Summary

• Modern beat 'em up games on PS4 and PS5 retain the charm and thrills of their arcade ancestors.
• Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All 2 captures the zaney energy of the comics with fan-service and slapstick comedy.
• Streets of Rage 4 is possibly the most polished beat 'em up game ever, with satisfying combos and loads of replayability.

The beat ‘em up genre has been going through somet🥀hing of a renaissance over the past few years, and much of its resurgence has been felt the strongest on the PlayStation 4 and Pl🉐ayStation 5. Even if we are well past the golden years of the beat ‘em up, these modern entries still retain all the charm and thrills of their arcade ancestors.

From flashy combos to multiplayer mayhem, these PS4 and PS5 beat ‘em ups do a fantastic job translating the classic arcade fun into your living room wh🐼ile innovating on✤ the classic formula in clever ways.

Updated on March 22, 2025, by Harry Fritsch: If there’s one thing that developers of all sizes like PS4 and PS5 gamers to do, it’s beating up stuff. And eating random food for health. And only progressing the level when the flashing arrow tells you to. There are now so many great beat ‘em ups for these systems, it can be hard to keep track of the ones that are actually worth playing. Thankfully, we've collated the best beat-'em-ups you can play on PS4 and PS5, and added a few more to the list.

18 ꦫ 💙 Vengeance Hunters

A Neo Neo-Geo Beat ‘Em Up

While a lot of mౠodern beat ‘em ups commit to an old school style, Vengeance Hunters goes the extra mile by actually being developed🦩 to fit within the parameters of the Neo-Geo hardware. This dedication to historical accuracy ensures that the game truly feels like it was plucked straight from the mid-90s and dropped onto modern platforms.

Ac♚tually playing Vengeance Hunters reveals a beat ‘em up that revels in a varied character selection and exceptional boss fights. Throw in some fun shoot ‘em up sections, and this game captures the heart and charm of a by-gone era of gaming.

17 🌜 River Ci෴ty Girls Zero

The Missing Link

For nearly 30 years, Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka never saw the light of day outside of Japan. However, after the success of River City Girls, WayForward and Arc System Works collaborated to finally bring this classic beat ‘em up to English💙 speaking countries as River City Girls Zero.

What makes this localisation special is that it actually features two English translations: one that is a direct retelling of the original game and one that is closer in style to the other River City Girls games. The 16-bit visuals, innov🧸ative party-based character system, and surprisingly deep writing have all aged like a fine wine.

16 🦄 Fight🌃‘N Rage

A Fast And Fluid Beat ‘Em Up

The beat ‘em up and fighting💟 game genres have always been pretty cloಌsely linked, with 2017 brawler Fight’N Rage taking inspiration from both camps. It has the level structure and co-operative gameplay of a beat ‘em up, but a sleek and complex combat system reminiscent of games like Street Fighter.

The result is a terrifically entertaining romp that only gets more satisfying the more you play. Stringing together an epic combo while seeing th🐟e gorgeous visuals pop on screen is one of the best feelings you can have on the PS4 or PS5.

15 Brok The InvestiGator ꦫ ꦐ

A Point And Click ‘Em Up

Speaking of merging genres, Brokও the InvestiGator makes th🥀e bold decision to marry together gameplay elements of beat ‘em ups with point and click adventure games. While most of the game plays out like a traditional detective adventure game, there are action segments where you get to punch and kick your way through waves of bad guys.

The most remarkable thing about Brok the InvestiGator is that it never crumbles beneath this amb꧒itious genre-mashing experiment. Throw in an engaging story and an endearing Saturday morni𝕴ng cartoon art style, and you have one of the most unique games for these systems.

14 ꧑ Final Vendetta 🍌

A Throwback To The Classics

While other modern beat ‘em ups seek ways t꧋o ♋push their genre forward, Final Vendetta is perfectly content celebrating the past. Almost every detail of this games feels like an intentional throwback to the golden years of the early '90s arcade beat ‘em ups.

There’s a city under siege from a criminal organisation, a kidnapped sister, and o𓄧nly two bros who can save the day. You know what happens from here. Slick pixel art and even slicker action ensures that Final Vendetta will please any fans of༒ this genre’s roots.

13 🅠 Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All 2

When In Rome, Beat Up Everyone You See

Asterix and Obelix returned as video game protagonists in Slap Them All 2, the latest beat 'em up based on the iconic French comics. This adventure sees Aste💞rix and Obelix travelling to distant lands in search of what really happened to the Lutetia Eagle.

With slick mechanics and a cartoony art style that p🌠erfectly captures the zaney energy of the comics, Asterix & Obelix Slap Them All 2 is a great time for fans of the series. With ಌplenty of fan-service and all the slapstick comedy you could ask for, there is a lot to love.

12 🐓Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragons

A Return To Roots For The Double Dragon Series

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Drago🥀ns is a prequel to this iconic beat 'em up series that proves to be a clever throwback in more ways than one. It works as an origin story for a young Jimmy Lee and Billy as they battle against the gangs who are terrorising the streets of New York City.

But the game also embraces the serie൩s' retro roots with a pixelated art style and simple action that made Double Dragon so popular back in the day. Rise of the Dragons also pushes the series forwaဣrd by incorporating roguelite elements that ensure every playthrough serves up something different.

11 River Cit❀y Girls 2 🗹

Turning The Style And Take-Downs Up To 11

River City Girls 2 builds on what made the original such a smash 🌄hit, with new playable characters, an expanded moveset, and a fantastic map brimming with enemies to beat down. The anime-inspired aesthetic and soundtrack are as endearing as ever and bring a ton of character into every aspe𒈔ct of the game.

But River City Girls 2 works because it doesn't try to reinvent the wheel too much. Landing blows still has that satisfying crunchy feel to it and the diverse levels always make you interested in what lies on the other side of the b꧃linking progress arrow.

10 9 Monkeys ♚♏Of Shaolin

Look And Feel Like A Kung Fu Master

9 Monkeys of Shaolin takes the aestheticജ and action of old kung fu movies and translates them into a sleek and stylish beat ‘em up from Sobaka Studio. The gameplay mixes martial arts with magic abilities, giving you plenty of inventive ways to take down the clans of Wokou.

With robust character customization, great cooperative multiplayer, and one of the most striking art styles the genre has ever seen, 9 Monkeys of Shaolin eꦫxcels at delivering a complete beat ‘em up experience on PS4 & PS5.

9 𝐆 Mother Russia Bleeds 🍰

Brutal And Beautiful In All The Best Ways

Mother Russia Bleeds is set in an alternative 1980s Soviet Union, where the Mafia has taken ov💫er the country, and it’s your job to fight back. With brutal, pixelated violence, Mother Russia Bleeds certainly leaves its own (bloody) mark amongst other modern-day beat ‘em ups.

In particular, there is a mechanic in 𓂃the game that allows you to harness the remaining life force from fallen enemies to boost your own character. It’s the kind of creatively horrific thinking you can expect from a lot of Mother Russia Bleeds, which is a big reason why it’s so much fun to play.