Streets of Rage 4

Streets of Rage 4 is everything I could have wanted from a true Streets of Rage sequel. I’m satiated. But Streets of Rage, as a series, is a time capsule from a different, simpler era. While it’s blunt and repetitive, it also manifests a relaxing social space with ease. Call it video games as loitering. The music is as good as it’s ever been in the series. The stages and characters are beautiful, reimagining the original trilogy’s ’90s locales and punk-inspired band of baddies in a way that stands up to those games without scarring modern eyes. The action itself is so simple that you can get lost in a conversation about, well, anything as you play.