These include Scavenger Ordeal, where end-of-level rewards are disabled, but enemies still drop items. While other Ordeals haven’t been detailed, it’s possible to create Custom Ordeals and share them with other players.

There are also corrupted regions which boast more challenging enemies (and better rewards). Mystic Ordeals will influence how frequently these appear, but if you want to corrupt the whole world, go for it. It poses the “ultimate challenge” while still promising an “ultimate number of rewards.”

You can also look forward to Elite Mounts, stronger versions of the current mounts with more powerful attacks, and new skins. The characters will also receive new emotes with unique voice lines.

Stay tuned for more details on the update when it rolls out next month. Absolum is available for PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review here.

These Ordeals offer more granular control over the game’s difficulty, from boss and enemy life to enemy speed, aggression, multiplier, and more. The player’s attributes can also seemingly be modified, though these weren’t fully detailed. Of course, this is only the “tiniest glimpse” of what’s to come, so expect more details as the development team ponders “the future of Talamh and Absolum in the months (and years) to come.”

It’s also working on hotfixes for some of the “most significant issues,” though once again, an ETA remains to be announced (aside from “soon”). Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

Absolum is available for PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Check out our review here – we awarded it a nine out of ten with the combat, rogue-lite structure, build-crafting and presentation receiving top marks.

Developed by Dotemu, Guard Crush Games and Supamonks, Absolum is a beat ’em up title with support for up to two players. It offers the same refined combat that the Streets of Rage 4 team is known for, but adds rogue-lite elements and branching paths across a massive world. Each character has unique Specials and can learn new moves on top of augmenting their abilities with elemental properties.

Absolum is available for PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC. Check out our review, where we gave it a nine out of ten for its stunning presentation and incredible combat. Even the rogue-lite elements meshed incredibly well with the beat ’em up core, keeping runs fresh throughout.

Such demos, indispensable as they are, can also send expectations down a dangerous path. I’m hooked, but how much more could the actual game offer? As it turns out, in Absolum, a lot. A shocking amount, to the degree that I’m surprised that Dotemu and Guard Crush Studios have kept the sheer scale of this so carefully under wraps. It not only offers some of the best beat ’em up combat that the genre has to offer, but a compelling branching rogue-lite with cool discoveries, build-crafting that complements the gameplay loop without completely overtaking it, fun narrative events, and a great setting with its own nuances.

"As you progress further, more details about the Cataclysm, Azra’s character, and the core cast are revealed. Without delving into spoilers, the circumstances turn out to be more complex than initially imagined."

All that said, Absolum does take time to envelop you in its world-building and lore. You play as one of the children of Uchawi, a Root Sister who helped nurture magic in the world. Unfortunately, after the Cataclysm, Azra rose to effectively enslave the world, bringing his special brand of order and oppression while outlawing magic. Following your rescue of Uchawi from imprisonment, the mission to defeat Azra and liberate the world begins, which would probably be easier without having to best his various kingly allies first. But where’s the fun in that?

As typical as the setup feels, it unfolds in an organic world connected by the greater empire that Azra has crafted, yet boiling over with its own conflicts and events. The goblins in the Grandery’s forest who insist you best their champion before seeking safe passage; the once prosperous dwarven mines, now teeming with all sorts of hazards; the swamps and jungles of Jaroba where the arena awaits – each is distinct, memorable and teeming with secrets, quests and alternate paths. Yet events in one can easily impact the others, whether it’s sea-faring pirates who offer passage to Jaroba conducting a heist in a Grandery town, or the mysterious mist in the first region, which could hold the key to finding Yeldrim. As you progress further, more details about the Cataclysm, Azra’s character, and the core cast are revealed. Without delving into spoilers, the circumstances turn out to be more complex than initially imagined.

These regions offer their fair share of unique characters, and I wish some of them had a bit more development. As you progress, completing quests can result in narrative ramifications on future playthroughs. Helping to rebuild that bridge in the Grandery may seem like a good idea at first, until the goblins scorn you later, tossing out rotten food instead of trinkets that could help on your journey. Absolum is still very well put together, to the extent that you’ll want to revisit areas to discover new things. The sheer variety of things to do, whether it’s hiring mercenaries to accompany you in the arena, or failing to notice a trap and falling into a boss battle in prison, and so on, freshens up each run in so many unique ways.

