Beat ’em ups are one of the best genres in gaming and 2022 has had many great entries into the genre with games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge and of course River City Girls 2. The best beat ’em up to release on consoles this year is neither of those, however, as Jitsu Squad is a game on a whole different level. Combining comic book-style art with deep fighting game controls, Jitsu Squad gives new meaning to the beat em up genre.
Jitsu Squad lets up to four players take control of anthropomorphic critters and retrieve a powerful stone stolen by an enemy. There are eight stages in the game, a story mode that sees you play out the main narrative and an arcade mode that forgoes the narrative for the most part. Honestly, though, the story is not that important as the action is the major draw here.
Jitsu Squad lets you gain new skills by gathering scrolls, and after a certain number is reached, a new technique will be unlocked. As mentioned above, the moves you will use are based off of fighting games, and the combo-heavy gameplay is fast and furious and does not let up for a second. The moves your characters can do are amazing and will call to mind many of the best fighting games, and Jitsu Squad wears its inspirations on its sleeve.
There was an issue with game crashes before when too many enemies appeared on screen, but while that has been fixed with a patch, there is still slowdown that can be an issue. Some have complained that the game’s use of a grab button to pick up items is annoying, but it works fine in the game itself. Plus, the grabbing mechanic is extremely satisfying to use on enemies in the middle of hectic battles, so there is definitely something welcome about it.
It is difficult to overstate just how over the top Jitsu Squad really is, with various summoning moves being an option, both as a button press and by finding summon items to grab. Some of the item summons bring well-known personalities from the fighting game scene into Jitsu Squad to assist you, like Maximillian Dood and his dog Benny (RIP Benny), who will do a full-screen beam for instance. Even until the last stage, Jitsu Squad is constantly throwing something new at you and it never gets old.
As stated above, the art style is gorgeous and brings to mind not only a comic book feel but many classic arcade brawlers based on comic books and cartoons like Konami’s Bucky O’Hare arcade game. The soundtrack is an absolute masterpiece as well and will keep you pumped as you carry out attacks and defeat enemies. Overall, this game is a feast for the eyes and the ears in the best way possible.
Jitsu Squad is a throwback to classic beat ’em ups, but its deep gameplay, amazing art style and excellent action, all make it feel like the logical evolution of a brawler. The bosses are over the top and exciting fights, and you never feel like you are let down by anything. If it were not for the slowdown when too many enemies are on screen, there would be no complaints here, which says a lot about how good the game is, and the slowdown does not even happen all the time.
In conclusion, Jitsu Squad is a must-play game for any beat-em-up fans, and action game fans in general. You will not be disappointed.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided.