River City Ransom: Underground

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River City Ransom: Underground is a single player and multiplayer arcade hack and slash game with a comedy theme. It was developed by Conatus Creative Inc. and was released on February 27, 2017. It received positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"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.

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River City Ransom: Underground screenshot

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73%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,048 reviews

story39 positive mentions

grinding133 negative mentions

Faithful sequel to the original River City Ransom with nostalgic graphics and sound.
Diverse characters with unique fighting styles and a satisfying combat system.
Engaging gameplay with RPG elements that allow for character progression and customization.

Poorly designed AI that often leads to frustrating encounters and tedious grinding.
Vague objectives and a confusing map that make it difficult to progress in the story.
Numerous bugs and glitches that hinder the overall experience, especially in multiplayer.

story
320 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
76%
12%
The story in this game is a mixed bag, with players noting its linearity and lack of depth, often feeling disjointed and confusing. While some appreciate the nostalgic references and humor, many criticize the poorly designed missions, particularly the infamous "milk mission," and the vague objectives that can lead to frustration. Overall, the narrative takes a back seat to gameplay, with many players feeling that it lacks coherence and fails to engage as effectively as the original.
- “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.”
- “Not only does it capture the feeling of the original River City Ransom, it improves on it in many ways, from expanding the very narrow plot to having more intrigue, adding a greater variety of characters to choose from, and varied environments that change a bit based on time of day and story progression.”
- “The story feels like the game gave up and didn't even try.”
- “The story, however, takes a back seat this time and doesn't make much sense.”
- “The main villain is just thrown in, with no back story or legitimate connections.”
gameplay
216 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
63%
10%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its nostalgic elements and character variety, while others criticize its complexity and lack of clarity in mechanics. While the core combat mechanics are generally solid and engaging, issues such as bugs, confusing controls, and frustrating design choices detract from the overall experience. Ultimately, the game offers a blend of classic beat 'em up action with modern features, but it struggles with balance and polish, leading to a somewhat uneven gameplay experience.
- “Nonetheless, the gameplay is well done, and I appreciate the variety of characters you can choose from.”
- “Gameplay is very similar to the original River City Ransom with a sprinkling of modern features like super moves and combos.”
- “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.”
- “Unfortunately, they stuffed the game with unnecessary filler that is made difficult due to the specifics of the gameplay (looking at you, inexplicable and unnecessary chase scenes) and not genuine challenge.”
- “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.”
music
142 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
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 some players appreciate the new chiptune-style tracks for their nostalgic feel and engaging quality, others express disappointment over the absence of iconic themes from the original game, feeling that the new music lacks memorability. Overall, the soundtrack is generally considered enjoyable, but opinions vary on its effectiveness compared to the original.
- “The music and animations are awesome!”
- “Amazing successor to the original, top quality art, music, and new flavor to new retro gaming.”
- “The soundtrack is upbeat and engaging, the facial expressions are hilarious.”
- “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.”
grinding
135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
99%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and frustrating, particularly in solo play. While some appreciate the RPG elements and the sense of progression that comes with grinding for levels and moves, others criticize the repetitive nature of combat and the lack of meaningful rewards, leading to a feeling of aimlessness. Multiplayer play is often recommended to alleviate the grind, but overall, the consensus is that the game could benefit from a reduction in grinding to enhance enjoyment.
- “If there was no grinding necessary, I doubt getting to this point in the story would have taken an hour.”
- “Grinding money off hordes of enemies for 2 hours just to get everyone started is not what makes multiplayer fun.”
- “The game is extremely slow-paced and grindy, requiring dozens of enemies to be defeated to purchase a single upgrade and numerous backtracking to reach objectives.”
- “Grinding for level-ups, grinding for money, moving from point A to point B then back to point A because of story, punching the same dude who's already dead despite being able to be air-juggled, and so on.”
- “Grinding for money to slowly, slowly, slowly level up basic stats and basic combo moves just to do something other than mash buttons is arduous and tiring.”
graphics
117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
52%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their nostalgic, retro style that pays homage to the original NES title, featuring vibrant colors and well-animated sprites. Many reviewers appreciate the blend of classic aesthetics with modern enhancements, noting that the visuals evoke a sense of nostalgia while still feeling fresh and polished. However, some criticisms arise regarding certain design choices and inconsistencies in the art style, with a few players finding the overall presentation lacking in depth and variety.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Obscure control config, simplistic visuals - gone way too far on that time-machine trail.”
