Raging Justice (XB1) Review

Teaching a new generation the benefits of eating raw meat.

There are a lot of games that want to be Streets of Rage or Final Fight. It is also worth noting that every time I write a review of a game in this genre, I mention those two titles. Nothing else has been as memorable as those in decades. Raging Justice is another attempt to spark our love for side-scrolling brawlers that keep the genre alive. Developed by a husband and wife team with the same love this game comes close. From eating raw meat to throwing barrels, Raging Justice does its best impersonation while also trying to carve out its own identity.

One of Raging Justice’s biggest crimes is that it feels like it is trying too hard to get players to compare it to the aforementioned titles. Everything about it feels generic, from the level names to the ridiculous characters. They just aren’t memorable.

MSRP: $14.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, Switch
Price I’d Pay: $9.99

The gimmick here is the good cop, bad cop mechanic. This allows players to either bust or kill enemies with warrants. While novel, it became hard to achieve simply because I would accidentally kill most of them, and trying to arrest them usually resulted in me getting hit by someone else. There are different endings and challenges for each level, but I rarely felt the desire to go back and try and get them.

Something else that really rubbed me the wrong way was the way levels unlocked. As an example, if I finished Stage 2 and left the game, when I returned I couldn’t start Stage 3, I had to slog through Stage 2 once again. It is minor as the levels are only minutes long, but it still impeded my fun.

As mentioned levels are brief and contain all the things one would expect. Baseball bats and knives join tractors (yes you read that right) as weapons players can use to mow down enemies. On the harder difficulties the spike in challenge is also brutal. The game does try to amp up the longevity by adding a few extra modes, but one is simply a horde mode and the combat isn’t fun or fluid enough to make it worthwhile.

Visually the game is interesting. It goes for the nostalgia with simple animations, but the claymation style to the characters looks ugly at times. Also the enemy variety is too familiar. I don’t mind repetition, the best in the genre do it ad nauseam, but nothing here is exciting enough to make it work.

Raging Justice is a game that is defined by its screenshots. One look and I knew exactly what I was getting. I wish there was more, I wish it was more fun, but at the end of the day it just felt too limited by its inspirations to stand out and be memorable.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Captures the spirit of the genre
  • Solid combat
Bad
  • Weird progression choices
  • Feels empty
6
Decent
Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.