Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is the series' first and newest installment since 2017’s Double Dragon 4. That game got panned in reviews, but thankfully mistakes were learned from it. While the core brawler gameplay is present, this sequel is ultimately a new experience for the series.
Players can tackle one of four bosses from the start. When one is defeated, the others will reinforce their compounds. Between the bosses and the upgrade system, there is a roguelike element to Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. On the subject of upgrades, here are the ones players should invest their time into.
8 Combo Mastery
Combo Mastery is a great upgrade that will build up combos better, and increase damage by 50%. Brawlers are built on combos to make life easier. Players could do a running leap into a skirmish and then run back to safety.
Repeating this strategy would take too long though which is why it is encouraged to dive headfirst into conflicts instead. The stronger the combos become, the more powerful the player’s party will be. Of the four starting characters, this is best e equipped to Billy and Jimmy Lee.
7 Action Mastery
There are three types of attacks in the game. Every character has a basic attack which amounts to punches. The only main character this is different for is Marian who shoots a gun instead. There are special attacks that use SP and then there are Actions.
Actions, like specials, are unique for most characters. Billy can grapple enemies and then pummel them until they break free. Marian will dodge roll and then attack with a baton. So, an upgrade like Action Mastery will increase efficiency and damage by 50% for Actions.
6 SP Conserver
SP Conserver is a necessary skill that will allow characters to use special attacks more often. This upgrade will reduce the cost of attacks that use SP by 25%. This upgrade can be stacked multiple times and it will increase the effectiveness.
Think of this upgrade as a ring in an RPG that reduces how much MP a spell uses. Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons has spells too but they are in the form of wind blades, flying kicks, and rockets.
5 Move Specialist
The SP gauge can be recovered naturally in two ways. It can recharge or it can be healed via crystals that enemies drop. Move Specialist is an upgrade that will speed up SP auto regeneration by 25% and it too can be stacked to become better.
There is a skill like this for HP, but this is the better of the two. Using SP-charged attacks should lead to knockouts which can then lead to tasty-looking food, like giant turkey dinners, for healing.
4 SP Proficiency
The last SP upgrade worth getting into is SP Proficiency. That is not the name for the upgrade technically, but it is a blanket term for the characters. SP moves are based on directional buttons plus face buttons. Hitting left or right on the D-Pad while hitting the SP button will cause Marian to fire a rocket, for example.
The name of this technique is simply called Rocket Launcher, so her SP Proficiency upgrade for it is called Rocket Launch Mastery. Upgrades like this will increase damage by 50%. So, a good strategy would involve picking a favorite special attack for every character and then upgrading the SP Proficiency of it.
3 Tag Out Force
Like most games in this series, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons features a two-player co-op. If players are alone, they can still take two characters into their campaign. One combo would be Billy and Marian.
Characters retain their own upgrade trees and health. So, it’s a good idea to swap out characters when a partner is in danger. Tag Out Force is an upgrade that will knock back enemies around them upon switching.
2 Healthy Lifestyle
Healthy Lifestyle is an easy upgrade to recommend to both beginners and hardcore players of brawlers. It will increase health by 25 points and this effect can be stacked with subsequent upgrades. It’s simple to say but the more health one has, the longer they will survive.
There’s not more to it than that and this is the only way to increase health permanently in Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. There are armor upgrades to reduce damage too, but the Healthy Lifestyle upgrade is more efficient.
1 Sacrificed
Sacrificed is like the Hail Mary of upgrades in a pinch. If one character on the team dies, the other character will automatically switch out. If this upgrade is equipped, the other character will get fully healed upon switching out.
All enemies around them will fall too, giving players a huge advantage. It’s nice to know that if a character dies, it will not be in vain. If both characters do die, then money or Tokens can be used to revive them on the spot. So, it’s a pretty lenient difficulty system all around even without Sacrificed that can be tweaked via assists.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons was released on July 27, 2023, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.