"An addictive beat-em-up with potential....."

I have always been a fight enthusiast as well as an avid gamer, so I had to check out Streetwise as soon as it hit shelves. The 'Fight Club' influence is obvious from the get-go, and players will soon find themselves either incredibly bored and frustrated or, in my rare case I guess, incredibly entertained and hooked on the simplistic yet fun beat-em-up style of gameplay that just keeps on dishin out more of the same.
The voice acting is excellent for a game produced on a tight budget. Kyle Traver's will take fans back to the MGS days with his unusually similiar vocals to that of David Hayter. The story is nothing new: your typical 'guy out to beat people up and save his girl...er, I mean brother'. The whole zombie thing is kind of wack, but all is forgiven at the end.

Graphics 7/10
Graphics are nothing spectacular. I was pretty disappointed with the camera, but impressed with the amount of detail. Textures are a bit bland, but there's minimal slowdown and everything looks pretty sharp. The cutscenes are nice and entertaining, when the rare instance that you actually get one occurs. I feel if they allowed a zoom in and controllable option for the game, it would of made it much easier to admire the detail of Kyle's room, which has a few obscure, but well done touches of detail.

Sound 10/10
This department is where the game really shines. I was really impressed with the intense 'DJ D-Fault' techno beats and riffs as well as the fitting rap/metal themes your given to choose from. The music was excellent, it fit the atmosphere of the game perfectly and it always pumped you up as you played the game. Not to mention you can select which track you want to hear and which ones you don't (like True Crime). Hip Hop beats from RZA, MF Doom, mixed with some heavy guitar music from Soulfly and Slipknot provide great background music in this game. I found myself getting really hooked on the artists and buying a few CD's on my own time after I beat the game.

Gameplay 8/10
Now, this is where I was enjoying the game, not for what it looks like, but how it plays. Alot of people are turned off by this type of gameplay style because they either have short attention spans, or just don't have it in 'em to pick it up. It's a very repetitive game, true, but aren't most games repetitive in some form? Isn't eating, breathing, showering, shaving, etc. repetitive? Aren't RPG's the 'ultimate form of gaming repetition'? I've been into games for many many years, and I would consider my tastes in games to be quite picky. Since I was a huge fightclub fan, I managed to appreciate the fact I could mix up combos and beat the crap out of the same 8 thugs over and over again with a big grin on my face. Metro City isn't quite the same as Hong Kong from Shenmue, which seems to be one of the inspirations for the Studio 8 boys (who unfortunately are either in the unemployment line or at Taco Bell by now), but it does provide a 'semi-freeroaming' experience that I found to be fitting for the game. Bosses are extremely challenging, and I found that the feeling you get from beating their cheap butts is far more rewarding than anything else the game offers as far as rewards.

Replay value 6/10
To be honest, I beat the game twice, back to back. I found myself not having the same experience twice in a row. Replay is a bit weak considering the game is identical the second time around. No extras are added for beating the game, just a few music videos and the old school emulator (which I also beat after maybe 13 or 14 continues), which is another reason I gave it a lower score.

Overall 8/10
I've always been more of a Streets of Rage fan, but this game really gave me alot of good memories from the glory days of beat-em-ups. I can honestly say this is one of the most entertaining games I've experienced all year and is perfect to play after a long day of work with a few cold Miller Lites by your side. It's fun, simple, and looks good. The ending was cool and the story really came together in an original and descent formula by the end. If your an enthusiast of the fight game and have a lack of patience, I would highly recommend this gem for a rental, as it only takes maybe 5 hours in total to beat. Rather short, but sweet.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 04/24/06