For several years, the resurgence of 2D beat ’em up games in pixel art has been increasingly prominent. With titles like “Streets of Rage 4” released in 2019, followed by “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” in 2022, and the upcoming release of “Power Rangers” this year, it’s clear that the 80s aesthetic is making a strong comeback. Adding to this list of notable releases is “Karate Survivor,” developed and published by Alawar, which is scheduled for release on Steam in 2024. Players will control an artist martial character resembling Jackie Chan, although it’s worth noting that while the character may look like Jackie Chan, Chan himself is known for practicing kung-fu rather than Japanese martial arts.
Let us focus on the 1980s and 1990s aesthetic of the game, which features an impressive top-down perspective that allows for attacks from any direction, regardless of conventional axes and angles. If our protagonist, who resembles Jackie Chan, can execute a series of powerful straight punches and kicks, he can also utilize environmental elements to his advantage, similar to finding various objects along his path. This includes pushing objects onto enemies, causing scaffolding to collapse, or using a microwave door to smash foes. These mechanics pay homage to Jackie Chan’s style of making fights feel natural and organic in his films. Indeed, the animations in Karate Survivor are particularly well-executed, though the enemies appear somewhat limited and static. The game will also offer a variety of bosses at the end of each level for players to defeat.
Developers announce hundreds of distinct attack combinations, including up to six tailored to individual combat styles. As players progress through levels, they can collect experience points to unlock and master new techniques and skills, enhancing the gameplay experience and its evolution. These features hold promise that we will continue to monitor closely.