Of course, branching paths means having to prioritize certain encounters and quests over others, which can also impact your build, but for the initial hour or two, Absolum is a stunning yet fairly straightforward beat ’em up. The crew that you’ll control includes Galandra, who alternates between elbow strikes to unsheathe a greatsword; Cider, a rogue-ish fighter that likes to grapple and attack in mid-air; Karl, who relies on firearms and flaming fists; and Brome, a frog wizard who can unleash beam attacks. Each has a unique light attack, heavy attack, and Special (with an even more powerful yet limited-use Ultimate unlocking later). As you complete runs and gain resources, you can swap Specials. Galandra’s rising slash can be substituted with a Stinger-like piercing stab or a wave slash that’s also usable in mid-air, perfect when juggling fools, but that’s not all.

"It’s not all about how many elements you can stack, though. Sometimes, it’s about trapping enemies in water bubbles at the end of combos, chaining them continuously, or summoning clones all over the place while bouncing enemies into afterimages of attacks when your floating spectral sword isn’t smacking them around."

Various upgrades discovered throughout Talamh can also change up your regular attacks significantly. A knee-lift dash attack could gain the ability to grab an enemy in mid-air and slam them down. That singular Heavy slash could be used three times in a row or charged up to break through armored enemies more easily. Then you have the elemental augments, the real meat behind the build-crafting, starting with typical effects – dealing burn damage or building up static to unleash chain lightning – but it’s not long before you’re sending out tidal waves, summoning tornadoes and turning the screen into a visual mess (affectionate). Augments can also be upgraded mid-run to deal more damage, letting you further lean into something that’s working well.

It’s not all about how many elements you can stack, though. Sometimes, it’s about trapping enemies in water bubbles at the end of combos, chaining them continuously, or summoning clones all over the place while bouncing enemies into afterimages of attacks when your floating spectral sword isn’t smacking them around. Or just throwing all sorts of random nonsense at enemies a la Moon Knight because one upgrade generates throwable items on critical hits. The persistent progression, which dictates benefits like increased max health, more damage dealt by recruited companions, etc., can feel a little too straightforward for one’s liking. However, it also provides options like crafting trinkets instead of healing or increasing the likelihood of higher rarity Trinkets and higher level augments appearing.

Again, nothing too crazy, but they absolutely freshen up each run while providing meaningful power spikes, helping you inch ever closer to Azra. Instead of spending valuable gold on equipment when none of the choices satisfy you, craft trinkets at Hearthroots for free and prioritize building a posse of mercenaries. Petting mounts in each region results in one waiting for you in a new Haven – upgrade their damage and available time for smoother sailing. Of course, you’ll also gain a separate resource that can be spent to upgrade each augment, which allows different elements to synergize with each other. Enable chain lightning to burn enemies, then increase fire damage and burn damage for each enemy affected. The interplay between all these allows for some truly broken builds, but they also encourage exploration. After all, you can’t take advantage of these elemental possibilities without discovering their respective crystals in the wild and reclaiming them in the name of Uchawi.

None of this would matter if the overall combat didn’t feel good, as if there was a possibility of that, given the developers’ pedigree. But everything – the impact of blows, both given and received; the throws and collateral damage when enemies are knocked together; and the sheer power of Specials – feels fantastic. It can take some practice to differentiate between blows that should be dodged, parried or outright jumped over, and reacting accordingly.

"I didn’t expect to enjoy Absolum as much as I did… As a fusion of incredible beat ’em up action and deceptively simple build-crafting, it delivers an enjoyable experience with immaculate pacing, bolstered even more by a fantastic presentation."

However, standing toe to toe with a boss, punishing their mistakes, and breaking their guard to unleash a world of hurt feels so satisfying. Enemy variety is also on point, whether it’s a ghost that disappears and re-materializes into an unblockable attack or reptilian heavies that block most blows before unleashing counterattacks. That’s not even getting into the boss battles, which also feel unique, challenging and downright enjoyable in their own ways.

