Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is launching next week on PS and Nintendo Switch, and we got a chance to take it for a spin. Check our Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons preview!
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons from Secret Base, Arc System Works, and Modus Games is taking the beloved beat ’em up franchise in a new direction by giving us a new game with a new art style while adding some roguelite elements into the mix. It’s been a while since the first game in the series released way back in 1987 in arcades from Technōs Japan and Taito.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons takes place in the year 199X, and nuclear war has devastated New York City. Its citizens must fight to survive the riots as crime engulfs the city. Criminal gangs have taken over each of the four areas of the city as they try to rule everything. It’s up to young Billy and Jimmy Lee, Marian, and the mighty Uncle Marti to act before it’s too late. The new Mayor has contacted them so that they can help put an end to the current situation.
You’ll control your selected character with the left analog stick or the D-Pad as you combo your way to victory by using the Square button to attack and the X button to jump. The triangle button will be for your special move that will use some of the special meter. If you hit enemies or receive damage, the special meter will fill up at a faster pace. If playing on your own, you can press the L1 button to tag in your other character if your special meter is full. The Circle button can be used for some characters to grab enemies, while others will use it for a dodge ability.
By playing through the game’s Story Mode, you’ll be able to earn more and more of the in-game cash, which will be converted into tokens once you get a game over after a run. Tokens can be spent at the Token Shop to unlock additional stuff for the game, such as new characters, access to artwork, songs from the game’s soundtrack or to check out some tips to aid you on your adventure.
Cash can also be spent between each section of a stage to purchase upgrades for your characters to make the most of during that run. These include boosting the damage dealt by specific special attacks, lowering the cost for special attacks, increasing a character’s overall health, being able to deal more damage with regular attacks used in combos, and more. You can also decide to purchase tokens when made available to add them to your total for the aforementioned token shop.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is launching on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch on July 20. Be sure to check out our Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons review that will be going live on launch day!
Disclaimer
This Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons preview is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Modus Games.
