Streets of Rage 4: Mr X. Nightmare

The beautiful thing about beat-’em-up games is that the genre’s appeal is immediate: Walk right, punch everyone along the way and feel great about it. The beauty of “Mr. X Nightmare” for “Streets of Rage 4” is less apparent, because the original game was already packed with value. But at $8, this trio of indie studios somehow made a far more robust and replayable package. There’s little else to say besides “Streets of Rage 4,” as a now-complete package, has my highest possible recommendation.

Mr. X Nightmare is a quality addition to an already quality game. You can feel the care taken to bring in the new characters without wrecking the balance of the game, the fantastic soundtrack, and a great new mode that's positively addicting and well-made.

Mr. X Nightmare definitely adds a lot to the overall experience, but the Survival mode sadly lacks the much needed depth.

Streets of Rage 4: Mr. X Nightmare is a fairly priced bit of DLC that is the perfect reason for people who played this title a year ago to pick the game back up again. All three new characters play differently from one another, providing a satisfying variety as you pound your way through hapless bad guys once again. The Survival mode also exceeded my expectations and has that addictive ‘one more time’ feel to it.

Mr. X Nightmare expansion pack is a treasure for Beat'em Up fans and will entertain for a long time.

Mr. X Nightmare adds plenty of new worthwhile content to an already great game that will please series veterans and newcomers alike.

For a small and reasonably-priced DLC, Mr. X Nightmare brings a lot to the table. Not only does it add a new mode with a decent amount of depth, but three new characters and a lot of other small changes. Streets of Rage 4 was already an incredible game and a worthy successor to the iconic franchise, but Mr. X Nightmare has made so many refinements and tweaks that it has raised it to the level where it has surpassed them. All it took was adding one key factor - replayability.

A new challenge awaits our heroes in Wood Oak City, Return to the Streets of Rage with more moves, more weapons and more characters in the first DLC of Streets of Rage 4. You won't regret it.

The three new characters — Estel, Max, and Shiva — enhance an already stacked roster, and the endless Survival mode adds considerable longevity to the core experience, as long as you don't mind the repetitive, grindy gameplay loop.

All in all, Mr. X Nightmare is a great add-on for Streets of Rage 4. For less than $10, gamers get new characters and an infinitely replayable Survival Mode. The free update just adds a cherry on top. Grab it when you can, and enjoy playing while dreaming of a possible Streets of Rage 5.