Cuphead

I've enjoyed the Metal Slug series and this game reminds me of that with a unique aesthetic that resembles and animates like classic 1930's cartoons. I was skeptical at first since it was more or less a "boss rush" type of game with some run & gun stages added in for good measure but after playing the game to the end after 15 hours, it was well worth it. The gameplay is simple but tight and responsive with creative and unique boss battles to go up against and the run & gun stages add some nice variety. Going beyond the amazing visuals is the incredible bombastic soundtrack with tons of catchy and upbeat jazz music to keep the frantic pace of the game going. That said, the game isn't for everyone as the challenging difficulty can lead to tons of repetition to defeat the bosses within the game (the King Dice one is undoubtedly the most infuriating of all) as well as frustration. Definitely not recommended for those who want an easy ride and that said, there are moments where the foreground can block your view, a few minor cheap shots (like the mermaid boss with the stone gaze) and some minor bugs that can hinder the experience but can be overlooked. I don't think I can add more than what others have said, it's a tough game but it's fair, well designed and fun to play when you're up for the challenge. I was skeptical at first but after giving it a chance, I don't regret purchasing it at full price at all. But that being said, if you're uncertain, wait for a sale but if you're confident, give it a go and fight your way to face the devil!

I had some doubts about the game due to all the praise and people talking it up but I decided to give the game a go and I have to say this game reminds me so much of the older type of games that I still love and also the fun of a challenge that old games used to give you. The game looks amazing with its unique art style, its great soundtrack and solid game-play that focuses on mostly on boss fights with some run and gun stages. The initial challenge of a boss might make you a little annoyed but at no point was I angry just eager to try again and taking out a boss practically perfect gives you a great feeling of accomplishment. You can tell this was a passion project and not a game made by committee to make money, and that is why the game works and is fun because actual care went into the game.

Cuphead's 2 claims to fame are the classic 1930's style cartoon graphics, which are executed impeccably, and its relentless difficulty, which is...not without its flaws. The game play is similar to the classic Run n' Gun games of the old days, like Contra, Metal Slug, Ghosts n' Goblins, etc. It's a fast paced shooter which requires reflexes to survive and, more accurately, many, many deaths until you start to recognize the patterns. However, there are only a handful of actual run-&-gun style stages, which are there for the sole purpose of collecting coins to spend on upgrades. The primary gameplay is based on boss fights which only take a few minutes to complete if successful, but will feel much longer due to all the deaths. Cuphead is the kind of game where you can't be afraid to die and must be willing to play the same stages over and over again. There are no checkpoints, you either beat the stage from start to finish, or you don't. The game's main flaw comes in the form of how the difficulty is ratcheted up. Many enemies don't attack in the exact same patterns and will use multiple kinds of attacks at once, the sequences being largely random. This often leads to situations where avoiding damage is impossible or, at best, unrealistic. An enemy's random sequence of attacks might leave literally all areas of the screen unsafe for the player and the key to victory might just be hoping that this specific situation doesn't occur, and making sure to win when you're actually given a reasonable chance to win. This is especially true for the final boss who frequently traps you in ridiculous situations where evasion is virtually impossible if he happens to do certain things at the same time. It doesn't come off as an intentional challenge but rather, a random, unfortunate sequence. That said, Cuphead's pretty good if you can live with the frustration. The visuals are stunning and the action is fast and compelling. It's definitely worth a look for the art direction alone.

The game looks amazing, sounds amazing--presentation is fantastic. Except… once you actually play it, the presentation gets old pretty fast, voices and music is too repetitive, and that's where the issues start. First: Performance optimization is horrible. I tried to run the game on three machines that fulfil the system requirements, but only one got beyond the loading screen. Second: I got the game for my son, and was disappointed to find you couldn't adjust the difficulty. He got frustrated within hours and that was that. Not recommended for kids! Third: The game does have a great art style, each scene feels hand drawn. And it does match the aesthetics of the period it tries to replicate perfectly. That is: IF you are into the US-American aesthetics of that time. If that's just not your cup of tea, it will most likely be a hard pass. Unfortunately, even if you love the effects, those aesthetics are all the game has, because: gameplay is far from perfect. The controls are oddly placed, sometimes not very responsive. There is not too much content: a total of 6 short platform levels, and 15 boss fights that consist of just one screen each. The boss fights are visually impressive, though. Except, when it actually comes to hitting anything? Well: The bosses have no health meter, no indication of how much (if at all) damage you are causing, and sometimes it is hard to tell what is fore- and what is background, or what can or can't hurt you. Not to mention that some mechanics, like the parry, are hard to use and/or badly implemented. Even though, you could easily get through each level in 5 minutes tops. The ridiculous difficulty of the game requires you to learn each level, memorize each stage and each of the bosses' attack phases and tells. Until, after an hour or two of repeating the same fight over and over again, you get to a point where you are good enough to beat the level. Ergo: That insane difficulty level has to be your cup of tea to enjoy this game.

The art style is so spot on, it's insane. Its remarkable how authentic it is to the period it's inspired by. However, that's the best thing it has going for it. For a cross between a platformer and a shooter, this doesn't do a great job. It's very unreliable and imprecise. In a genre where pattern recognition is of high importance, this does a terrible job of making patterns and telegraphing them. I don't even find the game all that difficult, but instead, it fealt cheap and buggy. I want to like this game, I really do. The developers have at least proven they can make a beautiful game so whatever they come out with next, I'll pay attention. But this game was a miss for me.