Final Fight Streetwise review

Final Fight Streetwise is a bit of an oddity, truth be told. It seems to be just the sort of game that kids would love, I mean, quite a few of us were kids when the original came out and we all took the series to our hearts. Something strange has happened since then and Capcom has taken it upon themselves not only to fill this latest Final Fight with urban speak and and a ghetto attitude.

But it has also filled it with swear words and even a sexual scene which although not terribly graphic, is quite blatant and definitely not child friendly. So that can mean one thing only, the game is aimed squarely at adults and with a large 18 certificate on the front of the box; it takes the last of the doubts away.

When is a kid’s game, not a kid’s game?

Unfortunately the game looks like a kid’s game, and it plays like a kid’s game, and that is going to affect how the target market looks at it. You play the role of Kyle Travers, brother of the famous Cody from the original Final Fight, and you are a down on your luck street fighter. Cody can no longer fight (dodgy knee), so you take up the mantle while your brother coaches you. Metro City is your home, and it’s a place of seedy buildings and shady characters.

The best way to describe the game is as a free roaming fighting adventure. The city is broken up into different areas, unlocked through progression, and some of the buildings can be entered to buy items and play mini games. Some characters will speak to you and give you side quests to do, while others will try to bash your head in with something blunt.

Mexhanix

Absolutely the best thing about this is the fighting mechanics; they really aren’t bad at all, allowing you to happily take on half a dozen enemies at once. New moves can be learned and added to your repertoire, bringing something new for you to try as you make progress.

The fighting is fairly shallow, but if the game is fun, that shouldn’t matter too much. This is where things get sticky, because once you get over the bland graphics, and have beaten up several gangs, you start to realise that it isn’t actually very interesting.

Presentation

Presentation is of an average standard throughout, and this goes for the graphics, the sound, the voice acting and the animation. It feels much more like an early PS2 game than something that is seeing the light of day at the end of the console’s life cycle.

The fact that weapons can be picked up and used don’t seem to add much to the game, and apart from their multiple bad guy beating up ability, you’ll probably not bother and stick to your fists and feet. You might find this harder than it should be thanks to a camera that refuses to follow the action. It must be moved manually during fights leading to frustration as you try to swing it around so you can get a view of the action.

The game also throws mini games at you when you least expect it, and these are mundane and not much fun. Tapping the buttons to bash someone’s head in a door sounds great fun, until you see how poorly it’s implemented.

Yes the whole thing is rather silly, but lacks the charm to carry this off with any sense of aplomb. The surroundings on the whole are dull and uninteresting, making exploration a chore. There is no map, so while the stages aren’t big, it’s easy enough to lose your bearings.

The Ball Dropped

Expectations were never that big for Final Fight Streetwise, but folk still harboured the hope that Capcom would make it feel and play like the early games.

Instead, we get a game that kids would love, but can’t actually play because of the over abundant use of swear words and violence. Capcom has dropped the ball and left us with a title that will be forgotten about even before it hits the bargain bins, which won’t be too long at all by the looks of things.