Urban Reign PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Namco
  • Release Date: Sep 13, 2005
Urban Reign Image
Metascore
60 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 44 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Summary: In Urban Reign, players assume the role of a gritty street brawler who has been hired by one of the city’s dominant gangs to protect its leader. Players are thrown into a full-blown turf war, involving gang corruption and street justice that spans from the neighborhood block all the way to o the upper levels of city government. Urban Reign offers players non-stop, inner-city brawling action with no time restrictions or referees. Back alleys, junkyards and bars serve as battlegrounds for more than 60 different fighters, all of which boast their own unique set of fighting styles including boxing, wrestling and street fighting. Players can select from over 30 weapons – including bottles, bats and 2x4's – to be used in the destructible arenas to add to the mayhem. Focusing on the urban-brawler style of street fighting, players can team up with an AI-controlled character to pull off a host of devastating and destructive combo maneuvers against multiple enemies throughout the game’s 100 missions. Urban Reign also supports multi-tap play for up to four players to determine who really rules the hood. [Namco]… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 44
  3. Negative: 10 out of 44
  1. GameCritics
    85
    There isn't a plot to speak of, nor any gameplay elements beyond the fighting. But the fighting really is exceptionally fun for novices and experts, which makes this game extremely successful on its own terms.
  2. Game Chronicles
    72
    This is simply an underground fighter that is more of a diversion and a guilty pleasure for those who like brutal street fighting with a bit of martial arts elegance.
  3. Edge Magazine
    70
    For all those who gun Reign down for toying with its own rules and essentially cheating on the player at times it feels are appropriate, there'll hopefully be as many who recognise that such times are appropriate and and that even the dirtiest of its tricks can be bested. [Dec 2005, p.104]
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  4. Armchair Empire
    45
    A textbook case of a good idea gone horribly wrong.

See all 44 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. ReyA
    10
    I don't understand why the critics complained about this one. The gameplay mechanics were fun and the characters were cool looking people. Even the voiceovers for the characters were good. Ok, so there's not much of a story for single player mode, but most people buy these types of games for the multiplayer mode anyway. The best part is, you can use a multitap and play 1-4 players. Anyway, this one belongs on my shelf right next to Soul Calibur 3 and IV. Enough said.… Expand
  2. MyNameIsNobody
    9
    A hardcore, no-holds barred, adrenaline pumping beat-em-up that combines the arcade action of games like Final Fight and Streets of Rage with the finesse of a modern day fighting game. Using a glut of animations taken straight from Tekken 5, Urban Reign's developers have created a very playable homage to action movies like District B13.

    While at times frustrating, Urban Reign never becomes aggravating, and the seasoned gamer will be able to brutalize enemies over 100 stages, and surely come back to replay their favorite levels. This addictive action game is only marred by its lack of 2-player cooperative play, but players can still go head to head with the game's large and unique roster.    … Expand
  3. kanada514fiveonefour
    9
    Best Beat'em up on the PS2. Who cares what the arenas look like? Who cares there is no story!? If you want story, rent a movie, If you want a beat'em up, get Urban Reign. There is more to video games than shooters. The fact that the official critics are bad proves that the game is good. I wish beat'em ups were reviewed by people that actually know something about the genre, instead of hating it because they're not good at it.… Expand
  4. IsaacM.
    8
    Great fun playing Multiplayer especially Team Battles!! I've had this game for nearly a year now and love to play something a bit different from games like Tekken (button masher) or Mortal Kombat (too complicated) its unpretentious it doesn't pretend to be anything other than a simple straight forward Beat-em-up and it has terrific fighting mechanics which are surprisingly deep and some really vicious hitting (think barbed wire baseball bat to the gut - nice) Single player is nothing special though which is really the only let down on this game for me but how many people out there buy Beat-em-ups for the single player mode? I certainly don't. I hope they make a sequel on PS3. For all of those out there tired of WWE games or just looking for something a little fresh and fun buy this!… Expand

See all 7 User Reviews