Fallen City Brawl won me over on vibes and thematic. Its gameplay, while frenetic and fun, needs more depth to exceed the current gold standard utilized by recent additions to the modern beat-em-up genre. It’s great for a quick afternoon playthrough, especially when played with friends.
They say that imitation is the biggest form of flattery. In present day gaming, we often see games emulate popular thematics for purposes of nostalgia, revisiting older gameplay mechanics in hopes that they return to prominence, or just plain fun. For Fallen City Brawl, its imitation of retro beat-em-ups like Final Fight or Final Vendetta should be treated as a celebration of old-school arcade cabinet gaming that the present day sorely needs.
Developer Fallen City Studio and publisher Eastasiasoft Limited have put together a blast from the past of a beat-em-up set in Fallen City, an urban jungle teeming with villains. Four playable characters with brief backstories can be selected to fight through eight side-scrolling levels, using multiple attacks and special moves (called “Riot” supers) to take down every dangerous foe in their path.
If you have played a beat-em-up before now, then Fallen City Brawl needs very little onboarding. I was able to pick up and play several levels without needing to use the special moves, but I learned that there were multiple other types of attacks after I paused my progress and went through the tutorial that was tucked away in the main menu and wasn’t seamlessly integrated into the game’s story. Perhaps this was intended to get players into the action as soon as possible without being bogged down by a computer telling me what to do every few seconds in a contained space.
Some of the attacks required more finesse than most beat-em-up players expect to use in a 2D-plane. For instance, the downward stomp required me to be lined up in an almost pixel perfect parallel with a downed enemy. If I wasn’t lined up, my animation wouldn’t even start and I would stand there punching empty space for no reason. The smaller-form combos could be pulled off with simple button mashing – just like you and I did in the arcades years ago. Each character felt unique, though, meaning that my playthrough differed depending on if I had chosen Sgt. Clay (a shotgun-wielding SWAT soldier) over Natasha (a mechanic with an oversized wrench who could apparently commune with wolves).
Waves upon waves of enemies filled the screen as I continuously moved to the right until I faced the current level’s boss. Each boss was uniquely designed, but they lacked the character and uniqueness to set themselves apart from the enemies I tore through with chains, explosives, shotguns, and boomerang wrenches.
Fallen City Brawl peaks when there are tons of enemies on screen. Thanks to the game’s combo system, I was encouraged to button mash away as my character pummeled nameless enemies into oblivion. When I was using Natasha, I would start by throwing my wrench toward enemies, ground pound and launch them into the air, and juggle them as the wrench boomeranged back to me. Once acquiring enough special crystals from successful attack combos, the screen would light up with explosions and flashes of color, setting everyone ablaze and turning the chaos to the max. The fast-paced nature of Fallen City Brawl meant that these explosive interactions were frequent; it’s a ton of fun when there’s so much happening on screen.
By the end of the game’s eight levels, I was left wanting some form of satisfaction for defeating the final boss. The “big bad” played just like his predecessors, meaning that I was surprised that I not only defeated him so easily and quickly, but because it lacked the build-up that usually manifests in the form of multiple-phase boss battles. A final boss battle should be equally punishing and momentous, as it serves as the finale of a beat-em-up. Fallen City Brawl’s failure to pit the player against the game’s supposedly strongest boss meant that I walked away unsatisfied. The fact that each of Fallen City Brawl’s four playable characters had the exact same ending wasn’t that satisfying, either.
Sure, it felt great to see the end credits in a matter of 15-or-so minutes. It also felt great to type in my high score just like I would in a typical arcade cabinet. High score chasing and co-op play is great for short-term engagement, but a home-release of a 90s-inspired beat-em-up needs something more to hold the attention of today’s player. Fallen City Brawl would benefit from additional support in the form of some post-game modes (like Survival or Time Trials), unlockable characters, or even a secret boss of some sort for those who want to put more time into Fallen City Brawl.
To its credit, Fallen City Brawl is very well designed and sounds incredible thanks to the soundtrack made by Daniel Lindholm, the mastermind behind Resident Evil 6 and Street Fighter V’s soundtracks. The tunes perfectly encapsulates the 90s beat cop and street fighting thematic that was common all the while Final Fight and Street Fighter had lines of players chomping at the bit to play with their friends in neon clad arcades.
Structurally and visually, Fallen City Brawl has the 90s-themed arcade cabinet aesthetic nailed down pat. From the INSERT COIN notification on the main menu to the CRT screen-pixelated characters, playing Fallen City Brawl feels just like I’m in an arcade all over again. The only thing missing, thankfully, is a game over screen that occurs when I fail a run. The only way to “lose” is by simply…not playing. Or just quitting after completing a level. The lack of a game over screen made the game easier in some ways, but it also removed the reluctant replayability I would get from forcing myself to start over in an attempt to get one level farther.
Before I conclude this review, I want to recognize that Fallen City Brawl does not compare to recent beat-em-ups like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge or Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind. If you want something more story-driven with deep replayability, consider the former; if you’re wanting something with more retro variety and a nostalgia bomb, consider latter. If you’re more for the classic frenetic beat-em-up experience, retro graphics with 80s’ street fighting and all, then you’re best off playing Fallen City Brawl. It’ll win you over on the thematic alone.
Fallen City Brawl won me over on vibes and thematic. Its gameplay, while frenetic and fun, needs more depth to exceed the current gold standard utilized by recent additions to the modern beat-em-up genre. It’s great for a quick afternoon playthrough, especially when played with friends.
