Geçmişi öldürmediğimden ötürü bir şey anlamadım.
At least the first game had the luxury of being a hack and slash with a satisfying gameplay loop and charming tone. TSA is mostly filibustering while you play the lamest top-down hack and slash you've ever done did seen.
Uma gameplay chata que só a desgraça, que é enterrada por uma história e temáticas tão boas e bem contadas quanto as do primeiro. Uma história mt foda sobre as experiências e visões do Suda
No Venting in #General please
It must take a fantastic moron to play this game and not feel like both their time and their intelligence are being insulted. I mean, having your time wasted is kind of a design staple of most Suda51 games, but at least there's normally some kind of style or flair to it. This gameplay is like something you'd see in the background of a sitcom. Only play for the ~20 minutes where Travis and Kamui are besties or if you feel like giving yourself a lobotomy
Probably one of the greatest games I ever played, It truly feels amazing following Suda51's work and understanding every little thing in this game.
pure kino
This review contains spoilers
Que decir de TSA?, si bien el primer juego sigue marcado en mi memoria, este es hasta ahora mi segundo favorito, la mayoría de quejas que la gente tiene se solucionan fácilmente
el combate repetitivo?, el sistema de chips te hace variar el como te los enfrentas
enemigos aburridos?, si, pero varia lo suficiente el apartado
historia sin sentido?, bueno, no negare que si, pero al mismo tiempo es un cague de risa
y los demás puntos son sobresalientes
si bien los gráficos son algunas veces feos, al menos los entornos que nos muestran son bonitos
la música es hermosa, de mis ost favoritos de todos los juegos
me gusta mucho los cambios de estilo que tiene a la hora de iniciar en un nuevo juego, ya sea live action, ps1, tron, cinemáticas hd, bits y hasta estilo manga, de verdad se nota el amor que le metieron a este juego a pesar de ser mas que nada un experimento y un desahogo
y sin duda los jefes, hasta los mas simples están muy bien hechos, sobre todo el del dlc
y por ultimo ... lo de la charla con ambas encarnaciones de suda ... me llego, no solo por que las escenas en si te tocan como jugador si no que al mismo tiempo como persona que quiere ser mas en la vida mediante sus profesiones
no dire nada de las referencias puesto a que lo unico que se de suda es no more heroes, pero las demás me gustaron mucho
en conclusión, travis strikes again es un juego hermoso, una experiencia que recomiendo una vez te hayas jugado el 1 o el 2, pueden probar la versión de switch (siempre tengo que decirlo por que luego les da pereza)
el combate repetitivo?, el sistema de chips te hace variar el como te los enfrentas
enemigos aburridos?, si, pero varia lo suficiente el apartado
historia sin sentido?, bueno, no negare que si, pero al mismo tiempo es un cague de risa
y los demás puntos son sobresalientes
si bien los gráficos son algunas veces feos, al menos los entornos que nos muestran son bonitos
la música es hermosa, de mis ost favoritos de todos los juegos
me gusta mucho los cambios de estilo que tiene a la hora de iniciar en un nuevo juego, ya sea live action, ps1, tron, cinemáticas hd, bits y hasta estilo manga, de verdad se nota el amor que le metieron a este juego a pesar de ser mas que nada un experimento y un desahogo
y sin duda los jefes, hasta los mas simples están muy bien hechos, sobre todo el del dlc
y por ultimo ... lo de la charla con ambas encarnaciones de suda ... me llego, no solo por que las escenas en si te tocan como jugador si no que al mismo tiempo como persona que quiere ser mas en la vida mediante sus profesiones
no dire nada de las referencias puesto a que lo unico que se de suda es no more heroes, pero las demás me gustaron mucho
en conclusión, travis strikes again es un juego hermoso, una experiencia que recomiendo una vez te hayas jugado el 1 o el 2, pueden probar la versión de switch (siempre tengo que decirlo por que luego les da pereza)
I wish this game was good, man. The story is a return to form, the music is fantastic, literally everything but the combat is amazing. But god, that combat. It's so lame and you have to play so much of it. The game would be 10x better if most enemies could be killed in 1-2 hits. It took them until Killer Marathon to actually understand how to make the gameplay interesting, and it's the DLC for godsake.
