Streets of Rage 4 Walkthrough and Guide

Streets of Rage 4, known in Japan and Asia as Bare Knuckle IV is a beat 'em up video game that is a continuation of Sega's Streets of Rage series, which was a trilogy of games released during the early 1990s for the Sega Genesis. The game takes place ten years after the events of Streets of Rage 3, in which the criminal mastermind Mr. X was finally defeated. It builds upon the classic trilogy's gameplay with new mechanics, a fresh story and a gauntlet of dangerous stages with a serious crime problem. Check out our Streets of Rage 4 Walkthrough and Guide to get help in the game.

How to Choose a Character

Streets of Rage 4 has five new characters that have been specially designed for the game alongside 12 returning retro characters from past games in the series. Try out as many of the characters as you can so you can find the one that best suits your playstyle. Each of the characters will have their own strengths and weaknesses, such as Cherry who has enhanced speed and Floyd who has immense strength. If you are looking for a character that has all-round versatility then you may want to consider playing as Axel.

How to Enable Assists to Help Progression

If you are struggling to progress past an enemy encounter or a boss you may want to consider enabling the 'Game Over' assists on the retry screen. Doing so will grant you additional lives and even extra stars at the expense of your score.

How to Recover Fast

If you are downed by an enemy in Streets of Rage 4 you will be able to make a quicker recovery if you press the 'Up' and the 'Jump' button the instant you hit the floor. If you get into the habit of doing this you will discover that you will be able to complete stages quicker.

How to Avoid Throw Damage

You can also press the 'Up' and 'Jump' button to recover if enemies such as Signals throw you. If you time the moment you press the buttons with when you are about to hit the floor you will land on your feet and avoid taking any damage.

What are Invulnerability Frames

In Streets of Rage 4 there will be some characters that can unleash attacks that you will not be able to block or get out of the way quick enough from. During these instances you need to make use of attacks and moves that provide invulnerabiity frames to avoid taking damage from the attack.

What are Defensive Specials

Each of the characters in Streets of Rage 4 have defensive specials. These are moves which provide invulnerability and can be performed mid-combo. If you use a defensive special to counter an opponents attack you will lose a bit of health but this can be regained if you manage to hit the enemies without taking a hit yourself.

Use Charged Attacks

If you keep the 'Attack' button held down for a second or so your character will begin to flash. This indicates that when you release the 'Attack' button you will unleash a powerful charged attack that is capable of sending most of the enemies you face in Streets of Rage 4 reeling. A good tactic is to charge your characters charged attack after defeating the last opponent in a battle so that you can use it as your opening attack against the next opponent you face.

Play in Co-Op

Although Streets of Rage 4 is enjoyable as a single-player it can be even more fun playing with friends in co-op. The game supports four players locally and two online. It is important though if you decide to play co-op you are constantly aware of the whereabouts of your allies so you don't unwittingly down them with friendly fire.

Check out our How to Unlock Secret Retro Stage Levels guide to find out how to access these hidden levels.