Hm.... finally it happen. But is it pleased me?. no
I dont like anything of what i`ve seen and I do not share your joy, guys
First of all graphics. I've never been a connoisseur of this kind of drawing. It looks like indie side project with lack of budget. Its blury and lack of details. We have a great examples of ones that looks 10 times better (Showel Knight, new Paprium (absolutely amazing)), that using pixel art style. But this is a piece of fan sketch art (but who am i to judge, if its less time consuming and cheaper, right? ..ooh whom I try to deceive, we already have Sonic 4 P1&2..)
Characters. Well guys, even if you trying to make an overall feel that time has passed since 3rd game, by just adding Axel a beard, you need to try better, a waaaaaay better.
-- lyrical digression --
What was great about trilogy, new next game was enchanced wersion of previous, in terms of graphics, storytelling, and plot. First one was about crime gang, in second with a time criminals got a new robots, jet-guys, more technical environment like elevators, factories and own base, in third they got much more robots, and related story, that was actually great (if not that soundtrack... aghh) and with that time goes as well
--
..So you can not just make same enemies, just back all them to a streets and say "yay guys just brawl, yay this is a price of fourth instalement". You need! to think HOW to continue this serie with logic story. Some of you may say "How? Put much more robots in it? Bring them to space?" No, you can expand franchise not in height but in width. Take in mind that you can not make a new Streets of Rage game just an old-fashioned brawler like 1st game was ..not after mr.X brain exploding thing in 3rd one (there is so much possible interesting variants to do). You can, of course, but do not name it 4th, make prequel if you can not handle it, do not ruin a franchise (because if you do, im sure 5th game will never came out, we have an examples)
Back to characters Axel looks like a teenager with beard, Blaze looks like a teenager, where is our detective-woman? All enemies have exactly same look, why not redesign them a little, just a time relateable? Even if only year have passed, i dont like that gangs are still same.
I am pretty sure that characters will be at least 3 but 3d is still in progress and nothing to show for now.
With animation they stick to a number of frames that 2nd and 3rd game has i`ve noticed, nothing much to say, this is not a big deal, will se how it will feel ingame.
Nothing to judge on music side, because we have not hear anything for now. Trailer music is not a SoR even close, i think some of new retrowave / synthwave tune makes it better. Mr Koshiro stays in our dreams, so moving next...
.. And that is it. I have never imagine that SoR4 announcement will make me so sad..
As for me i see a 4th SoR several years after 3rd, in a bit cyberpunk-ish time, Snatcher- or Policenauts- kind maybe, with SoR relate/tribute soundtrack, with all playable characters grown up, facing new threat. But this.. name it whatever you want: SoR Origins, SoR Prequel, SoR Weird Sequel, but not 4th just only because it is comes out after 3rd one...
Waiting for any new news, but for now disappointment.
From what we've seen in the trailer, my brother and I are hyped to play this game.