Also, Suda, I love you to death, but referencing the fact that Travis is in a video game I am playing every 2 seconds makes me want to rip your head off. Please never 4th wall break again. It only makes the player less invested in the stakes.
Also, Suda, I love you to death, but referencing the fact that Travis is in a video game I am playing every 2 seconds makes me want to rip your head off. Please never 4th wall break again. It only makes the player less invested in the stakes.
Bizarre, frustrating, glitchy, hilarious, fun... did I say bizarre? If you're down for Suda51's whole thing, you should check this out.
Really love the aesthetics, music, and bosses in this but it gets pretty repetitive to play. The stages try to spice things up but most of them either end up dull or tedious (the final level of the base game). Overall, a neat game if you're into NMH or Suda's Kill the Past in general.
oyun süresini uzatmak için mapler kötü olmasaydı iyiydi
Some of yall lonely mfs didnt play coop and it shows in your review
Travis Strikes Again is a game that I appreciated way more than I personally enjoyed. It's a loving tribute to not just indie games but indie developers, Suda51's previous projects, and gaming as a whole. You truly feel that love in its sleek presentation as it takes you through the worlds of several fictional video games that are both subtle and obvious homages to existing titles.
However, I felt that the core gameplay itself left a lot to be desired, especially coming hot off the heels of the previous two games in this series. I know fans of this entry will roll their eyes reading this, but... it is pretty repetitive. While yes, they do try to spice things up with 'chip sets," which provide rechargeable special attacks with different powers and bonuses, it's not quite enough to sustain interest over 10+ hours of gameplay. Perhaps co-op makes this more palatable, but it felt like a step down nonetheless.
Story-wise, there wasn't much going on here for me since NMH1 was the first Suda51 title I played less than a week ago, and so much of this adventure relies on you following his work throughout the years. While, yes, there were some funny moments and lines of dialogue, as expected, even without context, it was still a shame to be out of the loop for so much of this.
It's a charming tribute to countless things that mean so much to so many in the gaming world, and you really feel the love that went into the presentation of Travis Strikes Again, and if it wasn't for that, there wouldn't have been much incentive here to see the credits.
Still, it got me pumped for No More Heroes 3 so mission accomplished either way I guess!
5/10
However, I felt that the core gameplay itself left a lot to be desired, especially coming hot off the heels of the previous two games in this series. I know fans of this entry will roll their eyes reading this, but... it is pretty repetitive. While yes, they do try to spice things up with 'chip sets," which provide rechargeable special attacks with different powers and bonuses, it's not quite enough to sustain interest over 10+ hours of gameplay. Perhaps co-op makes this more palatable, but it felt like a step down nonetheless.
Story-wise, there wasn't much going on here for me since NMH1 was the first Suda51 title I played less than a week ago, and so much of this adventure relies on you following his work throughout the years. While, yes, there were some funny moments and lines of dialogue, as expected, even without context, it was still a shame to be out of the loop for so much of this.
It's a charming tribute to countless things that mean so much to so many in the gaming world, and you really feel the love that went into the presentation of Travis Strikes Again, and if it wasn't for that, there wouldn't have been much incentive here to see the credits.
Still, it got me pumped for No More Heroes 3 so mission accomplished either way I guess!
5/10
defitivamente maravilhoso rejogar esse game, de primeira vez não peguei muito das referencias mas agora que conheço o sudaverse foi uma viagem maravilhosa, amo a trilha sonora e seu design de jogo, gosto de ser algo menor e ainda sim adicionar MUITO pra franquia No more heroes e pro universo do suda.
definitvamente um mustplay
definitvamente um mustplay
Em questão de game design, escrita e criatividade é um esplendor de jogo, porém, ele se arrasta tanto em alguns pontos que perde muito o chame.
CHING4S A TU MADRE ELECTRONIC ARTS.
Travis makes his long awaited return after 9 long years! This game itself is a bit more different than what you'd tend to expect if you're coming in from the past two other entries in this franchise.
The whole arcade-esque feeling it goes for is different for sure, at times it can be weird but don't let the genuinely fun hacks n' slashing you'll be doing discourage you from it. If you're looking to get into this game as a newcomer to the franchise I'd strongly suggest playing the first two games before getting into it as there are plenty of references of the two games tied to the story that would jump over your head. A personal favorite of mine in this game is the large representation of many indie titles you get to see in-game (even in the smallest ways like a shirt and a level it still pleases me to see it at all.)
The soundtrack for Travis Strikes Again is easily a personal favorite of mine with how experimental it gets keeping myself up for 10 hours of gaming a day. With the different tracks ranging from a drum and bass to rap to heavily dramatic music pulled by the guitars demanding your full attention before bringing in your target.
No game is without its flaws, that's for sure. However they feel small in comparison to what your getting overall. Like the issues of me being in "Life is Destroy" and being super tiny to the point where i wouldn't blame someone if they literally had to squint just to make out where they are. Another issue of mine is the quality of each level which can include the level I mentioned already along with how some stages are dragged on longer than they're welcome.
Overall: If you're a fan of the No More Heroes franchise this is one great title for you, while it is a spin-off it is a great pickup to hold you while waiting for the upcoming No More Heroes 3. It is a satisfying bone to gnaw on until its release.
The whole arcade-esque feeling it goes for is different for sure, at times it can be weird but don't let the genuinely fun hacks n' slashing you'll be doing discourage you from it. If you're looking to get into this game as a newcomer to the franchise I'd strongly suggest playing the first two games before getting into it as there are plenty of references of the two games tied to the story that would jump over your head. A personal favorite of mine in this game is the large representation of many indie titles you get to see in-game (even in the smallest ways like a shirt and a level it still pleases me to see it at all.)
The soundtrack for Travis Strikes Again is easily a personal favorite of mine with how experimental it gets keeping myself up for 10 hours of gaming a day. With the different tracks ranging from a drum and bass to rap to heavily dramatic music pulled by the guitars demanding your full attention before bringing in your target.
No game is without its flaws, that's for sure. However they feel small in comparison to what your getting overall. Like the issues of me being in "Life is Destroy" and being super tiny to the point where i wouldn't blame someone if they literally had to squint just to make out where they are. Another issue of mine is the quality of each level which can include the level I mentioned already along with how some stages are dragged on longer than they're welcome.
Overall: If you're a fan of the No More Heroes franchise this is one great title for you, while it is a spin-off it is a great pickup to hold you while waiting for the upcoming No More Heroes 3. It is a satisfying bone to gnaw on until its release.
Introspective Memorial
For the past months, starting with The Silver Case I've been analyzing Suda51's work on detail to see where the fuzz is with him and his works in particular. A clear obsession over someone's work? Everyone has their favorites; Franchises, names, characters, writters, composers, designers, companies all in the name of familiarity under the sense of comfort. No one can deny that Suda51 has made a name for himself in the industry, starting off working with several other companies before creating "Grasshopper Manufacture" his very own company. Their motto is "Video Game Band, Punk is Not Dead" which to a lesser extent refers to the act of rebellion and to standout for themselves in a little confined group of people with a clear identity, tastes and ideas. It is easy to assume that is just clever wording for "it's not for everyone". You might be right, GHM games set themselves to built a loyal fanbase with their products. They do a great job at keeping consistency, different genres or not their DNA is still prevalent.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is to a lesser extent a celebration of Grasshopper Manufacture and a introspective for Suda51 as a creator. It is a very personal title, a love letter to the indie scene and a message to the game industry I'd say. The game industry now can't sustain by itself, at least without making it obvious with predatory practices that directly affects the customer for the worst. Like Ouroboros, the game industry is eating itself up and is not growing as much as the people with money expect to. If anything, the indie scene has been growing and growing this last decade and that isn't a surprise knowing how most big productions turn out to be these days. There is a big sense of distrust amongst consumers, and everyday it seems to be getting worse. Grasshopper itself suffered through this during the best part of the 2010's, their "Dark Age" as I like to call it. Your EAs, Kadokawas, and some more that never got along well with the studio. After all that, Grasshopper shrinked to an indie sized studio and went up to create this game.
Travis Strikes Back is one of those titles that you would find in the Xbox Live Arcade or PSN Store for 20$, it kind of shows. But don't let that fool you, the Grasshopper DNA as I said before is pretty much present here and it is better than ever. Multiplayer hack and slash by day, visual novel by night. But again, underneath all of that is that powerful and personal message of unfullfiled dreams and successes that would end up carrying this company legacy. This is Travis's introspective as an assasin, climbing up the ranks to the top and enjoying what life has to offer after a hard day at work. You are already on the top, what's there to do now? How do you continue your legacy? Keep doing the same? Imrprove? Or start over? When you are lost, looking at your failures, achievements and getting to know yourself better to see what makes you, well, you is the best way to know where to head next. Travis's story hit a climax in No More Heroes 1, which asked that very same question. In Travis Strikes Back he looks back at fallen heroes, old men have already nothing to lose but their lives and this is where Travis's phillosophy shines through his speech. Not necessarily looking down on his enemies but giving his perspective on life and putting your work on the line. This is not the Travis we got to known in the first game, he has grown now, to be a wiser man. A perfect reflection to life experiences, Suda51 itself went hell and back to be where he's now and the same goes for Travis Touchdown. Aside from the main hack and slash game, we get a VN styled adventure which gives us further context of the story. Basically Travis in each scenario is searching for the "Death Balls" around the globe. As a celebration title, this game includes a lot of character from other GHM games such as Dan from Killer7, Sundance from F.S.R, Shirobayu from 25th Ward alongside others. More than anything they're cameos that don't impact much in the overall story and personally I see this just as a funny little gag.
It is as impactful as knowing you best friend deepest secret, explained by himself. All the frustrations, fears and getting to talk about what it is into on detail. What it believes, what wants to achieve, and mainly: personal goals for the future. It is not laid out to be a comprehensive documentary of the company or Suda51 itself, it is first and foremost a No More Heroes game. Though, it is without it's negatives mainly comming from the gameplay that can get old quickly. This isn't necessarily a problem since the game often goes back and forward with new gimmicks that break the main formula every now and then. Though I'd say I did felt this complain was completely valid on the last level.
All and all it is a solid action title, and a happy commemoration of Grasshopper Manufacture history. A happy reminder that even through they might have changed once or twice over the years, they still carry the soul of Punk.
For the past months, starting with The Silver Case I've been analyzing Suda51's work on detail to see where the fuzz is with him and his works in particular. A clear obsession over someone's work? Everyone has their favorites; Franchises, names, characters, writters, composers, designers, companies all in the name of familiarity under the sense of comfort. No one can deny that Suda51 has made a name for himself in the industry, starting off working with several other companies before creating "Grasshopper Manufacture" his very own company. Their motto is "Video Game Band, Punk is Not Dead" which to a lesser extent refers to the act of rebellion and to standout for themselves in a little confined group of people with a clear identity, tastes and ideas. It is easy to assume that is just clever wording for "it's not for everyone". You might be right, GHM games set themselves to built a loyal fanbase with their products. They do a great job at keeping consistency, different genres or not their DNA is still prevalent.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is to a lesser extent a celebration of Grasshopper Manufacture and a introspective for Suda51 as a creator. It is a very personal title, a love letter to the indie scene and a message to the game industry I'd say. The game industry now can't sustain by itself, at least without making it obvious with predatory practices that directly affects the customer for the worst. Like Ouroboros, the game industry is eating itself up and is not growing as much as the people with money expect to. If anything, the indie scene has been growing and growing this last decade and that isn't a surprise knowing how most big productions turn out to be these days. There is a big sense of distrust amongst consumers, and everyday it seems to be getting worse. Grasshopper itself suffered through this during the best part of the 2010's, their "Dark Age" as I like to call it. Your EAs, Kadokawas, and some more that never got along well with the studio. After all that, Grasshopper shrinked to an indie sized studio and went up to create this game.
