Beat ’em ups are having a renaissance lately, with titles such as Streets of Rage 4, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and now Final Vendetta. Final Vendetta is a new brawler from Bitmap Bureau and NumSkull Games, the makers of titles such as Xenocrisis and Battleaxe, two throwback titles designed after the classics, giving this title a good pedigree. Final Vendetta is not just a game for modern systems, but a version is also being made to run on real Neo Geo hardware, which served as the basis for this title.
Final Vendetta’s name immediately calls to mind Capcom’s seminal classic Final Fight, and there are definite shoutouts to that game. The plot itself is reminiscent of that arcade game, much like another modern indie brawler The Takeover, but this game goes a bit further. The first few levels seem patterned after Final Fight, which may sound like a bad thing, but the developers actually took time to make the stages differ in ways that gave them their own identity.
This is a game with an easy and hard mode, with the easy mode giving more lives and slightly weaker enemies. However, the game must be completed on hard mode in order to unlock additional modes such as Ultra-hard mode, survival mode and boss rush mode. Somewhat unusually, beating the game is also required to unlock a training mode, which feels like a strange choice.
The gameplay takes some time to get used and there are the standard jump and attack buttons, and also a special button that can be used for additional attacks like stomps, but ultimately does not feel very useful. This special attack should not be confused with the super moves, which function a bit differently here as a super meter builds up and can be used to perform super moves around two times without draining health.
What makes the gameplay a bit harder to adjust to is the inclusion of a block button, which forces you to really adjust how you react to moves from enemies. There are in fact numerous moves to dodge enemies, and this is all useful because the game has no continues much like in Battleaxe. This is a game you must master through careful gameplay in order to succeed.
Another positive is that each character manages to feel unique in their roles and moves. The special attack button functions differently for the different characters, and finding the character that works best for you will not be difficult. Notably, finding the right combination for the two-player mode will result in a very satisfying experience that will feel deeper than the titles Final Vendetta was inspired by.
Final Vendetta has an amazing retro pixel art style that is gorgeous to look at and comes with a CRT shader option that can be toggled on and off. Combined with the amazing soundtrack, Final Vendetta is a treat for retro enthusiasts who can adjust to the somewhat cumbersome controls. Yes, sometimes the foreground can be obscured by objects and some enemies are awkward to attack and defeat, but there is a real charm here.
Final Vendetta has short stages that manage to feel like a bite-sized experience but in a good way. This is a title that perfectly captures the arcade brawler experience while trying in its own way to add something new. Not all of it sticks, but when things work, they work beautifully.
Final Vendetta gets a recommendation even with its difficulties. This is a game that was clearly a labour of love to make, and a lot of polish was put in here. This is one that you can spend a long time on and not get bored.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided