River City Ransom: Underground
- February 27, 2017
- Conatus Creative Inc.
- 17h median play time
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Get on Steam"River City Ransom: Underground" is a beat'em up game where players help a new group of fighters defeat hordes of enemies in a sprawling city. The game features over 500 moves, various weapons, and secrets to discover, with the ability to play online co-op with up to 4 players. The story campaign includes 10 playable heroes, 140 levels, and 22 shops to upgrade characters, while the arena multiplayer mode allows for customizable battles with 44 unlockable fighters.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Faithful sequel to the original River City Ransom, capturing its charm and humor.
- Diverse cast of characters with unique fighting styles and a satisfying combo system.
- Engaging gameplay with RPG elements that encourage exploration and character progression.
- Vague objectives and poor map design can lead to confusion and aimless wandering.
- Enemy AI can be frustratingly defensive, making combat feel tedious and unbalanced.
- Bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer, detract from the overall experience.
- story402 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 77 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with a strong connection to its prequel but criticized for being short and convoluted, often feeling like a mishmash of borrowed elements from other media. Players note that while the narrative starts off engaging, it becomes increasingly nonsensical and frustrating, particularly due to poorly designed missions like the infamous "milk run" and tedious chase sequences. Overall, the story lacks depth and clarity, making it difficult for players to stay invested, despite the nostalgic charm and humor reminiscent of the original game.
“The story has a strong connection with its prequel, even though 28 years have passed in the game's timeline.”
“The story is well written too, feels like playing a 'San Andreas' version of RCR at times.”
“The story was well done in my opinion, keeping in mind what the original story was, and flowing right into this one.”
“The biggest issue is the eccentric plot and weird elements presented in the latter part, many of which are obviously borrowed from other games and movies.”
“The story, however, takes a back seat this time and doesn't make much sense.”
“The story feels like the game gave up and didn't even try.”
- gameplay277 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mix of nostalgia and modern mechanics, retaining the core elements of the original River City Ransom while introducing new features like character variety and combo systems. However, it suffers from issues such as unclear mechanics, frustrating design choices, and balance problems, leading to a gameplay experience that can feel tedious and unpolished at times. Overall, while many players appreciate the homage to the classic, the execution leaves room for improvement, making it a polarizing experience among fans.
“The gameplay is surprisingly faithful to the source material, something I'd probably describe as 'enjoyably frustrating.' Enemies have numerous bad and annoying habits, including but not limited to pacing outside your reach, hitting once and running away, and attacks that knock down from a distance.”
“Gameplay is very similar to the original River City Ransom with a sprinkling of modern features like super moves and combos.”
“The gameplay is sharp, the controls are tight, and the enemies are a lot sharper than before -- a solid sequel that only took 20 years to make.”
“The gameplay is actively boring.”
“Useless mechanics that pad the length such as the pointless cop system and hiding mandatory bosses behind a day/night cycle, poor balance including the ability to stunlock enemies to invalidate much of combat, sections that can kill a full health character in one mistake regardless of difficulty, frequently unclear directions and all sorts of other issues make this a very bad entry in an otherwise amazing series.”
“Unfortunately the campaign is wrought with frustrating gameplay that has no place in a brawler, particularly the chase/delivery sequences that threaten to make you do a combo on your desk and screen not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times.”
- music173 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, primarily due to a significant change in the soundtrack caused by legal issues with the original composer. While many players appreciate the new chiptune-style music for its nostalgic feel and engaging quality, others lament the absence of the original tracks, feeling that the new compositions lack memorability and depth. Overall, the soundtrack is generally considered enjoyable, but opinions vary on its effectiveness compared to the original.
“The music and animations are awesome!”
“The soundtrack is upbeat and engaging, the facial expressions are hilarious.”
“The art and music of this game are absolutely top notch.”
“My biggest issue is with the quality of the music; however, from what I understand, that is not the developers' fault so much as a Karen's DMCA.”
“I'm not talking about the false DMCA claims by a psychopath; I mean the fact they used classic RCR music in the trailer, yet there's none of that classic music in the game itself.”
“However, I was disappointed there was no remix or even any iconic music from the old RCR game like the boss fight and the downtown theme.”
- grinding165 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many players finding it tedious and time-consuming. Critics highlight the lack of shared resources between characters, forcing players to grind individually for levels and money, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some appreciate the nostalgic grind typical of the genre, the excessive and often frustrating nature of the grinding has led to a consensus that it hampers the game's fun and pacing.
“If there was no grinding necessary, I doubt getting to this point in the story would have taken an hour.”
“Bug fixing needs to happen, and online play needs a closer look to understand the concept of 4-man multiplayer and what makes it fun: not grinding money off hordes of enemies for 2 hours just to get everyone started.”
“However, the inability to share money between characters does not encourage players to easily switch characters during story progress, as other characters are often too weak and require level grinding, which wastes a lot of time and effort.”
“Grinding is too boring and tedious; I can't fully enjoy the game and consider it as a Kunio-kun game.”
“The endless grinding for cash and constant running back and forth just quickly started to bore me.”
- graphics149 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of *River City Ransom: Underground* are widely praised for their nostalgic retro style, effectively capturing the charm of the original NES game while incorporating modern enhancements. Many reviewers appreciate the vibrant pixel art, detailed animations, and the ability to toggle retro visual settings, although some criticize certain aspects of the art style as inconsistent or lacking polish. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point, appealing to fans of classic beat 'em ups while providing a fresh experience.