Travis Strikes Back is one of those titles that you would find in the Xbox Live Arcade or PSN Store for 20$, it kind of shows. But don't let that fool you, the Grasshopper DNA as I said before is pretty much present here and it is better than ever. Multiplayer hack and slash by day, visual novel by night. But again, underneath all of that is that powerful and personal message of unfullfiled dreams and successes that would end up carrying this company legacy. This is Travis's introspective as an assasin, climbing up the ranks to the top and enjoying what life has to offer after a hard day at work. You are already on the top, what's there to do now? How do you continue your legacy? Keep doing the same? Imrprove? Or start over? When you are lost, looking at your failures, achievements and getting to know yourself better to see what makes you, well, you is the best way to know where to head next. Travis's story hit a climax in No More Heroes 1, which asked that very same question. In Travis Strikes Back he looks back at fallen heroes, old men have already nothing to lose but their lives and this is where Travis's phillosophy shines through his speech. Not necessarily looking down on his enemies but giving his perspective on life and putting your work on the line. This is not the Travis we got to known in the first game, he has grown now, to be a wiser man. A perfect reflection to life experiences, Suda51 itself went hell and back to be where he's now and the same goes for Travis Touchdown. Aside from the main hack and slash game, we get a VN styled adventure which gives us further context of the story. Basically Travis in each scenario is searching for the "Death Balls" around the globe. As a celebration title, this game includes a lot of character from other GHM games such as Dan from Killer7, Sundance from F.S.R, Shirobayu from 25th Ward alongside others. More than anything they're cameos that don't impact much in the overall story and personally I see this just as a funny little gag.
It is as impactful as knowing you best friend deepest secret, explained by himself. All the frustrations, fears and getting to talk about what it is into on detail. What it believes, what wants to achieve, and mainly: personal goals for the future. It is not laid out to be a comprehensive documentary of the company or Suda51 itself, it is first and foremost a No More Heroes game. Though, it is without it's negatives mainly comming from the gameplay that can get old quickly. This isn't necessarily a problem since the game often goes back and forward with new gimmicks that break the main formula every now and then. Though I'd say I did felt this complain was completely valid on the last level.
All and all it is a solid action title, and a happy commemoration of Grasshopper Manufacture history. A happy reminder that even through they might have changed once or twice over the years, they still carry the soul of Punk.
The gameplay is repetitive and tedious, but the storytelling and presentations really goes places one wouldn't expect. It's almost like a tribute to the games medium while also presenting a reflection of Travis ideologies
Combat is boring, but the rest of the game is fantastic.
- Welcome to the Garden of Madness -
Personalmente me gusto mucho por la historia, ost, personajes y crossovers que tuvo.
Su gameplay es repetitivo pero mínimo se tiene acceso a 4 personajes y muchos poderes.
Y lo que más me gustó fue el significado de este juego, no solo es un regreso de travis, sino tambien un desahogó para Suda.
Personalmente me gusto mucho por la historia, ost, personajes y crossovers que tuvo.
Su gameplay es repetitivo pero mínimo se tiene acceso a 4 personajes y muchos poderes.
Y lo que más me gustó fue el significado de este juego, no solo es un regreso de travis, sino tambien un desahogó para Suda.
a good game for multiplayer with a friend
This game is Suda51 fanservice cranked to 100%, despite this is the first game i've ever finished of him, lore-wisely is nice.
I love the presentation/aesthetic of the game, based on a whole in-game console with different styles, and small details like the magazine articles!
I played on Mild difficulty because my ass was like "I suppose this is normal difficulty or smth" but Christ almighty it can get very tough, most likely i had a lot of trouble with Killer Marathon, gameplay can be monotonous but changing paces within games (eg. GDGP Racing sections, LiD puzzles) are kinda neat.
