Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is set to continue the legendary beat-’em-up series this summer.
Well, it seems the beat ’em up renaissance continues apace. After years in the wilderness, interest in the side-scrolling beat ’em up genre has surged over the past few years, thanks to high- profile releases like Streets of Rage 4, Final Vendetta and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. And now, at long last, it’s time for the return of Double Dragon, the game that popularised the genre way back in 1987.
The last game in the series was Arc System Works’ Double Dragon IV, which was released back in 2017 and earned a meagre 49% score on Metacritic. But there are high hopes for latest entry in the series, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, which is being developed by Secret Base, the studio behind the undead-battling beat ’em up Streets of Red: Devil’s Dare Deluxe.
The new Double Dragon game will once again star the original protagonists Billy and Jimmy Lee, this time in a (more overt) post-apocalyptic setting. “New York City in the year 199X: the city has been devastated by nuclear war,” the press release tells us. “Its citizens fight for survival as riots, crime and chaos flood the streets. Criminal gangs terrorize what remains as they vie for dominance. Unwilling to endure these conditions any longer, young Billy and Jimmy Lee take it upon themselves to reclaim their city.”
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons promises access to 13 playable characters, along with a dynamic mission select function. “The order in which you choose your mission will affect the mission length, number of enemies, and overall difficulty,” rumbles the press release. “Players choose between missions housed within city sectors, pursuing the leaders of four deadly gangs across unique stages packed with melee weapons, dangerously devoted members, and varied environments perfect for all-out fights.”
Special KO moves will allow players to earn cash, which can be used to upgrade characters, and health boosts are dropped by performing crowd control moves. There’s also the option to adjust the difficulty and allow permadeath, while online co-op is being promised in a post-launch update.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is set to be released on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 this summer.
Read more: Double Dragon | Saluting a weapon-filled 1980s classic
