Seamonsterneil
88 Reviews liked by Seamonsterneil
This review contains spoilers
NOTE:EMULATED ON DOLPHIN. THE PC PORT IS A FUCKING DISASTER DO NOT RECOMMEND.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a strange sequel. In some ways I prefer this one due to the much stronger pacing and general improvements to the gameplay. But at the same time I'd rather go back to the first game because its story wasn't so fucking boring.
Starting off strong I'd say that NMH2 gameplay wise is a remarkable improvement across the board. No shitty overworld and a lack of money required for assassinations makes the overall pace feel so much faster and I'm all for that. Combat has seen some changes too with an overall more simplified (but still just as fun) control scheme, alongside some new mechanics like Katana switching mid combat and the tension gauge. While in the original you never had much reason to change back to a previous upgrade the weapons in 2 are distinctly different from one another and benefit in different situations. Peony for example is your general crowd control tool with its extended range while the Rose Nasty is the fastest in the game allowing for better DPS. The tension gauge on the other hand acts as this games super mode, allowing Travis to go haywire on enemies which helps with a lot of the bigger fights (and some bosses if you're good at not getting hit). Another change I absolutely adored was what they did with the side jobs, as instead of drab mini-games they are instead all video game inspired and much more fun this time around. This videogame inspiration also carries over to the training which has also seen some changes. While it is a bit sad to see the combo extenders gone and the attack training can be a nightmare in the end, I still rather liked them and would say they're slightly better this time around. Also holy FUCK is the soundtrack in this one an absolute blast, with tracks like Dose Of Innocence and Philistine being absolute bangers.
It isn't all good sadly which takes us to the biggest issue with NMH2: the tone and story. While the original had some moments of humor and zaniness it was still a mostly bleak experience with a loser protagonist that challenged the player to think about all that has happened. In 2 a lot of this is thrown out the fucking window for a more light hearted and wacky experience. From fighting a giant robot controlled by a Jock and his groupies to a dream sequence with a literal anime girl, 2 is much more blatant this time around and loses a lot of charm for it. Another awful change is to Travis Touchdown, as this time around the game decides to make him the "Hero" of Santa Destroy and to be idolized by some of the assassins. To me this kinda goes against the entire point of the original and makes for an all around less memorable experience, which is not helped when the game blatantly copies things from NMH1 (the Alice fight narrative wise is just Holly Summers again). On the subject of bosses I didn't have nearly as much problems as I did previously but they're still not that good save for Kimmy,Ryuji, and Alice. Most of my issues is just how nothing a lot of them are, with most being pretty damn easy due to just how much damage you can do in the mid to late game. Not helping this is when the game decides to switch up from Travis to let you play as Shinobu WHO FUCKING SUCKS. Going from dope ass wrestling moves to a completely worthless jump kit and back to back AWFUL bosses make this section a chore to get through (atleast the Henry exclusive fight is good). People tend to rag on the final boss as well and while I do think his second phase is a fucking nightmare (mainly the walls) I didn't think it was the WORST OF ALL TIME. A much more minor flaw is the general lack of side content, with only the aforementioned side jobs and some cookie cutter revenge missions being all you get.
At the end of the day I can't really choose if I'd take NMH or Desperate Struggle. On some days I'd happily return to mowing the grass if that meant experiencing 1s more unique moments. But on some other days I just wanna watch heads roll and not care about things like grinding out money or exploring a bad open world. About on par I'd say.
7/10
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is a strange sequel. In some ways I prefer this one due to the much stronger pacing and general improvements to the gameplay. But at the same time I'd rather go back to the first game because its story wasn't so fucking boring.