And while it’s been said already, it bears repeating – Absolum looks absolutely amazing. The animation work alone is just vibrant and stylish, matching the art direction and environmental design in almost every facet. The soundtrack is similarly incredible, thanks to the likes of Gareth Coker (Ori), Motoi Sakuraba (Dark Souls), and Yuka Kitamura (Sekiro), alongside Gordon, with tunes ranging from heavy metal and orchestral rock to epic symphonies and vocals that would feel right at home in a FromSoftware game.

I didn’t expect to enjoy Absolum as much as I did, though some part of me craves more, whether it’s additional systems to further mix up each run or more in-depth narrative arcs for the core cast. Nevertheless, as a fusion of incredible beat ’em up action and deceptively simple build-crafting, it delivers an enjoyable experience with immaculate pacing, bolstered even more by a fantastic presentation.

This game was reviewed on PC.

In the meantime, a launch trailer is available, highlighting the main playable characters and insane action that they’ll get up to. As members of a resistance against Azra, the Sun King, players must traverse the world of Talamh to defeat him. Each has unique abilities and playstyles, from Galandra’s well-balanced playstyle to Brome’s magic attacks and staff surfing.

Traversing new locations unlocks Rituals, which can provide powerful passive elemental buffs or change up a character’s attacks entirely. Of course, there’s also local and online co-op, allowing two players to team up and wreak havoc. Stay tuned for more details when Absolum launches later today and check out the free demo in the meantime.

Starting June 4, three new games will be available to subscribers to free in the form of Dotemu’s acclaimed beat ’em up Streets of Rage 4, Yuke’s and THQ Nordic’s wrestling game AEW: Fight Forever, and Purple Lamp and THQ Nordic’s 3D platformer SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.

All three games will be available to subscribers of all three tiers – PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium – starting June 4. Meanwhile, EA Sports FC 24, which was on offer in May as well, will remain available to subscribers for free into much of June as well- until June 18, to be specific.

That, of course, means that subscribers have until June 3 to redeem last month’s games.

One of the headlining new additions is a new custom Survival mode, which allows players to head into the mode and customize the experience to their liking with a variety of different options. Meanwhile, several new co-op attacks have also been added for those who like to play the game alongside friends, while pretty much every playable character in the game’s sizeable roster has also received tweaks and balancing changes. Adjustments have also been made to some of the stages, boss fights, and the Mania+ difficulty. Check out the full patch notes below.

Streets of Rage 4 is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS, and Android.

PATCH NOTES:

Stages:

• Added some destroyable to help to maintain the combo counter

Combo counter:

• Added a half second to disappear
• Stage transitions have a bonus time to not break the combo counter

Added Custom Survival Mode:

• Players can tweak his/her survival experience with a variety of options.

Mania+:

• Added Cursed arcades in Mania+ difficulty.
• Added special reinforcements during boss battles.
• Added One life.
• The score to get an extra life is higher in the arcade mode.

Added coop attack:

• Hold ‘Pick up’ and grab your partner to throw him.
• Airborne player can press a special button to perform a unique attack.

All characters:

• Lots of reduced hit stop
• All charged attacks and normal combo last hits can hit multiple enemies after the first active frames even if an enemy is hit
• Fixed a bug where some wall bounces could do no damage
• Increased stun on air-down attacks
• Throws will hit the other enemies close to the player with more consistency

SOR4 CHARACTERS

Axel Stone (SOR4)

• Air down attack has a slightly bigger hitbox.
• Dragon crush has a bigger hitbox.
• Dragon crush added air control.
• Dragon crush travels farther.
• Dragon crush launches higher.
• Dragon crush leaves a fire area on the landing.
• Dragon bites better recover.
• Dragon bite life cost reduced.
• Dragon bite damage increased.
• Dragon bite has more active frames.
• Dragon bite has less freeze.
• Grand upper increased invincibility time.
• Grand upper does more damage.
• Grand upper hits can hit multiple enemies.
• Dragon dive last hit improved hitbox.
• Dragon dive can turn for the last hit.
• Dragon dive has longer active frames.
• Dragon dive has less freeze.
• Dragon Upper has slight air control, a better hitbox, hits off the ground, recovery is invincible, and less freeze.
• Dragon burst’s tornado has a bigger hitbox.
• Charge attack recovers faster.
• Last combo kick recovers faster and the hitbox stays active longer after impact.
• Default defensive special has more depth.

