River City: Rival Showdown (2023)

When it comes to historical beat-em-up fighting games, few series can match the River City series of games. Not only did they set the tone for the generations to come, but they helped to create a franchise that is still growing to this day. The latest addition to the series, River City: Rival Showdown, will arrive in October. Developed by the revered Arc System Works, can this latest addition to the series build on the foundations of one of the truly great beat-em-up series?

A Revamped Take On A Classic

This take on River City is going to be based on the old River City Ransom games. It takes what made the originals so incredible and builds on them in every meaningful way. Fans of the series will see a range of returning heroes and old rivals emerge, all told through a revamped and modernised take on the RCR story. Fans who have played more modern beat-em-ups like Street of Rage 4 will find a happy blend of nostalgia and modernity waiting for them in this new release.

The game retains the old art style of the origins, using modernisations in the backgrounds and animations to keep it fresh. The classic features and ideas of the old River City Ransom games, though, will be clearly present. There is an obvious ode to the old games whilst still giving fans of the series something entirely new to enjoy. Paired with an interesting storyline – more detailed than most other River City series games – and a great cast of character to pick from, and there is no reason why fans of the series cannot find this modern iteration an extremely enjoyable gaming experience overall.

Bigger & Better Than Before (9/10)

In short, this take on the game will make sure that you get to enjoy a game that comes with a proper story with consequences. Everything you do has some kind of impact on the world, and as you progress your characters will become stronger, faster, and more diverse in their techniques. The end result is going to be a beat-em-up that takes many of the classic series functions and adds to them.

Yes, you will probably feel immediately at home if you have played these games before. There is nothing too revolutionary, but it simply takes many of the best features of the original River City games and adds to them. The end result is a game that is slick, smooth, and has a very exciting and interesting range of characters, stages, and storylines to follow.

Pros

• Excellent range of characters and storylines to help keep the game fresh throughout
• Fun range of characters to pick from, each with the chance for growth between stages
• Excellent fighting mode to help beef out what is already a very filled-out beat-em-up game

Cons

• Remains to be seen how repetitive River City: Rival Showdown might become after several plays