A great game that came at the best time. In an odd way, this game served as therapy for me when my whole life was turned upside down by the epidemic. It felt like a return to some form of normalcy (through the daily student lifestyle) and allowed me to build myself back up (while also teaching me some life lessons, through clever and quirky humor). This was my first ever real JRPG and what a surprise it was! The story was gripping, the characters felt real and the humor was charming as hell. If you ever want a game to convince you to visit Tokyo, this is the one. It does have a few minor issues (including a very long tutorial/intro sequence), but it overcomes them with pure style and charm. And the soundtrack?? 10/10 on its own alone! I bought Royale right after I finished it and am having a blast!

The art style of this game is incredible and is truly a marvel to behold. I just wish there was some form of difficulty adjustment so I could explore everything the world of Cuphead has to offer. While challenging, the game is rewarding. However, I am continuously frustrated how the game employs randomness to encounters with bosses. It never feels like I beat a boss because I got better with the game (which you do improve over time, no doubt), but rather because I got a lucky round where the attacks didn't hit as hard/weren't as difficult. I know this is standard for video game design, but with a game like this where you can't change the difficulty, I often found myself restarting a boss because a certain attack pattern was more difficult than the previous one. Regardless, the music is also fantastic and relevant for the time period this game encompasses. It's incredible for an indie team (bravo to them), just wish the game either had difficulty levels or had more fair encounters. Either way, worth ya $20