Starting off strong I'd say that NMH2 gameplay wise is a remarkable improvement across the board. No shitty overworld and a lack of money required for assassinations makes the overall pace feel so much faster and I'm all for that. Combat has seen some changes too with an overall more simplified (but still just as fun) control scheme, alongside some new mechanics like Katana switching mid combat and the tension gauge. While in the original you never had much reason to change back to a previous upgrade the weapons in 2 are distinctly different from one another and benefit in different situations. Peony for example is your general crowd control tool with its extended range while the Rose Nasty is the fastest in the game allowing for better DPS. The tension gauge on the other hand acts as this games super mode, allowing Travis to go haywire on enemies which helps with a lot of the bigger fights (and some bosses if you're good at not getting hit). Another change I absolutely adored was what they did with the side jobs, as instead of drab mini-games they are instead all video game inspired and much more fun this time around. This videogame inspiration also carries over to the training which has also seen some changes. While it is a bit sad to see the combo extenders gone and the attack training can be a nightmare in the end, I still rather liked them and would say they're slightly better this time around. Also holy FUCK is the soundtrack in this one an absolute blast, with tracks like Dose Of Innocence and Philistine being absolute bangers.
It isn't all good sadly which takes us to the biggest issue with NMH2: the tone and story. While the original had some moments of humor and zaniness it was still a mostly bleak experience with a loser protagonist that challenged the player to think about all that has happened. In 2 a lot of this is thrown out the fucking window for a more light hearted and wacky experience. From fighting a giant robot controlled by a Jock and his groupies to a dream sequence with a literal anime girl, 2 is much more blatant this time around and loses a lot of charm for it. Another awful change is to Travis Touchdown, as this time around the game decides to make him the "Hero" of Santa Destroy and to be idolized by some of the assassins. To me this kinda goes against the entire point of the original and makes for an all around less memorable experience, which is not helped when the game blatantly copies things from NMH1 (the Alice fight narrative wise is just Holly Summers again). On the subject of bosses I didn't have nearly as much problems as I did previously but they're still not that good save for Kimmy,Ryuji, and Alice. Most of my issues is just how nothing a lot of them are, with most being pretty damn easy due to just how much damage you can do in the mid to late game. Not helping this is when the game decides to switch up from Travis to let you play as Shinobu WHO FUCKING SUCKS. Going from dope ass wrestling moves to a completely worthless jump kit and back to back AWFUL bosses make this section a chore to get through (atleast the Henry exclusive fight is good). People tend to rag on the final boss as well and while I do think his second phase is a fucking nightmare (mainly the walls) I didn't think it was the WORST OF ALL TIME. A much more minor flaw is the general lack of side content, with only the aforementioned side jobs and some cookie cutter revenge missions being all you get.
At the end of the day I can't really choose if I'd take NMH or Desperate Struggle. On some days I'd happily return to mowing the grass if that meant experiencing 1s more unique moments. But on some other days I just wanna watch heads roll and not care about things like grinding out money or exploring a bad open world. About on par I'd say.
7/10
No More Heroes
2007
This review contains spoilers
NOTE:EMULATED ON DOLPHIN. THE PC PORT IS A FUCKING DISASTER DO NOT RECOMMEND.
While it is messy in a lot of places, No More Heroes 1 is an entertaining enough time thanks to its unique style and entertaining premise.
For a game that released on the Wii I was shocked as to just how well the game held up graphically. This is mainly because of how unique it looks for the console, featuring a lot of impressive shadow work and characters that really pop (though the open world can look a bit dull). Speaking of characters that's another spot where the game absolutely shines, with Travis Touchdown being a fun protagonist (who's also an absolute fucking dork) and each of the assassins being entertaining encounters (my favorite being Dr Peace). The engaging combat definitely helps in this regard, never getting repetitive due to just how satisfying it becomes, with the combination of the Katana stances and wrestling moves creating an experience that I can say is truly unique (also getting those multi kills is satisfying as all hell). Last thing to mention is the absolute banger of an OST, with special mention going to the phenomenal main theme N.M.H.
As fun as general combat can be, it's ironic to say that NMH1s biggest issue IS the bosses themselves. While they're all oozing charm and remain a highlight, actually fighting them is a mess. A combination of way too much health and some truly abysmal gimmicks (I fucking despise Holly Summers) makes getting to these bosses more a letdown than an actual reward. Out of the 10 bosses I only really enjoyed Shinobu (a satisfying duel with an amazing setting) and the true final boss Henry (an even better duel which really tests your knowledge of the game). Not helping manners is just how fucking GRINDY the game is, with a majority of the game being spent grinding money to even access these fights. In a shocking twist the actual shitty jobs weren't an issue, as most of them are really easy and don't waste much time (besides Bomb Collecting and Scorpion hunting). The bigger issue is the assassination jobs having dogshit payouts until super late in the game alongside an open world that feels absolutely terrible to navigate (get sprint ASAP). Combine that with all the upgrades and you will be forced to grind for a solid chunk of the 12 hour runtime (I would estimate about half my time was spent grinding). Last thing to note is the actual story, or moreso a lack thereof. Travis for sure grows as a character and his relationship with Sylvia does get pretty interesting near the end but besides that you are left with crumbs for a good majority. Not until the literal LAST TWO BOSSES does the game decide to dump a truckload of backstory that I honestly did not care for because of how late it occurred.