Blaze Fielding (SOR4):

• Hienzan ignores weight.
• Hienzan life cost reduced.
• Rekkaken has 2 more invincible frames.
• Rekkaken juggle properties reworked (fewer infinite).
• Rekkaken does less damage.
• Shin Hishousouzan ignores weight.
• Shin Hishousouzan recovery time was reduced.
• Shin Hishousouzan better hitbox and depth.
• Shin Hishousouzan life cost was reduced.
• Shin Hishousouzan hitstop time reduced.
• Uraken Uchi damage buff.
• Uraken Uchi longer active frames.
• Uraken Uchi life cost reduced.
• Uraken Uchi has better range and depth.
• Shin kikoushou has better damage and depth.
• Back attack hitbox extended upward.

Cherry Hunter (SOR4):

• Soundcheck hits sooner
• Special stage effects don’t knock down on the first hit
• Special stage effects first hit has a small ground bounce
• Sommersault life cost reduced
• Sommersault is now fully invincible
• Sommersault has a deeper hitbox
• Both blitzes can be canceled by air special
• Cherry is now more vulnerable when on top of an enemy
• Default air special does more damage
• Alt air special damage rescaled (actual hit does more damage and fire pool does less damage)

Floyd Iraia (SOR4):

• Walk speed increased.
• Harder for enemies to escape Floyd’s throws and throw combos.
• jab range increased.
• Combo damage increased.
• Combo’s last punch launches higher and farther with better wall-bounce, and better recovery.
• Charge attack damage increased.
• Charge attack launches higher and farther with better wall bounce.
• Charge attack has armor properties.
• Charge attack better recovery.
• Power slide added hit on the way down.
• Power slide launches higher and closer to Floyd.
• Throw bounce higher.
• Throw wall bounce damage increased.
• Throw hits the enemy at close range.
• Throws do more damage.
• Double-throw launches closer to Floyd.
• Double-throw has a larger hitbox.
• Double-throw breaks armor and invincibility.
• Grab special launches higher.
• Grab third punch slams the enemy on the ground.
• Gatling punch is not invincible if whiffed.
• More damage on the star move-back hit.
• Alt defensive do not heal with bloodthirst.
• Default blitz has some invincibility at the beginning.

Adam Hunter (SOR4):

• Fixed a bug where you could do an air special with no life cost.
• Alternate star move last hitbox is taller.
• Last combo kick now has body-hit properties.
• Specials cost reduced.
• Added jump cancel after combo 3rd hit.
• Extended combo 3rd hit hitbox toward body.
• Fixed a bug where you couldn’t perform special forward while grabbing from behind.
• Added wall bounce damage on Howl Fang’s 2nd hit.
• Split fang ignores weight.
• Split fang wall bounces higher.
• Sword upper recovers faster.
• Sword upper has less freeze.
• Blitz hits OTG.
• Blitz has a bigger hitbox.
• Default air special is invincible and has a lower hitbox.
• Default air special costs less.
• Alt offensive special last hit has more depth.
• Alt defensive more active frames, depth, and can hit multiple enemies.
• Throws lower.
• Charge attack has more depth.

Estel Aguirre (SOR4):

• Combo damage increased.
• Combo adjusted so it doesn’t loop into itself.
• Combo third punch pushes less and stuns more.
• Combo 5th hit wall damage increased.
• Charge attack cannot be linked with itself.
• Charge attack damage buffed.
• Charge attack can be canceled by a special move.
• Back attack damage increased.
• Boot mark damage increased.
• Flying scythe damage increased.
• Sucker punch damage increased.
• Added FX to flying scythe.
• Neutral jump attack better hitbox.
• Grab neutral attack damage increased, better wall bounce, better recovery, longer active frames, and bigger hitbox.
• Flashbang bigger hitbox, longer stun, and more active frames.
• Air Flashbang stun duration increased, life cost decreased, added slight air control.
• Fire grenade has a larger hitbox, launches higher, and added wall bounce.
• Air Fire grenade damage increased, life cost decreased, added slight air control.
• Surgical strike better hitbox, better juggle, spawned knife last longer.
• Police tackle invincibility/duration increased and damage increased.
• Police tackle aoe punch is the same for both few hits and several hits variation.
• Player Estel’s police call has blue cross airs.
• Heel kick has more range.
• Default blitz has less freeze.
• Police call longer invincibility.
• Alt air special does more damage.

