Streets of Rage IV - Survival Mode DLC and Anniversary Editions Out Now

[Down by Law]

I'd say

 

Max and Shiva are more likely as they are legacy characters with already animated movesets.

 

 

I don't think it needs a block - just less bullshit! Why give the kickboxers armour in the start up of the flying knee? Why do Suzies leg kicks and Big Ben's swan dive have such insane tracking? Why give those Karate guys invinciblilty, a multi hit punch that let's you be comboed into other enemies, a fast instant knockout that sends you straight out the nearest window? Why can Kickboxers block every hit of your air special so you stop just in front of them for them to either triple kick you which can't be interrupted, or flying knee that's got armour properties? Even the low level dickheads with hands down the trousers have a headbutt with armour on it! The games cheap as fuck. It's a good job that despite all this it's still fun to play, but there's no way I would play this game for high scores like the original trilogy because all the random bullshit in it would drive me nuts. 

[Popo]

If they do that @grindmouse I’d like to put

Spoiler

Shiva

on the wish list too. 
 

Is this harder than 3? I’m not sure. It’s really hard though. It always ground my gears that SoR 3 literally blocked you from playing the later stages on easy mode, but was then so difficult on normal mode I rarely if ever was able to see them on merit. 

 

First thing me and my brother always did when loading up SoR 2 was go right to the options, lower the difficulty, upped the continues to max then got down to beating the helpless enemies. 

[Popo]

@Down by Law that’s pretty much spot on, the game is so cheap at times. Enemies that have that invulnerability wind-up to a multi-phased grab move that tracks you across all 4 corners of the screen are hereby directed to get into the ocean at once. 

[Lorfarius]

I restarted on easy  finally got passed it to finish the game. Then when it unlocked retro Axel I used him to walk right through the previous bit I'd been stuck on.

[Klatrymadon]

5 hours ago, SweatyTravolta said:

I've just had to install Joy2Key in the year of our lord 2020 because the game doesn't recognise my Hori arcade stick. PC games ladies and gentlemen.

 

I've been having headaches with loads of Steam games since I installed a Brook UFB in my stick. Most of the time I can fix the issue by opening Big Picture mode, going to Library and selecting the game in question, then choosing "manage game" > "controller options", and switching from "global settings" to "forced off". The games will usually detect the stick after a restart. I don't have SOR4 yet but I reckon this'll be worth a try!

[Down by Law]

I mean come on the karate guys have invinciblilty against an Iron Pipe but not a Mop? Why?! The weapons are complete shit to be honest, I'd rather turn them off. 

[JLM]

There are counters to pretty much everything you've mentioned though, and I like the strategy they add to the game.

 

The Commissioner's grab can be jumped. His regular grab he flashes red before he does it, and you can either blitz, jump or defensive special. Or knock him down and he'll stop going for it until he flashes red again. His second phase grab is also avoidable by jumping.

 

The karate guys only have armour if you hit them when they do the parry animation. They only do that one inch punch move that launches if you hit them when they're looking to counter you. I don't think that's cheap at all. You trigger the parry if  you stand in front of them for a bit. After they drop their arms there's a window before they can do it again so you can get a free hit. Alternatively you can just walk up and grab them because they can't attack when going the parry unless you hit them. You can't hit them whenever you want or jab jab blitz them to death, but I really like that about them.

 

Suzie's jump kick is still avoidable if you keep moving and control the crowd well. You can use the ranges to make them do it when you want them to do it. If you're fighting other enemies as well you have to avoid committing to your full combo or a blitz until they've done the jump kick. You have to manage them in a specific way, and again I don't think it's a bad thing. You also have a one button invincible move to counter it. Also you if you do keep moving and manipulating the ranges you can minimise how often they throw it out.  I've gone from getting hit by it 100% of the time to being annoyed with myself for getting hit by it after only a couple of days with the game.

 

The kick boxers are extremely vulnerable to grabs because they block so much. Their instant kick combo is frustrating I'll agree. I don't think the armour on the knee is a problem. They tend to do this on wake up with the armour and you need to react to it or let them get up.
 

The guys with the hands in their pockets only do the armoured headbutt if you’re close to them when they’re getting up too. You can bait it or you can let them get up. 

 

In SOR2 almost every enemy could be meaty attacked or exploited to death when they're getting up, I love that so many enemies in this game have specific counters to this.