Despite those myriad of issues the first No More Heroes is still a decent time all around. Suda 51 isn't a creator I absolutely adore but I do understand why so many flock to him because of this game (and also Killer 7). A solid start to a cult franchise.
7/10
While it is messy in a lot of places, No More Heroes 1 is an entertaining enough time thanks to its unique style and entertaining premise.
For a game that released on the Wii I was shocked as to just how well the game held up graphically. This is mainly because of how unique it looks for the console, featuring a lot of impressive shadow work and characters that really pop (though the open world can look a bit dull). Speaking of characters that's another spot where the game absolutely shines, with Travis Touchdown being a fun protagonist (who's also an absolute fucking dork) and each of the assassins being entertaining encounters (my favorite being Dr Peace). The engaging combat definitely helps in this regard, never getting repetitive due to just how satisfying it becomes, with the combination of the Katana stances and wrestling moves creating an experience that I can say is truly unique (also getting those multi kills is satisfying as all hell). Last thing to mention is the absolute banger of an OST, with special mention going to the phenomenal main theme N.M.H.
As fun as general combat can be, it's ironic to say that NMH1s biggest issue IS the bosses themselves. While they're all oozing charm and remain a highlight, actually fighting them is a mess. A combination of way too much health and some truly abysmal gimmicks (I fucking despise Holly Summers) makes getting to these bosses more a letdown than an actual reward. Out of the 10 bosses I only really enjoyed Shinobu (a satisfying duel with an amazing setting) and the true final boss Henry (an even better duel which really tests your knowledge of the game). Not helping manners is just how fucking GRINDY the game is, with a majority of the game being spent grinding money to even access these fights. In a shocking twist the actual shitty jobs weren't an issue, as most of them are really easy and don't waste much time (besides Bomb Collecting and Scorpion hunting). The bigger issue is the assassination jobs having dogshit payouts until super late in the game alongside an open world that feels absolutely terrible to navigate (get sprint ASAP). Combine that with all the upgrades and you will be forced to grind for a solid chunk of the 12 hour runtime (I would estimate about half my time was spent grinding). Last thing to note is the actual story, or moreso a lack thereof. Travis for sure grows as a character and his relationship with Sylvia does get pretty interesting near the end but besides that you are left with crumbs for a good majority. Not until the literal LAST TWO BOSSES does the game decide to dump a truckload of backstory that I honestly did not care for because of how late it occurred.
Despite those myriad of issues the first No More Heroes is still a decent time all around. Suda 51 isn't a creator I absolutely adore but I do understand why so many flock to him because of this game (and also Killer 7). A solid start to a cult franchise.
7/10
This game sucks
Why.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a game bursting at the seems with so much to love. Everything from the fake intros to the incredibly stylish Visual Novel bits to the (again) really good OST makes this game feel like pure Suda and I'm all for it. It really feels like a personal project for the man and I respect what he was able to do with this game narrative wise.
All that being said I can wholeheartedly NOT recommend this game because actually playing it might just be one of the worst experiences I've had in recent memory. NMH1/2 weren't Itsuno level action games but they both got the job done and remained consistently entertaining throughout the runtime. TSA throws all that shit out of the window and has some of the dullest combat I've played with so many enemies thrown at you it feels like a fucking dynasty warriors game. Not helping matters is just how much is taken away from previous games, with simple shit like darkstep and LEVELING YOUR FUCKING BATTERY being inexplicably gone making it all the worse. Some new mechanics like the skills and super attack attempt to make up for these mistakes but are either jank as fuck (skills) or take too long to be used consistently (super attack). I'd be more kind if the levels also weren't the absolute fucking worst, with each of them going on for way too long and some having inexcusable gimmicks attached to them. Golden Dragon GP is probably the worst the game gets, with the driving mechanic being way too reliant on RNG and also forcing you to completely fuck it up in order to progress (thanks Suda). Special mention as well goes to the absolutely abhorrent final level, which throws so much shit at you as well as just being boring visually. On the subject of visuals I'd also say they're not great, with character models looking straight up unfinished and most locales looking like generic UE4 assets.
