The composers for Streets of Rage 4 have been announced, and they’re a phenomenal selection of musicians. The developers are calling the artists an “East Meets West” collection of talent. This is a fair description, as these musicians have worked on games including Final Fight, Hotline Miami, and Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag.
Heading up the roster will be Olivier Derivière, who serves as the main composer for the game. Derivière has worked on Dying Light 2 and Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag. He’s also a huge fan of the Streets of Rage series.
Indeed, in an interview released by publisher Dotemu, Derivière says that just hours before they offered him a role on Streets of Rage 4, he’d been talking with a friend about how desperate he was for another game in the series. Upon hearing the offer, Derivière says that he began to laugh because he thought it was a joke.
Streets of Rage 4‘s incredible composers
Derivière won’t be alone in composing for the game. Harumi Fujita, composer of Final Fight, Bionic Commando, and more, will contribute as well. She takes the place of the similarly prestigious Hideki Naganuma, who had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.
Also joining the team will be Scattle, who worked on Hotline Miami and its sequel. Das Mörtal, another Hotline Miami 2 composer, joins the team as well. There will also be work from Groundislava and XL Middleton, who, while seasoned musicians, will make their video game composer debuts on the Streets of Rage 4 soundtrack.
In celebration of the announcement, publisher and co-developer Dotemu has released four songs from the game’s soundtrack. Prepare yourself: they are delicious ear candy.
The composers’ diverse backgrounds show just how much care is being put into getting this game’s soundtrack right. This is an eclectic group of talented musicians, and their work will no doubt help to elevate what is shaping up to be a very promising title.
More than just nostalgia
Reviving Streets of Rage is the kind of work that Dotemu and co-developer Lizardcube excel at. Lizardcube’s first game, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, is a remake of an aging Sega Master System title that is one of the most visually astounding 2D games of the past few years. Ben Fiquet’s gorgeous hand-drawn animation is complemented by orchestral arrangements of the classic Master System chiptune soundtrack.
With Streets of Rage 4, the team has the opportunity to do more than simply update an old game. Now they can spread their wings, crafting a brand new entry in a classic series. If every element of the game receives the same treatment that they’re giving the music, this could be the best Streets of Rage title of all time.
It’s always nice when a nostalgia property goes beyond simply regurgitating what has come before. If nothing else, it seems that the Streets of Rage 4 composers will provide us with some fantastic new music to enjoy.
