River City Ransom is back, rebuilt from the ground up! Rekindle old rivalries and relive past rumbles through a completely revamped story!
A re-release of the classic Nintendo 3DS sandbox brawler, this version of the game has been updated with tweaked controls, graphical upgrades, and a new online mode in the form of Double Dragon Duel 2023.
With a full explorable River City, a story with multiple endings and the surprise Double Dragon fighting game; there is a lot on offer in Rivals Showdown. Unfortunately, it’s held back by an overly repetitive soundtrack which will start to grate on one’s nerves, and some very uneven combat until the late game. These games are usually good for some fun...
River City: Rival Showdown is a unique title in the River City franchise, sadly to its detriment at times. The balance is all screwy, the soundtrack repeating kills the pacing, and it takes far too long to open up in terms of combat. On the other hand, there is a lot here that fans of the series will love, and more River City is always a good time....
It's received an obvious visual upgrade over the 3DS release, and has added online play, too. It can be frustrating to get stuck with unwinnable event battles, but the penalty of losing an in-game hour isn't devastating. There's definitely a bit more of a learning curve for anyone who's only played River City Ransom, but the overall package is a solid...
River City: Rival Showdown's best qualities are its unique method of progression and well-executed storyline. Admittedly, this critic was not expecting this to be the case. The appeal of this franchise has always been its simplistic but satisfying fighting; not to mention the depth and creativity that comes from having so many fun abilities to play...
River City: Rival Showdown leans more heavily on the RPG elements that the original River City Ransom brought to the beat em' up genre with a stronger focus on a narrative and exploration. Being on a handheld, the new game prioritizes the single-player experience in its core design which loses the charm of the couch co-op that made the original game...
