You play as the character Brad Hawk, a pretty macho guy who has to really break out and beat down a lot of gang lords. The story of Urban Reign really does not do anything to really further your interest in the game, and to be honest had potential but never had that used. Can Urban Reign bring anything new to the genre? You don’t see simplistic games anymore, and when you do they never seem to sell, so therefore the beat em’ up genre has been silent. No longer do games just jump from platform to platform you now have games that go from shooting up the streets of LA, to driving around trying to pick up a girl. I think one of the biggest reasons why this genre has been so neglected over the past couple of years is because the video game world went from simpler and more 'plug and play' games to games featuring complex gameplay mechanics and deeply engaging environments. Can this street brawler possibly revitalize an otherwise dead genre? Read our full review to find out! Gameplay One of these games is now out for the Playstation 2, and it is Urban Reign.
In the past year or so as we have seen a lot more of these sorts of games being released onto store shelves. Once regarded as the prominent video game genre, the beat em’ up genre has really begun its revival. It is really weird how times have changed, when genres that have thrilled millions of gamers during the last decade has become almost extinct.