Shiva (SOR4):

• Final crash is faster, does more damage, and has less recovery, launch properties reworked.
• Flying kick does less damage, has less invincibility, and has more recovery.
• Spirit Palm has less invincibility and more recovery.
• Back attack can be followed by a launching kick.
• Air Senretsu ken has more recovery on the ground.
• Alternate defensive special now launch standing enemies and has better OTG launch.
• Shiva clone special moves do not heal with bloodthirst (Clone star move still does).
• Default air down special has a larger and higher hitbox, and launches higher.

Max Thunder (SOR4):

• Fixed the last hit of combo hitting twice, now has a proper ground slam.
• Charge attack bigger hitbox.
• Back attack infinite juggle fixed.
• Vortex vacuum costs more health and vacuums less.
• Spinning knuckle bomb lasts longer (additional hits), travels farther, and is more juggle-friendly.
• Air thunder strike strikes 3 times in a line.
• Default air special has better air control and a better hitbox.
• Max Iron will end is more noticeable.
• Max has 20% damage and speed increase under Iron Will star move.
• Body Slam has better air control and recovery.
• Clothes line has body hit.
• Power slide, Spinning Knuckle Bomb, Thunder Tackle less hit stop.
• Rolling grab deals low damage on its path, less invincibility.

SOR1 CHARACTERS

All SOR1 characters:

• Added many wall bounces.
• Invincibility lasts longer after a cop attack.
• Cop attack hits the full screen.
• Cop attack damage increased.
• Adjusted move properties for more combos.
• Faster jump start.
• Added Charge attack.
• Charge attacks have short invincibility.
• Last combo hit and charge attack hitbox remains active after hitting so it can hit multiple enemies during active frames.

SOR1 Adam:

• Pummel elbow bounces enemy.
• Alternative star move launches higher, bounces the enemy, and does more damage.
• Back attack improved invincibility and hitbox.
• Combo’s last hit and Charge attack better hitbox.

SOR1 Blaze:

• Back attack added body hit properties.
• Back attack improved hitbox.
• Alternative star moves better hitbox.
• Jump kick is faster.

SOR1 AXEL:

• Combo’s last hit and Charge attack better hitbox.
• Air attack improved hitbox.
• Air attack slams on the ground.
• Charged attack slams on the ground.

SOR2 CHARACTERS:

SOR2 Axel:

• Alternative star move always sends flying forward.
• Faster walk speed.
• Headbutt is now invincible.
• Dragon Dash Blow does more damage.
• Spinning Dragon Upper has less recovery.
• Spinning Dragon Upper better wall bounce.
• Dragon smash’s last hit is invincible and has a better hitbox.
• Spinning kick juggles better.
• Dragon blow life cost reduced.
• Jumping kick is faster and has a better hitbox.
• Star move wall bounce only on the last hit.
• Default offensive has better juggle properties.
• Default star move has less recovery.
• Alt defensive has more depth.
• Alt Star move not being invincible to bottles and other star moves fixed.

SOR2 Blaze:

• Back attack removed ground slam.
• Blitz added one hit on the way up and slam the property to the last hit.
• Blitz travels farther.
• Blitz removed the wall bounce.
• Alternate blitz better hitbox.
• Alternate defensive special better hitbox and can hit multiple enemies.
• Aerial grab added air control, damage rescaled, and bounces off enemies infinitely.
• Kikou shou is faster and has an improved hitbox.
• Slam throw slams opponent for real.
• Alternate star move gives 2 seconds of invincibility.