The ONLY way I'd recommend this game is if you're a diehard Suda fan and wanted to see his glorious return. It's actually pretty cool just how deep the game gets narrative wise and it really showcases why he's such a respected director for so many. But I could not stomach playing it and only got through because of switching things to easy and trudging through.
4/10.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a game bursting at the seems with so much to love. Everything from the fake intros to the incredibly stylish Visual Novel bits to the (again) really good OST makes this game feel like pure Suda and I'm all for it. It really feels like a personal project for the man and I respect what he was able to do with this game narrative wise.
All that being said I can wholeheartedly NOT recommend this game because actually playing it might just be one of the worst experiences I've had in recent memory. NMH1/2 weren't Itsuno level action games but they both got the job done and remained consistently entertaining throughout the runtime. TSA throws all that shit out of the window and has some of the dullest combat I've played with so many enemies thrown at you it feels like a fucking dynasty warriors game. Not helping matters is just how much is taken away from previous games, with simple shit like darkstep and LEVELING YOUR FUCKING BATTERY being inexplicably gone making it all the worse. Some new mechanics like the skills and super attack attempt to make up for these mistakes but are either jank as fuck (skills) or take too long to be used consistently (super attack). I'd be more kind if the levels also weren't the absolute fucking worst, with each of them going on for way too long and some having inexcusable gimmicks attached to them. Golden Dragon GP is probably the worst the game gets, with the driving mechanic being way too reliant on RNG and also forcing you to completely fuck it up in order to progress (thanks Suda). Special mention as well goes to the absolutely abhorrent final level, which throws so much shit at you as well as just being boring visually. On the subject of visuals I'd also say they're not great, with character models looking straight up unfinished and most locales looking like generic UE4 assets.
The ONLY way I'd recommend this game is if you're a diehard Suda fan and wanted to see his glorious return. It's actually pretty cool just how deep the game gets narrative wise and it really showcases why he's such a respected director for so many. But I could not stomach playing it and only got through because of switching things to easy and trudging through.
4/10.
Sonic Generations
2011
Why even bother making this game if you couldn't play as as shadow.
SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS 2024 GOTY LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO
SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS 2024 GOTY LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOO
Sonic Forces
2017
This game is actually a work of art, cause it forces the player to ask a very simple question to themself: "Do I even like video games?"
what the heck? it's not awful but it sure as FUCK isn't great. admittedly better grameplay than 1, but nmh doesn't have the most sophisticated combat to begin with, and it doesn't need to. weak story beats, forgettable encounters and a god-awful final boss will probably leave you a bit disappointed, even though there are quite a few good things about this game.
Faster, more stylish, and with a few cooler bosses, Desperate Struggle is a great follow up that gets tangled up in a lot of loose narrative moves that will likely remove some investment from players coming from the first game. That isn't to say it's bad by any means, but if NMH1 is a celebrated b-movie, Desperate Struggle is its junk food straight to DVD follow up. It's beloved and for great reason, but is definitely focused on being a fun game first and having a strong direction second. Excited to see how this entry shapes Travis Strikes Back and NMHIII as I get around to them.
Good sequel, revamps everything from the first one, and more dark humor
Thought the minigames in this one was more boring but the combat has been massivly overhauled and is way more fun than the first game
Becoming a real fan of Vanillaware studios after going through some of their more recent games. I find myself admiring their approach to game development. They don't bother with rehashed sequels or chasing lame trends or mass appeal they just work on an interesting, passion led projects and churn out some high quality, polished, beautiful unique experiences and 13 Sentinels is a prime example of that.
