Part of what makes spinoffs exciting is the promise of something new. It doesn’t have to be huge, such as a new genre, just something that makes it stand out from other titles. In the case of River City: Knights of Justice, it’s a fantasy take on the River City series.
At its core, River City: Knights of Justice is the game fans enjoy. It’s still a beat em up game, with fairly simple controls. You can punch, kick, jump, grab and attack enemies, with some minor changes. In this title you can use various magic spells and you face fantasy based enemies. There is are ghosts, wands and even magic, which you can use to defeat enemies. Stats are even displayed in a way that matches RPGs from the ’80s and ’90s.
Beyond simply changing things to match the new setting, there are small touches. With a more European vibe, Kunio-kun is called Alexander, a reference to localization changes in the past, with other tweaks and changes.
River City: Knights of Justice also takes several staples from older RPGs. For instance, you can move from town to town by using a map and it’s possible to run into random encounters along the way. Winning these fights will allow you to continue on your adventure, where as failing is death.
With it set to release on June 20, 2017, it makes for a different adventure with old friends.Maybe not a massive departure, but enough to make it feel like a new experience.