“The graphics are fantastic, presentation is nice, music is nice, combat is good for the most part, but what could be a great game isn't quite great yet and I would strongly advise waiting until the worst kinks are ironed out at least.”
“The graphics feel very classic, and the art style is gorgeous and very faithful to what the original was, as is the combat/physics system.”
“The graphics are perfect for the game, and capture a sense of the nostalgia quite well, while providing more variety and looks than the old NES could handle.”
“The retro pixel graphics are ugly, really ugly.”
“Plus, the art style is just ass-ugly.”
“The graphics are somehow worse than the original.”
- humor74 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying its quirky animations, funny dialogue, and nostalgic references that evoke laughter throughout gameplay. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to blend humor with action, creating memorable moments that enhance the overall experience, while some critiques mention a reliance on outdated humor styles. Overall, the game successfully delivers a comedic atmosphere that resonates well with both new and returning players.
“The soundtrack is upbeat and engaging, the facial expressions are hilarious.”
“We laughed and laughed, the combos were hilarious, the death-text and food-text sent us into peals of teary-eyed giggles.”
“The humor and the action are back and better than ever!”
- stability57 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- -4 % neutral mentions
- 98 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and design flaws that significantly hinder the gameplay experience. Many players have encountered issues such as invisible walls, broken missions, and unreliable multiplayer functionality, leading to a consensus that the game is currently too unstable for a full recommendation. While some users note that patches are expected, the overall sentiment suggests that the game requires substantial fixes before it can be considered polished or enjoyable.
“It runs great on Linux!”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
“I've experienced minimal bugs, making for a smooth gaming experience.”
“Unfortunately, it's too buggy and broken to be worth playing.”
“It's a buggy disorganized mess.”
“Clumsy controls, buggy multiplayer, and disappointing visuals point to a game that spent too much time in the oven and had too much going against it.”
- replayability33 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its diverse roster of playable characters, each with unique fighting styles and abilities, which encourages players to experiment and explore different strategies. While some users noted a lack of replay value after completing the main content, many highlighted the game's online multiplayer and ongoing updates as factors that enhance its longevity. The addition of features like character customization and new game plus modes further contributes to its replayability, making it a compelling choice for fans of the genre.
“It has great replayability too.”
“With over a dozen unique and selectable characters to progress, this game allows for a ton of replay value.”
“Each character has a unique fighting style which makes this game highly replayable.”
“Lack of replayability aside from leveling other characters.”
“Above average but lacks a bit of replayability once you do everything.”
“The original game was easy with no replay value; good game but still easy.”
- character development5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some praising the charming animations and unique character designs that maintain a connection to the original, while others criticize the developers for straying too far from established lore and delivering an unpolished experience marred by bugs and inconsistent design choices. Overall, the characters are visually appealing but lack depth due to questionable narrative decisions.
“A faithful follow-up to the original, with pitch-perfect music and the same style of adorable animations, though there are hints of the new developer's more modern sensibilities, alongside the previous games' character designs and expressions.”
“The graphics look great, the character designs are fun, and each character has their own set of animations.”
“In my personal opinion, the developers took too much liberty in terms of story, lore, and character design.”
“An unpolished game full of bugs, extremely poor decisions, and lopsided character design.”
“You know, like if you told John Wayne Gacy to make some pixel chibi dudes, he might come up with these character designs.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of nostalgia and frustration regarding the emotional aspect of the game. While there is satisfaction in mastering the moveset and a strong attachment to the franchise, the unreliability of certain moves and the emotional weight of unplayed characters create a bittersweet experience that falls short of the wholesome expectations set by earlier titles.
“I have a strong emotional attachment to those games like many others.”
“It’s satisfying, fun, and heartbreaking because I keep thinking about all the other characters I just don’t have the patience to raise.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game appears to be inconsistent, with some users experiencing significant performance issues on certain hardware, such as a GTX 1070, while others report smooth performance even on older systems. Additionally, there are bugs affecting features like text display, but overall, some players have had no performance problems and found the visuals to run well.
“Visuals are great and run smoothly.”
“No problems with performance; the Steam controller worked just fine and no setup was needed.”
“There's definitely a decent number of bugs - I have horrible performance problems on a GTX 1070. Toggle text display does nothing, etc.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized as distinctive and engaging, effectively evoking nostalgia to enhance the experience. However, some reviews suggest that this reliance on nostalgia may compensate for a lack of depth in writing and overall atmosphere.
“Overall, the game had a distinctive atmosphere, and the gameplay was engaging.”
“It just creates a 'feel-good' atmosphere to see some of these things and the way that they were implemented into this game.”
“It heavily relies on nostalgia to make up for the lack of any real writing or atmosphere.”
“The game feels empty and lifeless, failing to create an engaging atmosphere.”
“Despite its beautiful graphics, the atmosphere is flat and uninspired.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a strong negative sentiment towards the game's monetization strategy, with users perceiving it as a cash grab that detracts from the overall quality and integrity of the franchise. The presence of microtransactions is particularly criticized, suggesting a lack of effort from the developers to improve the game.
“All this game needs to add to make my head explode is microtransactions.”
“This is just lazy and it's another cash grab from a no-show developer who never puts out patches for any of the awful games that they release.”
“The still screens shown in the advertisement are not an accurate representation of the awful and sloppy take on what was once a decent franchise.”