This has to be one of the craziest, mind bending "sorry can you slow down because I can't keep up" game plots I have ever witnessed and it's not just the subject matter itself that is off the rails but also the way it is presented is unlike anything I've played before. If you love being dumbfounded and asking yourself "WTF just happened?" after each chapter boy do I have a recommendation for you. Indeed as many pointed out knowing as little as possible before starting this adventure is the way to go. Gradually uncovering layers of the story is the intended experience and the focus of the game so unless you absolutely hate sci-fi themes or anime aesthetics I can guarantee you won't be bored with this one.
The gameplay side is however something that I have less praise to give. The story segments are emulating a visual novel style press X to proceed type of gameplay and honestly this just reaffirms why I tend to avoid VN genre games. Pressing a single button from time to time to read the next dialogue line is not why I play games and no matter how intriguing the plot can get after some time it becomes really hard to stay engaged and not question why I am "playing" this instead of watching it on YouTube.
Then we have the combat segments. Where our 13 high schoolers pilot giant mechs (Sentinels) fighting off evil kaiju robots that are coming to destroy all we know and love, did I mention that they have to be naked - tell me this game was made by Japanese without telling me this game was made by the Japanese. Tiresome cliché aside delving past the surface level observation this game is anything but predictable.
The section that will require some level of motor skills will be the wave clearing combat missions that are fine for the most part. I respect the attempt to make it stimulating and engaging with satisfying explosions, good audio feedback and even a video recording of different types of attacks and what they look like from the ground up in universe perspective but ultimately if I wasn't forced to do it to progress the story I would've ignored like 80% of that. Maybe it's just the way they decided to make it all abstract in sort of digital, radar representation of the "action" happening on the battlefield, with green and red dots and other geometric shapes moving on the map. Or perhaps it's the fact that it wasn't particularly challenging or requiring much strategy or that nearly every mission had the same exact objective.
Looking back on it I found this game to be little exhausting from time to time requiring to take frequent breaks between sessions. I'm sure that my approach to mostly do story or mostly focus on the combat until either gets gated waiting for me to progress the other didn't help, but jumping between 13 POV's with this bonkers plot and the somewhat dull combat missions made following the narrative even more challenging. I really like that we have a sort of legend/journal "the files" to refer back to regarding the events that happened as well as extra information on all kind of things from different characters, other NPCs, past events, concepts in the story and hell even some Japanese cuisine. This is very helpful and provides sort of a map to help you navigate this dense forest of pretty much every type of sci-fi concept known to man.
To circle back; I'm glad to have experienced this truly unique science fiction epic even if the act of playing leaves much to be desired. Gained some new found respect for the studio with and extra half a star added to the score and what more can I add other than it was an experience of all time for sure.
This has to be one of the craziest, mind bending "sorry can you slow down because I can't keep up" game plots I have ever witnessed and it's not just the subject matter itself that is off the rails but also the way it is presented is unlike anything I've played before. If you love being dumbfounded and asking yourself "WTF just happened?" after each chapter boy do I have a recommendation for you. Indeed as many pointed out knowing as little as possible before starting this adventure is the way to go. Gradually uncovering layers of the story is the intended experience and the focus of the game so unless you absolutely hate sci-fi themes or anime aesthetics I can guarantee you won't be bored with this one.
The gameplay side is however something that I have less praise to give. The story segments are emulating a visual novel style press X to proceed type of gameplay and honestly this just reaffirms why I tend to avoid VN genre games. Pressing a single button from time to time to read the next dialogue line is not why I play games and no matter how intriguing the plot can get after some time it becomes really hard to stay engaged and not question why I am "playing" this instead of watching it on YouTube.
Then we have the combat segments. Where our 13 high schoolers pilot giant mechs (Sentinels) fighting off evil kaiju robots that are coming to destroy all we know and love, did I mention that they have to be naked - tell me this game was made by Japanese without telling me this game was made by the Japanese. Tiresome cliché aside delving past the surface level observation this game is anything but predictable.
The section that will require some level of motor skills will be the wave clearing combat missions that are fine for the most part. I respect the attempt to make it stimulating and engaging with satisfying explosions, good audio feedback and even a video recording of different types of attacks and what they look like from the ground up in universe perspective but ultimately if I wasn't forced to do it to progress the story I would've ignored like 80% of that. Maybe it's just the way they decided to make it all abstract in sort of digital, radar representation of the "action" happening on the battlefield, with green and red dots and other geometric shapes moving on the map. Or perhaps it's the fact that it wasn't particularly challenging or requiring much strategy or that nearly every mission had the same exact objective.
