Double Dragon is quite the memorable game title back in the 80s. To have a side-scrolling beat ’em up with the ability to use weapons was quite unique at that time. And ever since, there has been a number of sequel titles that came out as well as remakes, including the one courtesy of DotEmu called Double Dragon Trilogy released for the PC Steam.
Considering there are three Double Dragon titles included in this game, it should be quite the steal. And in each, there is the arcade and story mode but there isn’t much difference in terms of actual gameplay between the two. You and one other player will have to fight your way across levels and encounter enemies and bosses. There are various levels that you go through with a variety of environments to experience in.
The gameplay is very straightforward as the controls consists of movement and a few buttons to execute punch, kick and jump. And with the ability to change the controls in the settings, you can’t go wrong here. I really recommend playing this title with a controller as it was meant to be played with.
Whichever Double Dragon game you choose, the difficulty can be a bit overwhelming which comes with the territory. The challenges are inviting and gives the title its replay value. There are also plenty of Steam achievements to accomplish. However, do note that continues are limited so it may be a turn-off to players who are yearning to get to the next level and even complete the whole game. But where’s the fun and challenge in that?
Obviously, Double Dragon Trilogy does have multiplayer locally and via online. Unfortunately, I did have trouble getting into a game online. Nevertheless, the local feature is what I ended up with and had the most fun anyways.
Double Dragon Trilogy does allow you to change the video resolution all the way to 1920 by 1080. Additionally, when you implement the full screen, you don’t get the whole view being stretched out and looking heavily pixelated. Instead, the video filtering smooths out the edges. Of you can even employ scan-lines to give that classic appearance. My complaint though is that the user interface does look unsophisticated and could have been designed better. Double Dragon Trilogy does offer both the original 8-bit and remixed soundtracks, although I preferred going the classic route to give that sense of nostalgia.
Loyal fans will find some flaws with Double Dragon Trilogy. However, keep note that you get three games for the price of one. I wouldn’t expect too much out of this Steam title other than a great opportunity to live out the arcade classics at the comfort of your own home.