The music department is probably like the most experimental yet cool stuff i've listened from Grasshopper post-No-More-Takada, while the last games were like "This rock-punk story about murder, power fantasy and vengeance", TSA takes a spin and goes for a more "Hip-hop meets Trap meets Experimental with Synths"
If you're a junkie for more NMH lore and want something different, this might be for you.
also, Suda51 is based, he loves Hotline Miami.
I love the presentation/aesthetic of the game, based on a whole in-game console with different styles, and small details like the magazine articles!
I played on Mild difficulty because my ass was like "I suppose this is normal difficulty or smth" but Christ almighty it can get very tough, most likely i had a lot of trouble with Killer Marathon, gameplay can be monotonous but changing paces within games (eg. GDGP Racing sections, LiD puzzles) are kinda neat.
The music department is probably like the most experimental yet cool stuff i've listened from Grasshopper post-No-More-Takada, while the last games were like "This rock-punk story about murder, power fantasy and vengeance", TSA takes a spin and goes for a more "Hip-hop meets Trap meets Experimental with Synths"
If you're a junkie for more NMH lore and want something different, this might be for you.
also, Suda51 is based, he loves Hotline Miami.
okay i actually finished this game first which is probably pretty dumb but i still really liked it even though i had to piece together the lore like a puzzle even more than normal (average suda51 game) but being stupid has never stopped me.
Finally getting around to Travis Strikes Again, and this game was an absolute blast. I already knew I would love it, since up to this point I've loved all of Suda51's works. And this game feels like a tribute, a love letter to all of Suda's past works, and to the history of video games as a whole. And not only that, it's also a damn fun co-op game, with some really good levels.
Each level in Travis Strikes Again is themed around specific types of games, which I think is really cool. One level had a Resident Evil style mansion while also having platforming sections. Another was this neon racing game, contrasted by a normal looking outside world. And because of this, each level really stands out, and makes each of them really memorable. And not only that, but the soundtrack each area has is just so damn good. I still remember one level in particular made me laugh so hard, and I loved just the pure hilarity of it.
And god, the combat is really fun. There's of course, the basic heavy and light attacks, alongside some jump and dash abilities. However the skills you can unlock allow for some really fun ways to how you want to build your character. The BCB skill chip was easily one of the best in the game, but I also know I didn't experiment all that much. I think if anything, I didn't like certain enemies that I had to fight, but that's pretty much it.
Travis Strikes Again allows for 2 player co-op, and this is easily what made the experience as good as it was for me. I was able to play from beginning to end with a friend, and it was a blast. Co-Op is interesting as well because there are fun choices made to it as well. For one, while characters can level up in the game, both players use the same pool of experience points. So, if you have enough experience points to level up one player, you might not have enough to level up the other. And some skill chips can actually effect the other player in some way, the Shining Chip for example is a grab, and you have the ability to grab the other player and throw them around. It was all around just super fun.
This leads into something I mentioned at the beginning of the review, that being that this game feels like a love letter to Suda51's works, while also to the history of video games. And I still feel like that's true. Travis Strikes Again feels very personal, as it feels like it really shows a lot of Suda51's journey as a game developer. Hell, one of the levels is entirely based around the issues that arose around his time with EA, and how that ended up creating Shadows of the Damned. And it's really unbelievable how many references to Suda's past works appear in this singular game. I'm certain there's some I've definitely missed. It's so damn impressive how each game features an article that looks like how it would in an early gaming magazine, with cheat codes and those odd metrics too. There's so much love and attention properly crafted into Travis Strikes Again, and I really appreciate it for that.
And as a sort of culmination of Suda's life and work, I really love Travis Strikes Again. It's not my favorite of Suda's works, but it's definitely high up there. There's so much love and care put into this one package, and I really appreciate it. All I have left is No More Heroes 3, and I can't wait to see what it all leads up to.
Each level in Travis Strikes Again is themed around specific types of games, which I think is really cool. One level had a Resident Evil style mansion while also having platforming sections. Another was this neon racing game, contrasted by a normal looking outside world. And because of this, each level really stands out, and makes each of them really memorable. And not only that, but the soundtrack each area has is just so damn good. I still remember one level in particular made me laugh so hard, and I loved just the pure hilarity of it.
