Rushing Beat X: Return of Brawl Brothers, is one of the first video games that I have EVER beaten 6-7 times for two main reasons. Those two main reasons consist of looking for oddities in game design/being on the look out for bugs/glitches. It's quite fascinating to me, that this is the one game that I have chose, to beat the arcade mode multiple times out of all the games from my steam library. But why you may ask? Simple. This game intrigues me to such an extent, that I am baffled at how well it implements certain features, yet fumbles many opportunities, to become apart of the mount rushmore of beat em up games! In this review, we are gonna dive into those two main reasons and then break apart what happened/how this game could have been more incredible/ground breaking.

As you boot the game up, you will notice that there are only two game modes at first, which consist of story and arcade mode. (boss rush mode and a new character are unlocked, by simply beating both game modes) This is typical for many beat em ups these days, but typical doesn't always sell well nor leave a lasting impact for generations to come. On the topic of impact, the story mode doesn't do very well to captivate it's audience to keep going, as it relies on outdated references, mixed with some new ones, witty humor during certain conversations and treats new players, as if they have played/beaten every single game within it's series. Ironically enough, I was born in the 90's and I don't even remember these games all too well. The only saving grace in my opinion when it comes to this story mode, is Juliet who is an intriguing character (not groundbreaking by any means) who keeps you wondering/guessing as to what is truly going on within the Jaleco corporation. But instead of diving even deeper into the lore of this universe, it ends up feeling derivative and dull, as you play through all nine levels, to fight similar boss characters over and over again. Not to say it isn't fun, but after playing this game so many times, it honestly makes me wish we had more creative boss characters, that could take inspiration from the older games. While a lot of people may not be bothered with the story/just see it as fan service for a particular audience of beat em ups and Rushing Beat fans as a whole, it still shouldn't excuse the writing here that is on display with some rare amount of grammatical errors. (Not sure if that was intentional or not) But we are not here to talk about how the story mode for this game could have improved, we are here to focus on the main purpose for beat em ups! (Which is beating up endless waves of enemies and listening to epic in game music)

The combat in this game is absolutely addicting and superb, with lots of variety in performing combos and learning about the many in game mechanics, that will keep you coming back for more. From dash/jump cancels, air combos, parries and so much more. Not to mention, the many ways how you can throw your enemies onto the background/perform grab combos, is just a beautiful sight to behold. With literally 6 characters to boot, with one being unlockable, I just couldn't get enough of it. This in my humble opinion, is what Double Dragon Revive should have been in the first place. Unfortunately, here are some of the oddities that I noticed when engaging with this game's combat:
-Hit detection/grab issues with certain enemies
-Very short combat timer
-Questionable hit box sizes with certain enemies
-Enemy A.I that surrounds you/disrupts your combat and or reverses most of your moves. (Referring mostly to the yakuza, military and wrestler enemies)
-The "TUFF Enough" truck item shop as a whole/being forced to go back to the character select screen, every time you beat a level or enter the truck.

While I originally decided to list all the bugs/glitches I encountered, we are lucky enough where patches are on the way to fix/adjust the gameplay in the coming months, by the time you are done reading this review. But that is not all what I found pretty odd, when it comes to this game's combat/design overall. Other oddities that I noticed is mostly centered around the structure of how the enemies are spawned in, bland level design in certain levels such as level 4 and 7 and the lack of variety when it comes to enemies that you face throughout all 9 levels. What's even more odd, is the difficulty settings where no matter what level you play this game on, you will find yourself seeing the game over screen over and over again. But none of this is truly recognizable at first, until you replay the game multiple times/somehow make it to the final level of the "Boss rush mode." During the final level of the "Boss Rush" mode, let's just say that you are in for a big surprise and it is a completely unfair experience for old school and new school gamers a like. With the lack of 4 player co-op and online multiplayer, where you have to use parsec, this game's future is definitely questionable for now.

The biggest issue with this game (eventhough I still recommend it) is that it still feels lacking in certain areas/leaves you with more questions then answers, after you beat the game's main story mode. Sadly enough, the game lacks variety/doesn't revolutionize the modern day beat em up. It's way too focused on trying to capture the glory days of the 90's, instead of revitalizing and reinventing the whole genre as a whole. It's pretty much the same issue with fighting games, where game designers are really gonna have to take more risk in new innovations in gameplay/creating new game modes, or the experience is going to feel somewhat hollow or at worst, shallow within the coming months. While my review may come across as mixed in some regards, I still suggest you give the game a try/make your own judgements. For some of you, this is all that is required to put a smile on your face, with no issues whatsoever. To those individuals, I throw my hat to you in gratitude. But as for the rest of us who aren't getting any younger, it is time for the beat em up genre to go back to the drawing board/think about what else could be done when it comes to bringing back the nostalgia feel of the golden days, while also bringing in something new to the table. For $20/ no PS4, Switch 1 and original Xbox One ports planned for the future, in an economy where inflation is merciless towards anybody, it's gonna be difficult to sell this game to anybody, who has already made up their mind. For now, while I expected just a little bit more, the game is definitely a step up from it's previous three entries! Perhaps that in itself, is just fine for now.

Despite some frustrations with some bugs, glitches, average story telling, confusion when it comes to the NCD in game monetary system, odd design choices/the lack of save state feature, I would gladly put this game as a high honorable mention, for beat em ups you must experience before you witness the great beyond as an elder. 7/10. (Where the previous entries received a 6-6.7/10)


PLEASE. ADD. AN. OPTION. WHERE. WE. CAN. EXTEND. OUR. COMBOS! The combo timer is still too short!