Double Dragon Revive Review – Punching Hard, Missing Heart

Double Dragon Rebirth Review

2025 saw a wave of retro revival with classics like Shinobi And Ninja Gaiden successfully modernizing its roots without losing its original spirit. Double Dragon Rebirth hopes to follow in their footsteps and bring back the long-dormant brawler for a new generation. Under the guidance of Yuk, a wrestling veteran, can his hand-to-hand combat expertise translate into a worthy comeback for one of the most famous beat-'em-up games ever?

Double Dragon Revive presents a simple story that draws on the history of the franchise to give your adventures some purpose. There's nothing particularly exciting or memorable about it, and it mostly stays in the background. The short cutscenes frame each chapter and help tie it together, even if the overall narrative remains traditional and boring. However, no one strives for a well-crafted and thoughtful narrative. It's all about beating the crap out of countless thugs, and that's where the game shines.

Ready for battle?

Streets of Rage 4 and Shredder's Revenge took the aging formula and updated it, adding layers to the brawls to relieve the monotonous button mashing that the genre is prone to. For the most part, Double Dragon Revive manages to follow suit. Sensitive controls will allow you to fight on a screen full of enemies. You can use combos with light and heavy hits and use wall bounce to increase your hit count. Weapons lie in the environment, allowing you to brutally destroy anyone in your path.

It's easy to lose consciousness, but luckily you have enough attacks in your arsenal to handle such moments. Once your gauge is full, you'll be able to unleash a brutal special move with an area effect, perfect for thinning out crowds or creating space against tougher opponents. A nice innovation is the set of protection options, which many colleagues in the genre have overlooked. In addition to blocking and dodging, you can now deflect incoming attacks, encouraging you to read your opponent's patterns rather than relying on incessant button mashing.

Everything is a weapon

Each stage offers many opportunities to use the environment to your advantage. You can line up an enemy for a powerful attack to have them face hazards, or grab and throw them into objects for brutal environmental destruction. You can even swing on the bars to launch yourself into the air and deliver a devastating blow, and that's just the beginning. There's real creativity in the way the environment relates to combat, which is a clear step up from what most games in the genre offer.

To add variety, the developers introduce light platforming segments in which you need to quickly move from one place to another while avoiding dangers. It's in these moments that the game really fails. The moment is suitable for a brawler, but rigid movements do not work when trying to jump from one point to another. In theory this is a great idea, but the implementation leaves much to be desired.

Bosses complete the levels, each with their own unique attack pattern that requires you to be able to read and counter. Most of them have a gimmick that helps add tactics to the fight and also makes each encounter feel special. Unfortunately, there is a certain peak in difficulty at these moments that gets in the way of the climactic final moments. This leads to some frustrating moments where some fights can feel unfair.

Lack of identity

Visually, Double Dragon Revive lacks personality. A series so integral to gaming history is in desperate need of modern flair. Yuke's opted for an overall aesthetic reminiscent of the controversial PS2-era title. While the game looks good, it can't hold a candle to its contemporaries. While Streets of Rage 4 has a stylish look and Shredder's Revenge impresses with expressive pixel graphics, Double Dragon Revive feels dated and the lack of visual identity may turn players off. The environments look a bit rough and are in desperate need of some work. Throw in an uninspiring soundtrack and you end up with an overall presentation that feels dated and lacking the energy that such a revival deserves.

Double Dragon Revive isn't the revival fans were hoping for. Its combat is impressive with a variety of defensive and environmental mechanics that add real depth to each fight, but other elements detract from the experience. The sudden difficulty spike is frustrating, and the easy platforming sections feel underdeveloped. The presentation also needs an overhaul, as its lackluster visuals and soundtrack fail to capture the energy and attitude that once defined the franchise. There's a solid foundation here, but it's going to take more than just nostalgia and new mechanics to truly bring Double Dragon back to life.

***PS5 code was provided for this review***