I have always wanted to check out the No More Heroes series, but I never really got the chance. I was much younger when it came out back on the Wii, but I remember its stylish cel-shaded graphics and its over the top humor, so I am glad I finally have had the chance to try out one of the games in the series! Though it does not play exactly like the previous games in the series, TRAVIS STRIKES AGAIN: No More Heroes Complete Edition by developer GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC., and publisher Marvelous Inc., will surely please both dedicated fans of the series who are eager for its return, and newcomers as well.
While I do not know all of the story of the series, it seems Badman is pissed at Travis, professional gamer, otaku and lightsaber/laser katana wielding assassin, for killing his daughter, Badgirl. Granted an attempt to take him out by the Syndicate, he attempts to assassinate him, but both are sucked into the Death Drive Mark II game console, and now have to work together to defeat it, and possibly wish Badgirl back to life. The story is an over the top as it gets and I love every minute of it. The humor is relentless and very self-aware, with Travis even mentioning how a “new generation of gamers” need to know who he is. Suda 51 and Grasshopper Manufacture also teamed up with many indie game developers, resulting in those games (and Unreal Engine 4) are promoted through in game t-shirts that Travis and Badman can unlock. From jokes about warm up bosses to honoring/lampooning Devolver Digital’s clutch status as a publisher, TSA takes shots in every direction.
The gameplay is similar, but not the same to the prior games. It is still a hack and slash styled game, but it operates on a more arcade-style mode of play. The camera angles go from side views to over the top cameras and behind the back just like the series proper. Travis now has a power glove-style accessory with which he can make special attacks that are upgradable to combo with his sword, and of course, you still have to recharge it in a fairly suggestive manner when it starts running low on juice! The game can be played either single player or co-op, and while it works fine on a keyboard, the controller is without a doubt the best way to play it, befitting its playstyle in the vein of classic games such as Smash TV.
I only have to say one thing about the graphics and sound – I adore them both. I am absolutely biased towards anything cel-shaded, and TSA is no exception. The game looks gorgeous just as in past No More Heroes titles, and contains its own video-game styled glitch patterns and unique enemies, bosses, and areas as well. The sound effects and music set the “stuck inside of a game” tone very well, and the characters, when they speak in cutscenes or otherwise, sound excellent as well.
TRAVIS STRIKES AGAIN: No More Heroes Complete Edition is an excellent game in its own right, but its success is on a much greater level as well. It succeeds in prepping fans of the series well for the upcoming No More Heroes 3, and reintroducing the character of Travis Touchdown to new fans of the series, and those who have always viewed it from afar, such as myself. If you are in the mood for a fun hack and slash style arcade game with a lot of fun referential and meta humor, as well as a great coop game with a friend, you cannot go wrong with TRAVIS STRIKES AGAIN: No More Heroes Complete Edition!
Gameplay – 9.5/10
Graphics – 10/10
Sound – 9.5/10
Story 9.5/10
Overall – 9.6
Check Out the TRAVIS STRIKES AGAIN: No More Heroes Complete Edition Trailer:
TRAVIS STRIKES AGAIN: No More Heroes Complete Edition is available for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
Steam Review
Your local neighborhood nutjob, gamer, and teacher! I'm an avid fan of many genres such as platformers, shooters, horror, etc. I am also an avid tabletop gamer - hugely into the worlds of Warhammer and all of their spinoffs. I'm a big believer in being objective - even if something is not my cup of tea, I want to talk about it on the objective level - is it well made, crafted with love, and with care for the fans? If so, that's a good game in my book for someone and well worth their hard earned dollarydoos!
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