'Streets Of Rage 4' Trailer Released

UPDATE: Composer Yuzo Koshiro has noted that he currently doesn't have anything to say about his involvement with Streets of Rage 4. But...it's not a denial. Hmmm.

Thanks guys. I think I understand what you are expecting. But currently I can say nothing about the SOR4 things right here. I hope you guys understand...

— 古代祐三 (@yuzokoshiro) August 27, 2018

ORIGINAL STORY: It's hard to believe that it's been almost 25 years since we've seen anything in the Streets of Rage series. At one point, this was the unbeatable side-scrolling beat-em-up game, even putting Final Fight on notice with its brilliant brawling tactics and awesome Yuzo Koshiro soundtracks. It's been a long wait, but we're happy to confirm that the Rage is returning!

This morning, Dotemu, still riding high off of its recent announcement of Windjammers 2 last week, confirmed that it was working alongside Sega on Streets of Rage 4, which is currently in development at Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games. The first trailer for the game can be seen above, re-introducing two iconic characters into the fold: a heavily bearded Axel Stone, and a versatile Blaze Fielding.

There are some brief gameplay segments thrown in with the anime-style introductions for each character, and the game looks to be spot-on with its fighting tactics, including combos, special moves and more. What's more, some of the enemies from the Streets of Rage saga look to be back as well, along with some new faces, including a lady who appears to have some form of an "electric snake," if you will. The game also looks to have co-op back with a vengeance, which will likely be both online and local.

Here's some descriptive details from the official Streets of Rage 4 page:

"Featuring hand-drawn visuals from the team behind 2017's gorgeous Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap remake, Streets of Rage 4 builds upon the classic trilogy's gameplay with new mechanics, a fresh story and a gauntlet of dangerous stages with a serious crime problem. Streets of Rage 4 recalls classic gameplay but it stands as an entirely original arcade-style romp thanks to the expertise of Guard Crush Games and Dotemu.

Whether players gang up with a friend or clean up the city solo, Streets of Rage 4 is a skull-bashing, chicken-chomping delight all set to a thumping soundtrack sure to get your blood pumping."

There are still some questions to be answered, such as:

-Will other favorite characters be returning, like Adam, Max and Skate?

-Will Yuzo Koshiro be handling the soundtrack in any way?

-What platforms is the game for? There still aren't confirmed platforms yet, though Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch would be ideal.

We'll probably find out the answers to these and more soon enough as the game will be at PAX West this week, but for now, let's rejoice in the fact that Streets of Rage is finally making some form of comeback. It's about time.

Look for more information on Streets of Rage 4 soon!