Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
Ever since 1988, the Double Dragon series has been a classic arcade-style side-scrolling action game that rivals the titles of Battle Toads and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. With what is considered the 10th installment of the series, Modus Games is looking to recapture the magic of the older titles with Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. Do they succeed in bringing the classic vibes of the social arcade genre? Is it worth playing? I give the good, and the bad, and answer these questions in my final verdict.
The Good
The Gameplay
The gameplay of Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is pretty damn fun. It’s pretty basic, with standard attacks, special combinations for each character and action moves like grappling. Each character has their own combo attacks that make them unique in the way they play. Before you get started you get to pick your primary and secondary fighter to progress your story with. Once you make your selection you set up your settings which adjust the difficulty which has major impacts on how much you earn throughout your playthrough.
The idea is that as you fight through the different sectors of New York City you rack up money for defeating guards and bosses. After each section you progress through you can either upgrade characters, buy tokens for unlockables or keep your cash for later fights. One of the reasons this game is fun is because the gameplay loop is simple. Rack up combos and eliminate enemies in groups to keep the money flowing to add to the upgrades. But even with that being the case, it’s not as easy as just button-mashing to victory–you need to be smart about how you use your abilities in certain situations.
So Many Characters
What makes the gameplay better is the fact that there are so many characters you can pick from. From the start, you have the four protagonists to choose from but the more tokens you earn from spending in-game money the more you get access to. Characters range from more close combat in nature using shields and blades. To ranged fighters that use guns and even bazookas. Picking between the different characters and figuring out the best combination does make the game even more fun because if you do it right the combat gets outrageous.
I felt like the diverse characters that you face in the game were a really underrated feature. The gang leaders each have their own fighting styles and you need to be smart in how you go after them. Even the diverse guards you face each have their own ways to combat which means you need to always adjust as you go through the sections. I think making the game challenging but also feel easy enough to pick up and play really did give it some bonus points here.
Art Style/Music
Lastly, the art style and music really impress and recapture the classic style that made Double Dragon so fun. The 8-bit style the game uses gives some retro feel to the game but the overall look is vibrant and gives a unique style compared to other side scrollers. The music has really catchy and intense tracks that go along with each situation and give an emotional connection to the action that is happening in the game. The balance between the music and level design is really different compared to other side scrollers and you got to give credit to Modus Games.
I think the various character designs based on the gangs that are present are really cool and give each group their own style. The Okada Clan seems similar to the Yakuza in its samurai tendencies. The Killers, led by M.G Willy, are more of a militant gang; the Royals, led by the Duke, have many other martial artists that joined the gang due to being kicked out of their own; plus the followers of Anubis are more of a cult in their art style and behavior. Each gang has its own unique levels and designs that make them feel like their own separate entities that are actually competing for power within New York City.
The Bad
Very Short
One of the problems I had in my playthrough is that it feels short. I had reached the final level on my first playthrough within the first hour of downloading the game from Steam, then restarted it after I had lost and beat the game officially within another 90 minutes of playtime. I think they should have made the story aspect a lot longer to make the game feel more complete. I think the story is very basic for a Double Dragon game, but they left a lot of things unfinished and they could have made each level longer to feel like a complete story.
Generally, I understand that this is meant to be completed several times so that you can try out different characters that you unlock but I feel that even with that being the case it was way too short. When you face off against your first gang, the level is complete within the first 5-7 minutes, which is outrageous. Make the levels more diverse, and give us some mechanics to do depending on the level. Give us something to do to make it feel longer. Anyone that is relatively skilled in side-scrolling action can beat the game within an hour and I feel like it would do much better if it gave you more.
Limited Story
Building on the limited story, I felt like with how cool the characters were, the limited we got to know about that is pretty unfortunate. The story would have been so much better if we were able to dive more into the characters we were going to face off against. Imagine learning about them more so that by the time you faced them you fully understand their motives for taking over the city or more about them to get their backgrounds. Some characters have so much mystery behind their origin that I feel like giving them some screen time would do them wonders. Not just in extending the game but to give them their due before you don’t see them again.
Final Verdict
Overall, I felt like Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons did a lot of good and some bad. The basic gameplay loop and diverse characters really shined in my playthrough. They give the game a lot of life and they make this world of Double Dragon so unique that I would enjoy it if they expanded more into it.
The unique art style brings back the nostalgia of the classic era arcade titles and anyone that is a fan of side-scroller action games then you will love it. Even with that being the case I feel like for the $20 to $25 price point there should be way more. In comparison, the Cuphead games are roughly around the same price and have a 10-and-a-half-hour playthrough time while Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of Dragons is hitting at 90 to 120 minutes.
Rating
Overall, I’m giving Double Dragon Gaiden a 7.2 out of 10. I Had a really fun experience in my playthrough with some outrageous moments, but I think it would be worth waiting for this game to go on sale. If we get some expansion to the already fun game to get some more story aspects or get a discount for the length of the game, I think it would be super worth the purchase and for any fan of this arcade-style of game or wants to enjoy some co-op I can guarantee you will enjoy your playthrough. My only concern is that it may not be enough bang for your buck.
What do you think about Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons? Let us know in the comments!
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