River City Ransom: Underground revisits the River City setting after Alex and Ryan have defeated Slick, sending a new group of fighters into a kidnapping plot and a city in turmoil. The campaign casts players as ten unlockable heroes, each with a distinct fighting style. Its premise gives the brawling a story purpose: fighters are clearing their names while taking on the city’s gangs.
Combat is built around a broad collection of street-fighting moves, with more than 500 unique moves and dozens of weapons. Progress also ties into the city itself: players earn money, unlock moves, and upgrade skills, with 22 shops offering character upgrades. Across 140 levels, hazards and secrets add variety to the journey, while the sprawling setting makes exploration part of the campaign rather than a backdrop to isolated fights.
The game supports single-player campaign play as well as online co-op for up to four players, and it also offers arena combat. In that separate mode, players can choose teams, use modifiers, and enlist CPU partners; the arena roster includes heroes and villains to unlock.
