The boys are back in town!! (sunglasses emoji)
Perhaps a touch hyperbolic, but Rise of the Dragons really embodies what I think is the future of the Arcadey Beat-Em-Up. In lieu of a proper write up I'll list out some pros and cons for a quick glance:
---------PROS---------
+ Very straightforward, pick-up-and-play combat with a surprising amount of nuance and tech (CC, cancels, tag specials, upgrades)
+ Sizable amount of varied characters to choose from
+ Modular difficulty options that allow players to tailor to their preferences
+ Cool Tunes
+ Dynamic progression (upgrades, stages)
---------TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT---------
+/- Roguelike structure (no progress saved, no permanent character growth)
+/- Chibi art style reminiscent of other beat-em-ups
---------CONS---------
- Late-game boss variants can feel pretty unfair
- Only 5 stages
- No online
- Some characters take a long time to unlock
All in all, a ton of steps in the right direction for the genre. I'm a big fan of the stage progression in particular; clearing stages raises the threat level in subsequent zones, leading to additional areas and boss variants. For a game that on the surface looks very short, it's key that there's some reason to revisit and try different sequencing, and stages are snappy enough that the "just one more" mentality has a chance to win out. Not what I'd call perfect but so easy to fire up for a couple plays at a time.
Perhaps a touch hyperbolic, but Rise of the Dragons really embodies what I think is the future of the Arcadey Beat-Em-Up. In lieu of a proper write up I'll list out some pros and cons for a quick glance:
---------PROS---------
+ Very straightforward, pick-up-and-play combat with a surprising amount of nuance and tech (CC, cancels, tag specials, upgrades)
+ Sizable amount of varied characters to choose from
+ Modular difficulty options that allow players to tailor to their preferences
+ Cool Tunes
+ Dynamic progression (upgrades, stages)
---------TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT---------
+/- Roguelike structure (no progress saved, no permanent character growth)
+/- Chibi art style reminiscent of other beat-em-ups
---------CONS---------
- Late-game boss variants can feel pretty unfair
- Only 5 stages
- No online
- Some characters take a long time to unlock
All in all, a ton of steps in the right direction for the genre. I'm a big fan of the stage progression in particular; clearing stages raises the threat level in subsequent zones, leading to additional areas and boss variants. For a game that on the surface looks very short, it's key that there's some reason to revisit and try different sequencing, and stages are snappy enough that the "just one more" mentality has a chance to win out. Not what I'd call perfect but so easy to fire up for a couple plays at a time.