Fight’N Rage from SebaGamesDev and Blitworks has a beautiful case of split personality in the best ways. On the one hand, it thinks it’s a beat-’em-up from the ‘90s. On the other hand, it thinks it’s a Saturday morning cartoon from the ‘90s. It’s really win-win, and even though the game isn’t perfect, it’s still a blast for the most part.
While it’s been out for a bit on multiple platforms, Fight’N Rage recently got a 120fps release on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, so if you haven’t played it and you love the beat ‘em up genre, now’s the time!
Set in a gritty, dystopian future, Fight’N Rage sees a world filled with turmoil as humans have become enslaved by mutants. One mutant and two humans have decided to rise up against the leader of the villainous mutants in an attempt to bring peace and in the hopes that the two sides will be able to live in harmony. The story is presented in quick flashes of dialogue. It’s nothing overbearing, and it works pretty well. Plus, it feels like something from the days of Biker Mice from Mars and Street Sharks.
The action of Fight’N Rage is fast-paced and true to the arcade madness it’s inspired by. You’ll be swarmed by enemies from all sides, and it’s up to you to combo your way past them. You’ll be able to smash mutant baddies, but you can also perform grapple attacks and wider area-of-effect special moves. Beat-’em-ups are at their most enjoyable when they’re fast and fluid, and Fight’N Rage benefits from that nice 120fps on the newer hardware. You’ll send bad guys flying every which way, and it just feels good delivering a heavy clobbering.
While Fight’N Rage is a really fun time, it does suffer from some obnoxious, out-of-nowhere difficulty spikes. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, the game can go from pesky and frustrating to outright infuriating. Thankfully, the majority of the adventure doesn’t suffer from this issue, but when it does get inexplicably tough, it’s just not that fun.
If you dig Fight’N Rage, you might be bummed to know that it’s a pretty short game. Whether you’re playing alone, with another buddy, or in three-player co-op, it’ll take you about two hours to get to the end. That’s not very long, but the game is fun to revisit, especially since the three main characters all offer something different in terms of how they handle and play. On top of that, there are multiple difficulties and modes, and there are plenty of unlockables to keep you busy for a while.
The pixel art style of Fight’N Rage is really cool. Characters are big and stylish, and the mutant villains look like something you’d see in an old-school cartoon. Aesthetically, the game has a rad dark tone to it. While it does share some similarities with titles like Streets of Rage 4 and The TakeOver, there’s a more brooding vibe here that’s just a tad edgier, like something you’d see in the “red sky” seasons of the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.
If you’re a fan of newer arcade-styled beat ‘em ups like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, River City Girls, or SoR4 you’ll likely get a kick out of Fight’N Rage. It doesn’t quite surpass other similar brawlers released in recent memory, and its difficulty spikes are certainly somewhat of a detriment, but that’s not to say that this is even remotely a bad game. Fight’N Rage doesn’t necessarily reach the levels of its contemporaries, but it’s a solid arcade action game in its own right and well worth a look for fans of these types of games.
Disclaimer: I was given an Xbox review code for Fight’N Rage — which I played on Xbox Series S — but the opinions expressed in this article are my own.
