Beat em ups are making a comeback in a big way lately, with titles like 99Vidas, Streets of Rage 4 and more. New beat em ups need something to help them stand out among the crowd of great games, and that is where we come to The TakeOver. The game bills itself as the successor to Streets of Rage and Final Fight, and I can say after playing the game for a bit, that this is accurate but in a very specific way. This is to say that The TakeOver is a successor to specific games in those series rather than the series as a whole.
The TakeOver sees you play as one of three characters on a rescue mission and taking out as many enemies as possible. One thing I love about The TakeOver is that it is not a single button press brawler but actually offers in depth combos and attacks. To elaborate on my earlier point, the game feels like a mix of Streets of Rage 2 and Final Fight 3, incorporating the combos and super moves of the latter game. There are some truly impressive attacks you can do here, and I love the depth of the combat that lets you get really into the action.
In addition to combos, you can build up a super meter in the form of your rage meter which is activated with the touch a button and unleashes more powerful attacks. You can also do super moves that take health and projectile based attacks. Some of the super moves that become available to you at the right time feel over the top in the best way possible and allow you to truly feel powerful. But that isn’t to say the game is a cakewalk, as the enemies are well thought out and will give you a hard time. Throw in the inventive boss fights, and you get a game that is challenging and worth trying.
If gameplay is inspired by Final Fight 3 primarily though, presentation wise is all Streets of Rage. Visually, the game resembles what many wanted Streets of Rage 4 to look like, with the appropriate rough edge and gritty nature, and the setting feels appropriate to that series as well. The game’s audio is well done, if a but stunted in some areas, and does its job well to get players excited for the action. This looks and feels like the next evolution of what 90’s brawlers should have been, and to know that the majority of the work was done by one man is amazing. The game does have an interesting story as well, told in detailed comic book art style panels for maximum effect. Considering how so many brawlers keep story to a minimum, I appreciate something like this. My one annoyance is that I am not a fan of the voice acting, but with a game this good, it is something that I can overlook for the bigger picture.
To sum up, The TakeOver is a brilliant brawler and any fans of classic beat em ups needs to try this one out. Highly recommended.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided