This is the closest a game has come to capturing the feeling of arcade beat 'em ups and putting in a modern game quality of life system.
Having tried all four characters I feel like the heavier ones definitely are a bit more viable than the other two, because grabs and kicks are much more useful than rapid punching when you have an horde of enemies around your character. It's simple but feels nice and you never find yourself wondering how you got hit or how you missed a hit on an enemy. It's definitely on a vintage beat 'em up difficulty level (i played on hard mode) and some stages will probably take you many tries. The boss battles are all creative and - almost - never repetitive, ranging from gimmick bosses to just big guys.
The plot is articulated, never predictable (in a good way), and keeps you hooked since the earliest levels. It's even emotional at times, though that might just be my personal experience.
The internal achievement system and the multiple characters, together with the unlockable powerups and arena mode, keep the game fresh and very replayable, because you approach the same levels with different movesets and abilities making it a nearly brand new experience.
Definitely an addicting game.