Looking back on it I found this game to be little exhausting from time to time requiring to take frequent breaks between sessions. I'm sure that my approach to mostly do story or mostly focus on the combat until either gets gated waiting for me to progress the other didn't help, but jumping between 13 POV's with this bonkers plot and the somewhat dull combat missions made following the narrative even more challenging. I really like that we have a sort of legend/journal "the files" to refer back to regarding the events that happened as well as extra information on all kind of things from different characters, other NPCs, past events, concepts in the story and hell even some Japanese cuisine. This is very helpful and provides sort of a map to help you navigate this dense forest of pretty much every type of sci-fi concept known to man.
To circle back; I'm glad to have experienced this truly unique science fiction epic even if the act of playing leaves much to be desired. Gained some new found respect for the studio with and extra half a star added to the score and what more can I add other than it was an experience of all time for sure.
No More Heroes
2007
A mostly decent hack-and-slash that's attached to one of the worst open-worlds I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing in a video game, and a progression system that requires LITERAL busywork.
No More Heroes
2007
A perfect example in favour of style over substance.
At its core, this game is a buggy and repetitive mess, but consuming it as a form of art opens your eyes to all of its charm, humour and bravery. It just takes everything the developers thought was badass and mashes it together in this amazing mess.
There are 100 things that are bad about this game but the game in itself is not what this is about. The gameplay is a mere shell for the design and storytelling purposes like an unsalted nacho is a mere base for the guacamole. It has, what a lot of AAA games are missing nowadays.
Its character, hard edges, original ideas and jokes which go further than your everyday MCU puns.
Whoever played Drakengard 3 will feel a lot of similarities between those two games. Both are those weird pieces of media that just from looking at the gameplay shouldn't be rated nearly as high, but both are more than just that and keep players in love.
One of the most Iconic titles for the Wii and I still can't believe they were allowed to release this game on Nintendo's most family-friendly console to date.
At its core, this game is a buggy and repetitive mess, but consuming it as a form of art opens your eyes to all of its charm, humour and bravery. It just takes everything the developers thought was badass and mashes it together in this amazing mess.
There are 100 things that are bad about this game but the game in itself is not what this is about. The gameplay is a mere shell for the design and storytelling purposes like an unsalted nacho is a mere base for the guacamole. It has, what a lot of AAA games are missing nowadays.
Its character, hard edges, original ideas and jokes which go further than your everyday MCU puns.
Whoever played Drakengard 3 will feel a lot of similarities between those two games. Both are those weird pieces of media that just from looking at the gameplay shouldn't be rated nearly as high, but both are more than just that and keep players in love.
One of the most Iconic titles for the Wii and I still can't believe they were allowed to release this game on Nintendo's most family-friendly console to date.
No More Heroes
2007
Humour, style and everything in the artistic depratment is great here. The controlls can be weird and some mechanics are unpolished and rather clunky, some bosses are also annoying but everything else is great in this game. The combat feels like you use the katana and i dont know why not any other series trys to be this out of box with their combat. Seriously a great game and it isnt endlessly long.
No More Heroes
2007
No More Heroes from Suda51, one of the fairly mainstream pieces from his vast creations of creatively wild games , was my first proper taste into the weirdly cool worlds that he creates . Originating on the Wii in 2007 and being a byproduct of the era and among the list of one of the first properly M-Rated violent games on the system, it is still a wickedly interesting game with bat-shit craziness , a main protagonist with a cute kitten named Jeane and an obsession with anime media and collectibles , meta elements, a power hungry race to the top , and over the top to an almost comedic extent violence; reminiscent of the likes of something that feels like Tarantino probably would’ve made it . I first played it on the Nintendo Switch during the experience of a personal drought during gaming. After seeing this ‘crazy’ violent Nintendo game , I decided to purchase it as I didn’t use my Nintendo switch as much either. I happen to regard it as one of my favorite games and I enjoyed my first play through of it , replaying it to a near finishing on Bitter difficulty. NMH is a wildly provocative hack ‘n’ slash , brimming with personality with it’s cast of rankings assassins and it’s sadistic and geeky protagonist. It’s a game with a silly premise , but it wears those violent character action elements and story on it’s sleeve and it can either be taken seriously narratively, creatively , or you can outright throw any of that deep philosophy out of a chase the girl , be number one sword slashing video game window and just laugh with it and have a great time; I happen to enjoy seeing it within both of those aspects .
