erred. Not being able to select the Shiva from Streets of Rage 4 or the work done with characters like Estel and Max left me in no doubt: sooner rather than later we would be playing with them. And after playing with the three new characters in Mr. X Nightmare I guarantee that a more than competent job for the DLC would have already been signed, but Guard Crush Games insists on continuing to surprise us and showing new reasons to continue filling its production with praise.

What are the additions that Mr. X Nightmare has taken to Streets of Rage 4 to a new level ? How to improve what seemed unbeatable? What has Guard Crush Games learned from the release of the original software in spring 2020? I tell you all its keys in the analysis of Streets of Rage 4: Mr. X Nightmare .

Much more than three new characters

Estel, Shiva and Max add a lot to Streets of Rage 4 . They are characters that have nothing to do with the heroes already released in the original software and complement their mechanics with new ways of approaching the mechanics designed by the studio and taking them to new and impossible combos. Starting with the best known of the new arrivals, the fighter Max, modernizes the classic character from Streets of Rage 2 . Perhaps it would have been positive to give his appearance a facelift as they have done with the triple protagonist of the original Streets of Rage, but it is worth noting that the work carried out with the updating of Max is at the same level as the rest of the characters.

Despite keeping many of the character mechanics from the classic sequel, the new Max takes advantage of mechanics that allow him to lift the enemy off the ground and continue to execute grappling movements and hard lunges that add more damage and hits to the combo counter. But in mechanics of raising numbers to the chain pineapple marker we have a clear champion: Shiva. The presence of the famous deputy chief has resulted in one of the most interesting protagonists in all of Streets of Rage 4, with aerial mechanics that will delight the followers of Linn Kurosawa in the celebrated Aliens VS. Predator . Its aerial capabilities are multiplied thanks to its specials, designed to kill enemies without touching the ground.

We will have to pass the new survival mode to unlock the nightmare of Mr. XEstel, for her part, bases her mechanics on a large number of stunning moves and the use of her grenades , resulting in a more interesting choice than it might at first appear as one of the main enemies in Streets of Rage 4. A great work done with its explosives and the altered states it causes is mixed with a series of special executions that perfectly complements what we had already seen with other characters. Heroes and villains that we had already seen, true, but that are renewed thanks to the new movements received in the DLC. To do this, we will have to pass the new survival mode and element that gives its name to the new installment of Streets of Rage 4 to unlock them: Mr. X’s nightmare.

Much more than a survival

Because the simple thing would have been to just make a survival mode and relaunch the game on the market, but the reality is much more complicated when you have talented developers who love their creation: the new survival mode, in reality, is quite similar to a roguelike , Who was going to say it. Its operation is simple: Guard Crush Games releases us in the middle of the battle and in each level we attend to a different challenge. We start with a few bullies, we end with some headaches in the form of more respectable threats, and we end with battles in which we must simultaneously face different final enemies at the same time . The only help? New skills that we add at the end of each screen.

The action begins with the conventional character, but adds new power-ups as we advance each new level. Enhancers are not always positive effects; There are times when we will have to choose large bonuses that have negative effects that could complicate our adventure at high levels. We can add different altered states to our attacks, which will punish the criminals who dare to put in front of our Bare Knuckle with fire, poison or electricity . The action takes place on new screens designed for the occasion, some in which the threat comes with the thugs who attack us and others with different traps that will help us and complicate the task even more.. The design of the new stages is great, enlivened with retro sections that will be liked by the classic fans of the series.

The best way to succeed in Infinite Survival? To train. For this, Guard Crush Games has also created a new training mode that will allow players to put into practice all the movements of the software. Users will be able to create combats with all the enemies of the game, which will allow users to battle in completely chaotic scenarios that we would not see in the original software. The training mode, very complete and well worked, is enlivened with a tutorial that will allow you to know all the ins and outs of each character in Streets of Rage 4 with comfortable combo exercises that you can later execute in the real game.

Bare Knuckle musical

Do you remember what I told you about the music of Streets of Rage 4 back in the day? Well, forget it . I think the composers have understood what many users criticized in their day and have gotten to work in survival mode, composing some songs that have already become my favorites from the fourth installment. It sounds like Koshiro, it sounds like Streets of Rage and therefore it sounds wonderful, reaching excellence at the last point they needed to make the fourth part of Streets of Rage the best game in the franchise without any doubt.

It’s hard not to surrender to the evidence of the great work done by Guard Crush GamesIt’s hard not to surrender to the evidence of the great work done by Guard Crush Games and I’m just waiting for the moment to find out what they will have on their hands in the future. My wish list: a beat ’em up of my own that doesn’t lean on any other franchise. I would kill to see what they are capable of without having to rely on any well-known brand. There is a lot of talent in the French team and I think they have more than shown their quality with a challenge that not many appreciate: it was very difficult to live up to Streets of Rage with a new fourth installment, but they have taken it upon themselves to squash any doubts with good taste, good work and good ideas that have complemented a genre that seems dead, but can still give a lot of itself .

Streets of Rage 4: Mr. X Nightmare is a must-have DLC for any fan of beat’em up in general and Streets of Rage in particular. A new tribute denied by Sega in which third parties have had to do justice to a mythical brand . Is not perfect? No, but it doesn’t need it either: it ‘s brilliant .