And god, the combat is really fun. There's of course, the basic heavy and light attacks, alongside some jump and dash abilities. However the skills you can unlock allow for some really fun ways to how you want to build your character. The BCB skill chip was easily one of the best in the game, but I also know I didn't experiment all that much. I think if anything, I didn't like certain enemies that I had to fight, but that's pretty much it.
Travis Strikes Again allows for 2 player co-op, and this is easily what made the experience as good as it was for me. I was able to play from beginning to end with a friend, and it was a blast. Co-Op is interesting as well because there are fun choices made to it as well. For one, while characters can level up in the game, both players use the same pool of experience points. So, if you have enough experience points to level up one player, you might not have enough to level up the other. And some skill chips can actually effect the other player in some way, the Shining Chip for example is a grab, and you have the ability to grab the other player and throw them around. It was all around just super fun.
This leads into something I mentioned at the beginning of the review, that being that this game feels like a love letter to Suda51's works, while also to the history of video games. And I still feel like that's true. Travis Strikes Again feels very personal, as it feels like it really shows a lot of Suda51's journey as a game developer. Hell, one of the levels is entirely based around the issues that arose around his time with EA, and how that ended up creating Shadows of the Damned. And it's really unbelievable how many references to Suda's past works appear in this singular game. I'm certain there's some I've definitely missed. It's so damn impressive how each game features an article that looks like how it would in an early gaming magazine, with cheat codes and those odd metrics too. There's so much love and attention properly crafted into Travis Strikes Again, and I really appreciate it for that.
And as a sort of culmination of Suda's life and work, I really love Travis Strikes Again. It's not my favorite of Suda's works, but it's definitely high up there. There's so much love and care put into this one package, and I really appreciate it. All I have left is No More Heroes 3, and I can't wait to see what it all leads up to.
a game made for grasshopper fans (not for nmh fans), i can greatly appreciate how personal this game is for suda and how open he is about his emotions and his journey in his life and the gaming industry. a love letter to indie games too, i love how there's a whole level about how awesome hotline miami is lol. maybe its a skill issue but i found this game to be pretty challenging at points (in sort of a bad way). art style is really cute. soundtrack is amazing, one of the best in the kill the past series. enjoyed this alot but i feel like its close to being something really incredible.
had to watch the ending on YouTube because of a bug, game kinda sucked but it had some fun moments
Travis Strikes Again is both a passionate love letter to indie games and a celebratory comprehensive look into Suda51's history as a game developer.
Let's get this out of the way first. I see people complain about the gameplay of Travis Strikes Again all the time and say it isn't fun and I could not disagree more, I was kept thoroughly entertained for my entire 15 hour run and I wasn't even playing it co-op either.
TSA is in a top-down isometric POV, but much like the older No More Heroes games it is a hack-n-slash where you have a classic light and heavy attack control scheme alongside a dodge as well, but now since there's a stronger emphasis on platforming you also have a jump button and there are skill chips you can find which act as various powers from a telekinetic grab to a lightning bolt and more. Yes it is repetitive, but No More Heroes always has been a repetitive game and TSA is meant to be so in a classic and simplistic arcade-like way and even then there's still a lot of variety and depth to it, even more so than first 2 No More Heroes games thanks to the new additions to combat.
In TSA we follow Badman the father of Badgirl as he goes to get revenge on Travis Touchdown for killing his daughter in the first game, but during their fight they both get sucked up into a cursed video game console called the "Death Drive" and learn that if they can find all 6 of the game cartridges known as "Death Balls" and complete them it is rumored that any one wish of your choosing can be granted and naturally Badman wants to wish his daughter back to life, so Travis and Badman set their differences aside and work together to strive towards this goal.