 

Then there are the taser cops, who have a grab that *is* impossible to avoid on reaction, but if you knock them down and make them drop the taser they're helpless.

 

Some of the more instant moves that are unreactable are a bit annoying, but all of the enemies with armour or moves that require specific counters are a very welcome addition to me.

 

Also SOR2 has so much bullshit! It’s one of my favourite games of all time but the ninjas and the bikers have instant unavoidable attacks, Barbon has instant attacks. Some bosses can get out of hitstun when it suits them. R. Bear is an exercise in sheer frustration and needs an exploit to beat him comfortably in high difficulties. The electras have an instant jump kick that they do with no tell whatsoever etc. 
 

So far I think this game is harder than SOR2 but I don’t think it’s less fair. 

[Down by Law]

 

Commissioner grabs you out of the air as evidenced here, and that was the apex of the jump. 

[JLM]

You get invincibility frames at the start of your jump. If you're already in the air he can get you. That fight with the combination of both of them is a nightmare don't get me wrong, but I still contend that the majority of examples listed are counterable.I love that a lot of them are specifically designed to blow up all of the habits SOR players have and force us to change our approach.

[Down by Law]

I jumped almost right after the tell. That video is at half speed, you would need absurd reactions to time that jump so you were in the I frames. It's cheap. That doesn't mean it's bad, I'm still having a great time. It's annoying though. 

[BadgerFarmer]

The commissioner's charge attack has a slow enough windup that you can easily avoid it. A lot of the time you can be waiting for him at the other side of the screen to counter as it finishes. The point of the white flashing attacks generally is surely get out of the way.

 

I like all those added touches in this. It means there's a lot to think about and you really have to be careful how you treat each enemy. It's not something this type of game has done to this extent before, and it's a smart move.

 

I do, however, think high score chasing is more trouble than it's worth because of the combo break system. In a busy fight it's almost impossible to stop the odd attack getting through, and to see a lengthy combo wiped out because your attack timing on one enemy meant another could sneak a jab in is far too frustrating. It's not a reliable way of rewarding good performance.

 

I've started a run on Hardest now, and have just finished level 5. Definitely had more success with Adam so far. Level 6 has that insane bit with all the weapons though, so that'll be a major test. 

[CarloOos]

Pretty sure I just ignored the Commissioner in that fight (unless he was in my way) and battered Estel. Then again I'm not chasing ranks.

 

I'm a straight up bad beat'em'up player but I've found counters to almost all moves you've listed @Down by Law, most of it is just recognising when not to hit or going for a grab.

 

Also lol at the idea that SoR2 was never cheap, the last few levels were absolutely ridiculous.

[Down by Law]

I agree with most of your comments the problem is a lot of those strats only work 1 on 1. Trying to avoid Suzies kick when Big Ben is rolling about (with armour of course ) or trying to avoid the commissioner (in that clip I'm hitting Estel, then jumping toward her when he scoops me out the air) combined with the juggle system, entire health bars melt away in seconds. Hard mode you only get two lives, and if you don't combo, you can't earn more, so your really forced to lean into the combo system, so it's really, really tough. Oddly balanced though, as stages 1-5 I did first time, 6 and 7 were nails, 8 I did first go but 9 is nails rock solid - I haven't even got to the boss yet. 

 

SoR2 only gets real tough from the beach onwards imo. 

[CarloOos]

I will concede that repeatedly getting knocked down the hole on the docks/out the windows in the elevator annoyed me at the time, but I don't think it's cheap, it's a lesson. I suspect that trying to keep at least one of the windows intact and staying the right side of it is probably the best approach. 

[Pob]

Bah if you go off a ledge or down a hole, you should lose a life! This game is much fairer and easier than any brawler from back in the day. There’s no one I’ve met yet like that cunt with the claws from SOR1.  

[Down by Law]

End of chapter 9 spoiler 

 

 

when Ms. Y turns on the music and the gang scream in pain that totally should have been a Streets of Rage 3 track , also, it looks like there's a spectator in the style of the Shenmue 3 chobu chan in the audience at the Max fight

 

[SweatyTravolta]

2 hours ago, Klatrymadon said:

 

I've been having headaches with loads of Steam games since I installed a Brook UFB in my stick. Most of the time I can fix the issue by opening Big Picture mode, going to Library and selecting the game in question, then choosing "manage game" > "controller options", and switching from "global settings" to "forced off". The games will usually detect the stick after a restart. I don't have SOR4 yet but I reckon this'll be worth a try!

