River City Girls
River City Girls
River City Girls est un beat 'em up sorti le 4 septembre 2019, développé par Arc System Works et WayForward et édité par ce dernier. Le jeu suit Kyoko et Misako, deux lycéennes prêtes à en découdre, qui parcourent les six régions de River City pour secourir leurs petits amis kidnappés, Kunio et Riki. La ville est peuplée d'ennemis à affronter grâce à un arsenal de combos, contres, projections et attaques spéciales.
Les joueuses peuvent ramasser des armes, recruter des adversaires vaincus et accepter de nombreuses quêtes secondaires. La progression repose sur des points d'expérience et un système d'objets, de nourriture et d'équipement qui améliorent les statistiques et débloquent de nouvelles capacités. Le jeu propose également un mode coopératif local pour deux joueurs.
Sur le plan visuel, le titre adopte un pixel art 16 bits agrémenté de cinématiques animées et de planches façon manga. Sa bande-son synth-pop est signée notamment par Chipzel, Christina Vee et NateWantsToBattle. Le jeu fonctionne sous le moteur Unity.
L'accueil critique a été favorable. La presse a salué un « beat 'em up side-scrolling débordant de charme » selon PlayStation Universe, tandis que Cultured Vultures y voyait l'un de ses jeux préférés de l'année. Du côté des joueurs, les avis sont partagés, entre commentaires virulents sur Metacritic et retours positifs soulignant les qualités du titre, notamment son esthétique et son humour. Le jeu affiche un score de 79 sur Opencritic.
Il faut compter environ 7 heures pour terminer l'histoire principale, et 16 heures pour une complétion totale. River City Girls est disponible sur PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Android et iOS, au prix de 12,49 euros.
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« A smashingly great side-scrolling battler that is overflowing with charm, stuff to do and faces to wreck, River City Girls is utterly essential for fans of the genre. »
« Though River City Girls may be called a side story in this universe, it has become one of my favorite games of the year. »
« I'd classify River City Girls as a fun, anime-inspired romp that's worth the time if you're looking for a balance between the visceral satisfaction you get from pummeling enemies on-screen and some of the off-center humor one can find in pieces like "Scott Pilgrim vs The World." It has that kind of vibe, and it's a great change of pace from the more heavy-handed stuff out there. »
« I wasn’t a huge fan of the weird boss rhythms, and the shopping sections fell a little flat, but this game still bursts with that timeless River City charm. If you’re on the fence, thinking this a mere gender-swap, think again! These girls have all the ferocity and heart of their elusive boyfriends. Much more so, even. Fans of brawlers and badass girls alike won’t wanna miss River City Girls. »
« As a huge fan of all things Kunio-kun, I must say that I'm extremely impressed with River City Girls. In fact, it may just be the best game in the franchise. Sorry if you're reading this, Kunio and Riki, but these girls proved to be more kickass than you are. »
« River City Girls gives the beat-em-up genre a new lease on life with its solid combat, stellar spritework, and sprawling world. Those that can stomach some backtracking will find an adventure worthy of biffing a few baddies over. »
« River City Girls succeeds in evolving both the Kunio-kun series and the brawler genre itself, offering entertaining gameplay, brilliant visuals, an amazing soundtrack and fun combat. While brawler fatigue, minor narrative flaws and a slim package threaten the experience, great characters, reverence for the lore and addictive co-op gameplay prevail, ensuring Kyoko and Misako keep throwing fists to the very last round. »
« A fantastic scrolling beat ‘em-ups that shows exactly how the genre can be evolved and modernised, while also indulging in some gloriously retro presentation and throwbacks. »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« i need to say why this game is TRASH? kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk »
« UPDATE in October 2025: I released a fan-made patch that fixes the issue I wrote in my review on Windows PCs, so that everyone has a chance to beat this game! You may find it by searching "river city girls patch bolofan05" on Google. REVIEW: Great game, but it is unbeatable on its own without my patch if your system language is Turkish, and you can't switch to English. Otherwise the game freezes at the start of the 5th boss, which is late into the game. This issue has been reported by multiple users to the developer (WayForward) just recently and it isn't fixed yet; though some users can work around it by switching their system language to English (United States). Instead of WayForward, I made and released a patch myself for PCs! Türkçe: Ekim 2025 GÜNCELLEMESİ: Yorumumda bahsettiğim sorunu Windows PC'lerinde çözen hayran yapımı bir patch yayınladım. Böylece herkesin bu oyunu bitirme şansı var! Patch'imi Google'da "github bolofan05"i aratarak bulabilirsiniz. YORUM: Güzel oyun, ama sistem diliniz Türkçe ise ve dil ayarını İngilizce yapamıyorsanız patch'imi kullanmadığınız takdirde oyun bitirilemiyor. Oyun en sonlarda, beşinci boss'un başında donuyor. Her ne kadar bazı kullanıcılar sistem dillerini ABD İngilizcesi yaparak bu sorunu aşsa da çok sayıda kullanıcı oyun yapımcısına (WayForward) bu sorunu yakın zamanda bildirdi ve sorun henüz çözülmedi. Onların yerine bizzat ben patch yayınladım. »
« Goty porfavor jueguenlo es muy piola y super girly maaaaaalll meeeee encannntaaaaaaa uwuwuwuwuwuuwuwuwuwuwuwu »
« Un side scroller muy entretenido. El estilo gráfico con pixeles es muy bonito Jugablemente cada personaje tiene sus combos que puedes ir desbloqueando en la tienda al ganar dinero y es lo que puedes esperar de un juego de este estilo El doblaje al inglés esta muy conseguido y a las protas les acabas cogiendo cariño »
« This is a fun, anime-inspired beat 'em up that plays like an open-world "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World". It's set in the "River City Ransom" and "Double Dragon" universe. The game is a two-player brawler with RPG-like elements. You'll level up in strength, earn currency, equip special items and learn new attack combos. There are also side-missions, scattered collectibles and plenty of shops to discover. Featuring gorgeous pixel art, colorful animation and motion-comic panels, the game is a visual delight. "River City Girls" also features synth-wave pop songs and a retro-sounding soundtrack. Overall, I would rate this with an 8 out of 10. »
« The best beat em up I've played in a very long time. It's a lot of fun to play, the plot is pretty good, the combat works really well and the soundtrack is fantastic. There's a ton of secrets to unlock outside of the main plot and a hidden ending (which isn't as good as the cannon one). My only complaint is that even on the harder difficulty levels, it isn't that difficult. »
« A colorful and inventive, anime-inspired sequel to "River City Ransom". This is a retro-styled beat 'em up that features gorgeous pixel art, animated sequences and synth-wave pop songs. You play as one of two high school girls that seek out their kidnapped boyfriends. The game has an open-ended structure with some backtracking. As you progress, you'll level up and earn money, unlock new moves and equip items. Fans of "River City" and "Double Dragon" will recognize plenty of characters from the greater "Kunio-Kun" universe. Despite some flaws, "Girls" is a lot of fun. I would rate this with an 8 out of 10. »
« I love Streets of Rage and this is nothing like it. Enemies that block your combos, stun you and other **** you don't like in a game like this. Also the healing is almost non-existent, enemies are HP pools and you have to grind for money to withstand bosses. Pass. »
