Cliffhanger, a standard side-scrolling beat'em up, is loosely based on the Sylvester Stallone film of the same name. Sly must fight thugs and the elements as he tracks down suitcases of stolen cash dropped around the peaks of the Rockies. The gameplay follows this pattern: dealing with natural hazards, followed by a segment where you fight crooks, then more natural hazards and fighting again.
The combat is similar to Final Fight , but with some added challenges such as limited available moves and less accurate hit detection.
The plot of Cliffhanger follows the film's storyline exactly, with levels inspired by or directly based on scenes from the movie. Animated cutscenes and brief clips from the film are used to move the story along in certain areas of the game.