SOR2 Max:

• Throws do more damage.
• Sliding tackle freeze time is reduced and slides farther.
• Power chop damage increased and has less recovery.
• Rolling grab is invincible during the rolling part.
• Chokehold is now cancellable by special moves and blitz.
• Spinning knuckle bomb has more depth.
• Alternate defensive special does more damage, costs less HP but launches lower when it hits an airborne enemy.

SOR2 Skate:

• Breakdance launches higher.
• Back pummel reduced hit stop.
• Back pummel can be interrupted by a jump.
• Jump down attack can be followed up with a Jump kick.
• Combo stuns more and does more damage.
• Last combo hit launches closer to Skate.
• Neutral grab attack launches closer to Skate.
• Front pummel does more damage.
• Charge attack does more damage.
• Jab range increased.
• Sommersault has better consistency in hitting both hits and improved hitboxes.
• Cannonball does more damage and added air control.
• Inline rush can be canceled sooner.
• Vault throw launches farther, better wall bounce.
• Jumping kick is faster and has a better hitbox.

SOR3 CHARACTERS:

All SOR3 characters:

• All SOR3 characters (except Roo) jump higher.

SOR3 Axel:

• Charge attack does more damage.
• Scissor Kicks better launch, improved hitbox, travels farther.
• Improved recovery on Star moves.
• Spinning body blow can hit off the ground, reworked juggle speed, added wall bounce.
• Spinning body smash launches higher and closer to Axel, and does more damage.
• Alternate Star move launches 3 projectiles with longer freeze and spawns a katana.
• Dragon punch does more damage, improved hitbox and depth, and better launch properties.
• Grab headbutt is invincible.
• Better depth on dodge roll.

SOR3 Blaze:

• Chou reppa dan does more damage, improved launch, faster, added wall bounce.
• Energy burst faster recovery and does more damage.
• Alternative star move improved hitbox and launch properties.
• Jumping kick is faster and has a better hitbox.
• Alt blitz has less invincibility at the end.
• Improved damage on default blitz and forward special.
• Alternate forward special does more damage and ignores weight.
• Better depth on dodge roll.

SOR3 Skate:

• Ground Roll blitz reworked – now it goes farther, oscillates, and hits only once.
• Flying headbutt first hit relaunches higher and closer to Skate.
• Spinning attack launches away from Skate, fixed wall bounce bug.
• Skating fist fury hits multiple times and direction can be controlled, does more damage overall, and only has invincible frames for half the duration of the move.
• Flash kick does more damage and launches higher.
• Vault throw launches farther, does more damage, added wall bounce.
• Better depth on dodge roll.

SOR3 Zan:

• Alternate blitz improved travel distance and launch.
• Alternative offensive special reworked and added air control.
• Alternative defensive special now hits during energy ball spawn, Spawned Energy ball does more damage.
• The jumping attack is faster and has a better hitbox.
• Default blitz travels farther and has better recovery.

SOR3 Shiva:

• Alternate Star move does more damage, the target is invincible during the move, and the last hitbox is bigger.
• Alternate blitz does more damage, faster startup, and recovery, hitbox depth improved, launches higher, and can be done three times in a row by pressing the attack button.
• Alternate neutral special launches higher and closer to Shiva, hitbox improved, does more damage, added air control.
• Alternate forward special improved launch, does more damage.
• Default forward special improved hitbox toward the back of the character.
• Final crash does more damage.
• Combo does more damage.
• Default blitz less freeze and more invincibility.

SOR3 Roo:

• Offensive special juggles better.
• Alternate offensive special does more damage, bounces enemies, and can be canceled into an air version that has slight air control.
• Default air special does more damage, added air control, bounces enemies, and better hit consistency.
• Earthquake startup is faster, last hit launches higher.
• Jab infinite nerfed.
• Spawned Bruce has the same palette as Roo.
• Roo’s vault is no longer invincible.
• Roo default offensive special wall bounce only on the last hit.
• Default blitz and offensive special drag enemies.
• Last pummel hit is invincible.
• Alt-defensive has better active frames and hitbox depth.
• Bruce spawn has more life and better invincibility on the hop.