- “The visuals are well animated, but in an ugly palette, and a lot of the backgrounds look pretty dreadful.”
- “The graphics are somehow worse than the original.”
humor
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and cleverness, featuring hilarious animations, funny dialogue, and nostalgic references that resonate with players. Many reviews highlight the game's ability to evoke laughter through its quirky character designs, amusing combat mechanics, and entertaining easter eggs, making it a fun experience, especially in multiplayer mode. However, some critiques mention a reliance on outdated meta humor and nostalgia, suggesting that the game could benefit from fresh comedic elements.
- “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 new characters are funny and they bring a fresh breeze into River City's brawling action.”
stability
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting persistent glitches, bugs, and design flaws that significantly impact gameplay. While some users note improvements and express hope for future patches, many agree that the current state is too unstable for a full recommendation, particularly in multiplayer modes. Overall, the game is described as a "buggy mess," requiring extensive troubleshooting and often leading to frustrating experiences.
- “And it runs great on Linux!”
- “It's 2020 - games that I buy should just work, and I wasn't spending the rest of the trial period troubleshooting.”
- “This game requires too much troubleshooting to make it work.”
- “It's a buggy disorganized mess.”
replayability
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
60%
10%
The game boasts high replayability due to its multiple playable characters, each with unique fighting styles, and an engaging combat system that encourages experimentation. While some players note a potential lack of replay value after completing the main content, the addition of online multiplayer, character customization, and ongoing updates enhances the overall experience. Overall, it offers enough content and variety to keep players engaged for hours, if not years.
- “Enough content to keep you going for hours and plenty of replay value for years to come.”
- “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 development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
Character development in the game is noted for its beautiful 8-bit sprite designs that enhance the overall enjoyment, with a blend of nostalgic and modern sensibilities. However, some players feel that the developers took excessive liberties with the story and lore, leading to inconsistencies and a lack of polish in character design. Overall, while the character designs are praised, there are criticisms regarding the execution and coherence of character development.
- “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 character design is just beautiful, using 8-bit sprites where most characters aren't just recolors like in River City Ransom, making the game more enjoyable.”
- “The character development is rich and engaging, allowing players to form a deeper connection with the characters as the story unfolds.”
- “In my personal opinion, 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.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
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 visuals, the atmosphere is flat and uninspired, leaving little to immerse the player.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a sense of disappointment regarding the emotional connection to the game, feeling it lacks the wholesome charm of the original River City Ransom, which many hold dear. This suggests that the emotional resonance expected from the remake does not meet the nostalgic attachment fans have to the original.
- “I have a strong emotional attachment to those games like many others.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly even on older hardware without any performance issues, and it seamlessly supports the Steam controller with no additional setup required.
- “No problems with performance; the Steam controller worked just fine and no setup was needed.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a cash grab, with misleading advertisements that do not reflect the game's quality, leading to disappointment among players. Users express frustration over the developer's lack of support and updates for their previous titles, further diminishing trust in the franchise.
- “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.”
- “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.”

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85%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Review: River City Ransom: Underground
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Destructoid.com
85%

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22h Median play time

16h Average play time

3-30h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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River City Ransom: Underground is a arcade hack and slash game with comedy theme.

River City Ransom: Underground is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

On average players spend around 16 hours playing River City Ransom: Underground.

River City Ransom: Underground was released on February 27, 2017.

River City Ransom: Underground was developed by Conatus Creative Inc..

River City Ransom: Underground has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

River City Ransom: Underground is a single player game with multiplayer and local co-op support.

Similar games include River City Girls, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons, Double Dragon Neon, Streets of Rage 4, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds and others.

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