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There’s a solid range of moves from the start, with  a satisfying number of combos and attack variants you uncover along the way. Supporting this is a system lifted from Streets of Rage 3, which gives you free uses of your powerful, otherwise life-draining specials, provided you can hold out while they recharge. It encourages frequent, but considered use of these powerful, crowd clearing specials, allowing you to perform big combos and devastate bosses when they’re opened up. 

As the game progresses more layers are revealed, from new combos routes to enemy weaknesses and other small nuances. One boss took me over an hour, until I finally dialed in the timing of the Street Fighter III style parries and learned how to tech his powerful throws. Every attack became an opportunity to reverse the outcome, providing wild momentum shifts and unstoppable aggression. 

And that’s the core of  Fight’n Rage--a high difficulty that keeps up the tension and vulnerability, but rewards space control and good observation with the chance to crash through the arena like a runaway train. It’s a bit garish at times, with overdone retro filters and writing that flits between assorted cliches and melodrama, but the music and animation set up powerful vibes that the action follows through to an explosive conclusion.