The streets are about to get much grittier: Double dragon returns. Publisher Modus Games announced a revival of the classic side-scrolling beat-’em-up franchise, with development handled by studio Secret Base. The new title is called Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, and it will launch on a wide variety of platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X / S, Xbox One, PS4 and PS5. It is expected to launch this summer.
Before we get into how it plays, it’s important to note that Rise of the Dragons has a pitch-perfect beat-’em-up premise:
New York City in the year 199X: the city has been devastated by nuclear war. The citizens fight for survival as riot, crime and chaos engulf the streets. Criminal gangs terrorize what remains as they vie for dominance. Unwilling to put up with these conditions any longer, young Billy and Jimmy Lee take it upon themselves to reclaim their town.
As for the game itself, it has classic pixel art with somewhat chibi characters, but it also sounds like the action itself will be modernized when it comes to structure. The game is described as “a co-operative beat ’em up” that contains “roguelite elements”. This is how it works:
Endless playthrough possibilities become a reality with the dynamic mission selection feature: the order in which you choose your mission affects the mission duration, number of enemies and overall difficulty. Players choose between missions across city sectors, pursuing the leaders of four deadly gangs across unique levels packed with melee weapons, dangerously dedicated members, and varied environments perfect for all-out combat.
There are also a whopping 13 characters to play as, including several new combatants alongside series icons Billy and Jimmy Lee. The game will launch with local co-op play and come online as part of a post-release update.