ENEMIES:

Zack:

• Removed armor during wake-up.

Z and Z elite:

• Master more weapons.

Cherry boss:

• Star move starts up slower.

Signal:

• Signal enemies now scream before their slide and throw.

Yamato:

• Slight damage buff.

Survival buffs:

• Glass cannon reduces defense by 60% instead of 100%.
• Charged buffs are stronger.
• Full of yourself is stronger.
• Sharpen tool is stronger.
• Allied Gold is stronger.
• Allied Donovan masters more weapons.
• Allied Galsia does the correct amount of damage with golden weapons.
• Allied Cop has more life and his throw cannot be escaped.
• Allied Mr. Y starts in an angry state and can juggle enemies with bullets.
• Allied Stiletto attacks faster.
• Allied Condor has more health, blocks less, and added wall bounce on hits.
• Allied Sugar is armor during her headbutt preparation and has improved wall bounce.
• Allied Steffie has a faster grenade throw rate (and the first grenade spawns instantly).
• More healing pick-ups in survival mode at higher levels (so bloodthirst is not mandatory to reach high levels anymore).

Misc:

• Flames from fire buff are different from regular flames.
• Elemental effects in survival are toned down.
• Ball hazard reworked and re-tweaked always launches in the same direction as the ball’s momentum.
• Ball damage reduced for small hits.
• Reduced Hole fall damage
• Weapon throws are invincible and special cancelable.
• Zan, Shiva 3&4, Roo can now activate bonus levels.
• Improved Durian’s hitbox
• Shorter transition time going out of bonus stage 2: Stage 4 full combo is easier.
• Shorter transition time going out of bonus stage 3: Stage 5 full combo is easier.
• Shorter transition time going out of bonus stage 4: Stage 8 full combo is easier.
• Smaller hitbox on fire and steam geyser.
• Added hidden weapon in stage 6 tower first floor.
• Big Chinese sword has more durability.
• Dick enemy has less life.
• Barney enemy has less life.
• More heal pickup in Stage 3
• Ruby has less life.
• You need more scores to gain an extra life in mania plus.
• Can follow up a special move by a neutral jump without frame loss.

Streets of Rage 4 is now available on iOS and Android devices. The mobile version of the game, published by Playdigious, is a full-featured port that brings over the experience in its entirety as is, so you can expect to dive into its offerings without any compromises. The game costs $7.99, while the meaty (and similarly excellent) Mr. X Nightmare DLC can be purchased for an additional $2.99. You can check out the game’s mobile launch trailer below.

In addition to iOS and Android, Streets of Rage 2 is also available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Linux, and Stadia. You can read our review of the game through here.

Correction: it’s getting another physical release later this year. Unlike the first one, which was handled by Limited Run Games, this one is being done in collaboration with Merge Games, and will include physical versions only for PS4 and Nintendo Switch. There’s no word yet on whether a physical release for Xbox One is planned as well. The physical release is set for September 24, and it’s going to include the base game and the Mr. X Nightmare DLC.

Streets of Rage 4 is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Mr. X Nightmare arrives on July 15, and will cost $7.99.

Iconic beat 'em up #StreetsofRage4 is back with an awesome Anniversary Edition, including Mr X Nightmare DLC & a jam-packed survival mode.

Coming to #PS4 & #NintendoSwitch on September 24th! pic.twitter.com/1dBVv1peLl

— Merge Games (@MergeGamesLtd) July 1, 2021

Meanwhile, DotEmu have also provided several new details on the upcoming Survival Mode, which sounds like it’s going to add a great deal of replay value to the game (not that it was lacking in that department). Players will take on waves of enemies, and the end of each level will see you choosing between two randomized perks. These are stackable upgrades that you can take with you into the next level.

Survival Mode will also let you unlock new moves that can be used in the entire game, while progressing further in the mode will unlock new weapons in the Survival Mode itself, or the new training mode. There’s also leaderboards, of course, as well as new gallery content. Finally, interestingly enough, Survival Mode comes in two different flavours. There’s Random, which features procedurally generated runs, and Weekly, which will offer specific new gauntlets each week.

Streets of Rage 4  is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.