Roguelike meets beat ’em up in a retro brawler - Double Dragon Gaiden Quick Review
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PLAY IT OR SKIP IT?
Play it if you’re a fan of old-school beat ’em ups or are looking for a couch co-op game. Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons delivers all the excitement of a retro arcade game, but it also finds ways to mix up that classic formula. You can tackle levels in any order, earn power-ups for your fighters, and even collect tokens you can use to continue your game after an untimely defeat. There was always something for me to unlock, like new characters or music tracks, and no two runs felt exactly alike, which made the game tough to put down. It’s an incredibly addictive single-player game, and I’m willing to bet it’s even more fun when you have some friends to join you.
TIME PLAYED
I played around ten hours of Double Dragon Gaiden, which was enough time for me to unlock all thirteen playable characters and see both of the game’s endings. While a complete run usually took me a little under an hour to complete, Double Dragon Gaiden has regular checkpoints that save your progress, so I could get in some beat ’em up action even when I was pressed for time. I’ve already had a blast with the single player mode, but now that the game has officially launched, I’m hoping I can get some friends to join me for some good old-fashioned couch co-op.
WHAT’S AWESOME
1. Fully customizable story mode
Double Dragon Gaiden gives you a simple goal: take down the leaders of the four major gangs that are terrorizing New York City. It’s a pretty standard set-up for a beat ’em up, but what makes this game special is that it lets you tackle that mission in any order. I could start my journey at Triangle’s Junkyard and take down a dangerous cult, visit Killers’ Fortress and fight Machine Gun Willy, or challenge the powerful Okada Clan. Missions scale in difficulty, which meant levels could change significantly when I played them in a different order.
Not only was I free to tackle missions in any order, but I could customize other elements when I started a new game. If I wanted an easier run, I could lower enemy stats or crank up my health, but if I needed more challenge, I could increase enemy aggression or turn on permadeath. I made changes during every play session, and those modifiers really kept the game feeling fresh.
2. Tag team action
When I played Double Dragon Gaiden in single-player, I was able to select two fighters. As long as I had enough SP, I could switch between these warriors with the push of a button. This dynamic system let me take full advantage of each fighter’s strengths and weaknesses. Lady Okada’s long sword made her the perfect character to tag in when I was facing off against aerial enemies, like drones. If I wanted to rack up combos, I could tag in Chin Tai Mei and spam his special move. Characters can regain some health when they’re tagged out, so switching between fighters was a key part of my strategy.
3. Roguelike elements
Certain aspects of Double Dragon Gaiden are randomized, including purchasable character upgrades and boss fights. Most of these changes aren’t dramatic, but they still add a layer of surprise to each playthrough. Sometimes, I’d head into a boss encounter and get caught off guard by an enemy I hadn’t seen before. Other times, I’d get lucky enough to score an amazing power-up that made normally tough fights a breeze.
4. Awesome token system
One of my favorite parts of Double Dragon Gaiden was its token system, a gameplay mechanic that made this modern beat ’em up feel like a retro arcade game. As I punched my way through enemies and inanimate objects, I earned coins that I could spend in a variety of ways. Every time I hit a checkpoint, I could spend my loot on character upgrades or skip out on power-ups so I could get more cash. If both my fighters were defeated, I could spend money on a continue and keep the game going.
Once I hit the end of a run, I could cash out and trade my coins for tokens, which I could spend on prizes, like artwork, music tracks, and new playable characters. There’s a risk/reward element to the token system that I really loved. Every time I had the chance to continue, I had to ask myself if it was worth the cost of coins or if I should count my losses and cash out.
WHAT SUCKS
1. No online co-op
It’s hard to find a good couch co-op game, so I appreciate that Double Dragon Gaiden has local co-op, but I wish it had online multiplayer too. Coordinating an in-person gaming session is tricky, which meant I was stuck playing through the game on my own. The single-player gameplay is fantastic, but if you were hoping to play this game with friends, you should know that you won’t be able to play together online.
2. Enemies aren’t always visible on screen
Every now and then, enemies would camp out at the edge of my screen, right out of my line of vision. A lot of beam ‘em ups have this issue, but it’s still a big annoyance, especially when you wind up taking damage from an enemy that you can’t even see. I primarily played Double Dragon Gaiden on my Steam Deck, but I ran into similar problems while playing on my gaming PC.
Review written by TapTap editor @Ndi
💬 Will you fight through waves of enemies in Double Dragon Gaiden, or do you prefer to solve problems without using your fists? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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