Thanks for the advice and hopefully it helps some others but I'm using the Xbox app because of Gamepass. Free* games for the win!

 

*Not free

[Jackson]

Last night in 3 parts...

- Wife and sister saw me play a bit of this, "looks stupid".

- Convinced them to join me for 5 minutes.

- Completed the game without taking our eyes off the screen (Easy mode obvs).

[Ry]

Watched a guy beat mania without losing a life. Also killed the retro bosses. 

 

Seems Blaze is the shit. 

[Wiper]

8 hours ago, SweatyTravolta said:

I've just had to install Joy2Key in the year of our lord 2020 because the game doesn't recognise my Hori arcade stick. PC games ladies and gentlemen.

 

I will say that it's completely worth the effort because with cross save I was able to seamlessly continue my progress from the Xbox but with an infinitely superior control method. The game just flows so much easier with that three button layout.

 

Yeah, I had to do the same with my joypad - it seems the Windows Store version of the game specifically doesn't recognise 'generic USB' game controllers, only 360 controller-adjacent ones. From what I've read, the Steam version doesn't have this problem, so hopefully it's just another symptom of the Windows Store version being a patch behind the Steam version (as opposed to it being a Microsoft Store mandated thing that games on it not support unsigned controllers...).

[bcofn]

Really been enjoying this so far. Feels like a good evolution over SoR2 like that was over the first one. Only downside so far has been trying to play with a friend on the xbox last night and we had to give up after 4 stages since we were getting issues on every set of screens almost. I got dc'd twice and he would end up with his screen freezing until it loaded in a new part of a stage or finished a level. He could still move fight on my screen though so I ended up having to talk him through the pier stage to avoid the pits and then he just stood in a corner and kept attacking on the boss. Was pretty funny I had to talk him over to the chicken at one point to keep him alive and then he ended up accidentally getting a juggle in off the screen edge to get the last hit in on the boss. We gave up after that.

[Skull Commander]

I had a wee update today on xbox. Not too sure what it was for, but maybe worth trying online again in case it helps. 

[Pob]

This feels like what a Saturn sequel to SOR3 could’ve been like if they continued with the series. Or maybe the Dreamcast. 
 

Could the Saturn have done this kind of game?

 

Why was there never a Streets 4 back in the day?

[Popo]

They experimented with a 3D version but no, there wasn’t. Just one of Sega’s successful IPs that failed to make an appearance on the Saturn. You’ve got to put it in the context of what the PlayStation was doing with 3D and how cool the brand was, Sega shat the bed big time. It’s not like now where retro = cool, everything had to be 3D just to stay standing still. 
 

We did get Dynamite Dekka/Die Hard Arcade though, which was basically SoR in 3D. And obviously there’s now Yakuza which is a brawler par excellence, so the DNA did survive. 

[Kayin Amoh]

1 hour ago, Ry said:

Seems Blaze is the shit. 

This has never been in doubt. Ever.

 

Also, glad to see some people also annoyed with the prevalence of super armour. I love the game to bits, but I’d have happily had that particular mechanic relegated to higher difficulties. 

[Pob]

Yes, I was just thinking that it would presumably have been in the style of Die Hard Arcade, what with the obsession with ‘Virtua’ stuff at the time. The graphical style of SOR4 really reminds me of Street Fighter Alpha, which is what made me wonder if a Saturn or DC Streets game in this style was ever on the cards. 

[Benny]

This is proper brilliant. Game of the year brilliant.

[CarloOos]

Didn't Fighting Force on the PS1 start out as a potential Streets of Rage sequel?

 

 

[Joystick Chevron]

If I could patch it, all I'd change is the prevalence of super armour, nerf the shit out of Commissioner, make Estele and Nu Shiva playable, and include an option to keep the new soundtrack except for using the classic character select, round clear, and SoR2 end credits piece.

 

Man, that end credits piece makes me warm and fuzzy even now, some 25+ years later. Mighty tempted to open the windows and play it super loud once the pandemic finally ends, it's perfect 'been through some shit but it's over and the sun's coming up' music.

[Jackson]

What is super armour?