River City Girls

River City Girls is one of the most beautiful beat'em up in recent years, and one of the best experiences of the genre, achieves an evolution within the Kunio-kun series, although it can be repetitive, it is an experience that any fan of the genre can not miss.

Not since Scott Pilgrim vs The World was released nine years ago have we played such an entertaining, satisfying beat ‘em up. Whether you’re playing alone or teaming up with a friend in co-op mode, River City Girls is a visually superb, aurally fantastic, out-and-out love letter to the genre. Fans of River City Ransom and other Kunio-kun games will adore how it respects the past but makes it relevant today, while those new to the series will simply find a hugely enjoyable and infectiously cheerful scrapper.

As a combination between the River City and Downtown areas, River City Girls’ town warmly welcomes all fans of the long-running River City Ransom series. For new players, the cute, poppy characters and the over-the-top battles should feel entertaining enough. However, the story is not tightly plotted, and generally not interesting enough for someone not familiar with the genre.

River City Girls could have just been a fun retread of some arcade-style fighting with some good new stuff and some bad new stuff. To a degree, it is - there are bits here like the money system and the co-op that could have been a little less unfriendly to deal with. But with a hearty dose of style and some great writing, it lifts itself up into a great little retro-styled treat for the beat-em-up inclined. Maybe not for everyone, and especially if you’re not up for a challenge, but I sure had some fun.

River City Girls is a beat'em-up that brings back many elements of its predecessors, as well as new and varied characteristics that spice up the combat system. River City Girls also features a marvelously funny plot, characters that easily stand out and wonderful animations, which all make their contribution towards this being a game that even players who don't usually pay attention to beat'em-ups will enjoy.

This frantic high school beat’em up is a breath of fresh air for the River City franchise. Thus, despite having small flaws, it becomes a really replayable game with a great artistic section.

River City Girls is a vibrant, colorful, and surprisingly fresh take on the classic beat ’em up series. While small annoyances may hinder its pacing, the overall package from WayForward still packs a few good kicks and punches.

River City Girls is a great brawler, and though I wouldn’t say it rises above its genre, it’s still an excellent example of one. Either solo or with a friend, you’ll have a good time.

When I finally wrapped up River City Girls, I thought I would have a feeling of completion. Although the game was filled with many quirky moments and dialogue to laugh along with, it never really became great. There is a ton of attention to detail, especially with smaller animations in the nooks and crannies of River City. Maybe I should have curbed my expectations? I’m not quite sure. When it was all said and done, the experience didn’t provide that end-to-end satisfaction I was searching for. Bugs aside, River City Girls has a lot going for it; however, it still has plenty of room to grow.

River City Girls is as bubbly as the pop song that soundtracks its intro cinematic would lead you to believe. With all-around excellent art direction, you'll be hard-pressed to find a game this year with more style and confidence than River City Girls. While the first few hours are a slog as you level up and learn the ropes, once your moveset grows bigger, any encounter is a blast full of combos, and yes, dabbing. Just be sure to bring a friend along for the ride, as it's much harder to brave alone.