No More Heroes 3, by Grasshopper Manufacture, feels like a game straight out of 2003, where power-ups are food and big shiny arrows direct you to your next location. However, it’s also littered with kitschy modern references to things like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Netflix, resulting in a sequel that’s trapped in both the past and the present. This brawler has admirable ambition and some entertaining boss fights, but those are only enough to keep you playing for a short while.
The 2019 spin-off Travis strikes again is more explicitly a sequel to No More Heroes 3, the first mainline entry in the series since No More Heroes 2 desperate struggle. The core idea of the first two normal Heroes games is present here, letting you run around the fictional city of Sand Destroy as part-time assassin, Travis Touchdown, was once again killing his way up an assassin hierarchy as part of bloody competition. However, unlike the enjoyable action of the originals, Travis Strikes Again’s returning characters and plot points were not particularly enjoyable runs for 14 hours. It’s a pattern that is well-known to existing fans, but the way it’s implemented here feels like a step back for the series. The themed levels that previously preceded each battle are lacking here, and the time spent between bosses is mainly boring.
While enemy variety is significantly increased from previous games, minigames range from mildly amusing to downright irritating, and No More Heroes 3 forces you to complete filler fights against generic alien bad guys before even starting the next boss battle. Despite this, these encounters are less engaging than the themed levels they replace. That’s a shame because No More Heroes 3‘s combat can have a genuine rhythm when it finds its footing elsewhere. You switch between light and heavy slashes with your beam katana and whack enemies until they become stunned, at which point you can German suplex them for additional damage.
No More Heroes 3 also includes four new, recurring abilities that slow down time, fend off adversaries, set up a passive laser beam, or allow Travis to kick the nearest adversary. Although the crowd control they offer seems specifically tailored to handle the aforementioned minion bouts, it doesn’t seem required for the real boss fights, especially because the beam katana itself still relies on a battery that must be recharged by shaking it while in use.
The other aliens lack the personality needed to stand out in any memorable ways, especially when compared to past No More Heroes bosses like grenadier Holly Summers or scythe-wielding gothic Lolita Margaret Moonlight, but without giving anything away, No More Heroes 3 cleverly zigs when I would expect it to zag, providing a few nice surprises for time fans. These fights are where combat truly shines.
Unfortunately, Santa Destroyed open world is sadly underdeveloped, and performance can occasionally be noticeably poor. I didn’t enjoy the game as I was expecting as the frame rates kept dropping out of nowhere and the story didn’t hold my interest. I would not recommend this game for someone who loves to play RPG and open world games.
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Related: Reviews by Harnish Gondaliya
I love single player story mode games with beautiful open worlds. Games like Red Dead Redemption, GTA series, Uncharted series, Far Cry series, Assassin's Creed series, etc., are some of the best games I have ever played. I love to play a game that has immersive worlds to explore and interesting story line.
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