TSA has truly phenomenal presentation. The set-up of having various game worlds to go through leaves the game open for so many creative and experimental style mixups in truest Suda fashion that keeps the game fresh and fun. From a cyberpunk city to a Resident Evil style mansion, racing mini games to a level that is "under construction" in the Unreal Engine and even a major homage to one of Suda's other games, I never knew what was going to be in store for me when I loaded the next Death Ball world. That isn't even mentioning how in between Death Balls there's a Silver Case style ADV section (Which is a great way to break up the combat and gameplay so it doesn't get too repetitive) that shows how Travis gets each Death Ball and in this section he even gets to interact with many characters from past Suda games from Killer is Dead to the Silver Case and more.
Hidden within the meta comedic narrative of "a game within a game" Travis Strikes Again has so much introspective subtext about Suda51's own personal experience about how his vision as a creator has been mangled and twisted countless times by big name publishers and how for the first time in a long time Suda was able to go back to his roots and make a game that was completely in his own vision with TSA by developing it with a very small team of about 10 people in the same fashion an indie game would be developed.
Travis Strikes Again is a game that you can tell is very personal to Suda51 and it wasn't just made for the fans, but for himself too. This is a deep and often existential look into video game development itself. A work of art that is a celebration of art as well. The kind of experience that is meant to stick with you long after you put the controller down. It certainly won't be for everyone, but for the people who truly understand what makes this game as special as it is, you'll find very few games capable of matching how rich the character writing, story, themes and aesthetics are in Travis Strikes Again.
Let's get this out of the way first. I see people complain about the gameplay of Travis Strikes Again all the time and say it isn't fun and I could not disagree more, I was kept thoroughly entertained for my entire 15 hour run and I wasn't even playing it co-op either.
TSA is in a top-down isometric POV, but much like the older No More Heroes games it is a hack-n-slash where you have a classic light and heavy attack control scheme alongside a dodge as well, but now since there's a stronger emphasis on platforming you also have a jump button and there are skill chips you can find which act as various powers from a telekinetic grab to a lightning bolt and more. Yes it is repetitive, but No More Heroes always has been a repetitive game and TSA is meant to be so in a classic and simplistic arcade-like way and even then there's still a lot of variety and depth to it, even more so than first 2 No More Heroes games thanks to the new additions to combat.
In TSA we follow Badman the father of Badgirl as he goes to get revenge on Travis Touchdown for killing his daughter in the first game, but during their fight they both get sucked up into a cursed video game console called the "Death Drive" and learn that if they can find all 6 of the game cartridges known as "Death Balls" and complete them it is rumored that any one wish of your choosing can be granted and naturally Badman wants to wish his daughter back to life, so Travis and Badman set their differences aside and work together to strive towards this goal.
TSA has truly phenomenal presentation. The set-up of having various game worlds to go through leaves the game open for so many creative and experimental style mixups in truest Suda fashion that keeps the game fresh and fun. From a cyberpunk city to a Resident Evil style mansion, racing mini games to a level that is "under construction" in the Unreal Engine and even a major homage to one of Suda's other games, I never knew what was going to be in store for me when I loaded the next Death Ball world. That isn't even mentioning how in between Death Balls there's a Silver Case style ADV section (Which is a great way to break up the combat and gameplay so it doesn't get too repetitive) that shows how Travis gets each Death Ball and in this section he even gets to interact with many characters from past Suda games from Killer is Dead to the Silver Case and more.
Hidden within the meta comedic narrative of "a game within a game" Travis Strikes Again has so much introspective subtext about Suda51's own personal experience about how his vision as a creator has been mangled and twisted countless times by big name publishers and how for the first time in a long time Suda was able to go back to his roots and make a game that was completely in his own vision with TSA by developing it with a very small team of about 10 people in the same fashion an indie game would be developed.
Travis Strikes Again is a game that you can tell is very personal to Suda51 and it wasn't just made for the fans, but for himself too. This is a deep and often existential look into video game development itself. A work of art that is a celebration of art as well. The kind of experience that is meant to stick with you long after you put the controller down. It certainly won't be for everyone, but for the people who truly understand what makes this game as special as it is, you'll find very few games capable of matching how rich the character writing, story, themes and aesthetics are in Travis Strikes Again.