No More Heroes is set in the fictional city of Santa Destroy, CA. It follows Travis Touchdown, the otaku ‘beam katana’ wielding , dingy motel living, anime girl media consuming , and to put it bluntly; a loser and pervert protagonist that becomes a ranking assassin for the UAA (United Assassins Association) with his auction won katana , after given a promising offer of revenge by a french woman named Sylvia Christel in a bar. Before No More Heroes even actually begins, Travis already adds a kill to his list of formidable foes lore wise, taking the 11th ranking spot off of an assassin named Helter Skelter, who was killed in a teaser trailer when the game was first revealed. The game actually begins on an already exhilarating footnote, with Travis leading us into his world and personally introducing us to his new life and all that is to come on the journey we will experience with him; then proceeding later on crashing his motorcycle into a mansion and slicing a guy in half. The first level in this mansion with these suited up goons serves the purpose of being the introductory, showing you the base fighting mechanics which can be somewhat easy to understand and pick up for the average player and understand from the get go without knowledge of any other advanced tech in the game. The game can be played in either handheld/with controller on the switch (My personally preferred experience; to each their own) or can be played faithfully with motion controls like the original 2007 Wii release, in which you are to use the Joycons/Nunchucks to swing your sword in the directional arrow for a sweet finishing blow , or moving your arms during combat to change between a high and low stance. Your arsenal of combat is also accompanied with a guard breaking mechanic, sick wrestling moves, charged attacks, and a plethora of other tech and features as you discover what NMH offers. The level introduces the first boss , 10th ranking Death Metal; who has a sick tatted and pierced up character design and gives Travis the first taste of the miserable and deadly world of assassins. The level ends with the humorously stupid cutscene with an exchange between Travis and Sylvia , attesting to the notion that Travis is kind of a loser virgin; but an exceptionally deadly and somewhat cool one.
This crazy of a beginning had already set a stage for the game. It only continues to flourish wildly after this, and it gets ALOT weirder. It’s a weird game for sure, It does have an understandably repetitive gameplay loop, with fittingly mundane side jobs in between the real meat of the game which can either serve as a pace breaker or in favor of it. The game shines within it’s art style being a cell shaded title with vibrant color pops and vibrant red blood, customization to create your own outfit combos , a fairly minuscule ‘open world’ , and including banger boss soundtracks. The game has it’s mundanes, but it pertains it’s fun wickedness to extremes, it makes you understand that it’s a video game and it serves those purposes. The bosses are the biggest stand outs of the game , which I personally believe is one of the reasons for why it’s such a memorable title . The combat gets repetitive at some points, and some bosses may kick your ass at first (Especially on bitter difficulty) , but it is worth it for the exposition, conflict, and the bickering between the bosses and Travis . The role of Touchdown shows what a marvel voice actor Robin Atkin Downes is when giving life to the protagonist, and makes it all that more believable on how cocky , geeky, cool, perverted, and angry the guy can get. Robin adds a great deal to the game and personally is a reason for why Travis is such a memorable protagonist for me. The soundtrack contains music director Masafumi Takada produced bangers, and an overload of remixes of the No More Heroes whistling tune. It’s an experience that shouldn’t be underestimated, and it served it’s silly and ferocious purpose with a lot more to delve into narratively and gameplay wise. Is it the best game ever at the end of the day? Maybe Not. There is probably more to be desired out of a hack ‘n’ slash title and it wouldn’t rival the likes of Devil May Cry [ ;) ] or the big character action games. This is more of just a personal and minimized recollection of the game for me, and I believe this is one of those weird titles in which I can spew and spew words out about this story and this world that was created. In spite of it all, It left quite an impression on me, and I enjoyed my time with it and continue to think about it and Suda51’s awesome worlds, and it is best experienced, rather than told .