I think Final Vendetta hits the mark in a gameplay similar to Final Fight and the earliest Streets of Rage. And it is a little clunky like those old games. I wish the controls were a little tighter like the later versions of Streets of Rage or most of the TMNT series.
Character designs are good, but you spend a lot of time fighting palette swaps rather than unique character. And there are limited cut scenes, unlike some of the other retro games like Huntdown.
This isn't as good as Streets of Rage 4 or Fight 'N Rage, but those games are some of the best in the genre, not just among indies. Final Vendetta is still better than the other indie beat 'em ups, especially the licensed ones. It has solid fundamental mechanics as well as more advanced combos and juggles, and great depth and balance in its gameplay design. Decent amount of features too, like a training mode.
My issue with this game is that it has no identity of its own. Visually it plays things extremely safe, as an homage to genre classics. The stages are dynamic, the punks have some cool outfits with bright colours, But...where's the flair, where's the edge? Imagine if the main character of this game, the girl, was a hot babe like Blaze Fielding. Do you think the game would have gotten more attention, and been more fun to play?? Hmm, I wonder. Not sure why an indie dev is pandering to corporate interests.
Anyway, it's still a shame they have to slash the price down to 75% off because I think it's worth more than that, but I wasn't going to pay full price either.
As the title says, it's a fun game, but 25 euros is way too much for it.
The gameplay is the classic beat-em up formula, the controls are responsive and the punching (and kicking) feels good. There are 3 playable characters, each with different moves. No complaints on this front.
The presentation is also good, the pixelart is stylish and invokes the look of classic arcade games really well. I think the animations are a bit stiff sometimes, but nothing really bad. The music fits the game, nothing more, nothing less.
My problem is with content and variety. Enemy variety is fine, but everything else is lacking. There are only six stages, with nice presentation, but their theming is really cliched (not necessarily bad), with minimal stage interactions. I recount only a few times, where I could damage enemies with something other than my fists and feet. You walk forward, hit baddies for six quite short stages and that's it. There is also a Street Fighter 2 style bonus stage, which I don't count as one. There are no interesting or meaningful unlockables either.
I'm not the best player in the genre, and even I managed to beat the game on normal just under an hour, with no continues. I know that the main draw with beat-em ups is playing it again and again, but there is nothing here that pulls me back for another round.
All in all, it's a competently made game with a few highlights, but 25 euros is way too much for what's on offer here. Get it on discount.
