-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes - Review Thread
- Thread starter vestan
- Start date
I bought it. I caved and pre-loaded. The gameplay always looked bland but still good enough to play. It has some curiously weird ideas I still want to experience, and if anything it looks like it's a good game to play multiplayer in portable mode. I appreciate the HUB and the mix of variety, the game has a lot of personality in its presentation. It's made by 15 people who are clearly very passionate about the craft. I love the art style and indie t-shirts. I don't know if it makes sense but I guess there is more to buying this particular game than the gameplay for me. It's also discount price.
The 71 MC is about what I expected. It really got a lot of 9s and 8s and people seem to be forgetting that. I was worried it was going to be a lot lower based on some of those tweets yesterday.
The 71 MC is about what I expected. It really got a lot of 9s and 8s and people seem to be forgetting that. I was worried it was going to be a lot lower based on some of those tweets yesterday.
Last edited:
New to review threads for mediocre exclusives? It's always a whole lot of "REVIEWS ARE EVIL, ONLY I AM A SMART INDIVIDUAL" from a bunch of people who'd gush out over the scores if they were nicer to the thing they have to defend out of obligation.
Last edited:
This is a stupid post. The only way you could make sense is to tie it to console exclusive war, but literally no one gives enough of a fuck about having No More Heroes as an exclusive.
3 decades of Suda's games reviewing like dogshit, plenty of people who got incredible experience out of his games. Maybe it's time to consider that there is a dichotomy between players and reviews when it comes to his pedigree ?
Lots of bizarre posts in this thread. I like Suda's style and Grasshopper games, but this honestly looks like dog arse from what I've seen. It's OK to both like some of the older work and think this one stinks.
I'm actually wondering how this will sell. The Switch has been a weird darling to exclusive indies, and the game has had a lot of promotion from Nintendo Directs.
It's gonna do very well. No More Heroes has a dedicated fan base and Switch is white hot fire right now. It has also been well promoted and is releasing at a very good time.
The original NMH didn't review all that well either; didnt stop it from selling well though.
The problem with these posts is that it implies Suda's past stuff was somehow recived better when taking a look at the Metacritic pages of The Silver Case and killer7 should easily disprove that.
Even the "good" NMH games still got a lot of complaints quite similar to some of the stuff said about TSA.
Some people don't mind or even like jank because we think the style makes up for it.
"Obligation"
Or maybe I'm just a fan of Suda's stuff and know it doesn't always review well.
Also forbid people try and have their own opinions on something and not take reviews as the objective truth.
But yes clearly it's just because we're a bunch of console fanboys.
And those of us who like his older work and still think this looks fine?
I'm really high and saw a post after mine that said " I caved and bought it, pre loaded it..." as " I caved and bought it played it..." and jumped the gun. My Switch is dead dead. Plugged it in and its charging but still won't boot. So yea, haha.
Ugh I still have like 4 hours before I have to go to sleep for work, can I borrow it?
These are all about what I expected. This was never going to be NMH3, and I'm fine with that. If nothing else it'll be a fun distraction until RE2 is out
Sure you can, don't forget to go to sleep though! Work is important!
Oddly enough I started working 2nd shift and I'm finally getting the correct amount of sleep for the very first time in my life. You in a different time zone? I won't be able to play this until 20 ish hours from now.
I'm just hoping it has enough redeeming moments that it makes it worth it.
It's not about the score. Suda is known for his storytelling. His gameplay always sucks. That's why he needs to stick to VN.
I kinda wish we could dispell this notion that all Suda's games, many of which he's not the creative lead on, are poor and entirely subpar gameplay wise. That's become less and less true with each release. I might be one of the few who truly thought Killer is Dead's mechanics were solid for a character action game, controls were generally smooth and intuitive, and there is definite depth to be found in it. Lollipop Chainsaw is a little more stiff in controls and it definitely isn't the sharpest game mechanically but it has a really refreshing and gratifying arcade simplicity and brisk pace to each of its levels. Let it Die is more of a mechanics based experience in general and borrows from the Souls foundation of combat and executes on it respectably.
And fuck me if Shadows of the Damned is one of their most polished releases, a worthy successor to the RE4 mold of TPS (thanks Shinji), and has its share of creative set pieces. It really had me cursing its lack of NG+, simply from being unable to upgrade my weapons further, engaging each of the encounters with those multiple weapon types, which is a testament to how invested I was into the overall gameplay apart from everything else.
And fuck me if Shadows of the Damned is one of their most polished releases, a worthy successor to the RE4 mold of TPS (thanks Shinji), and has its share of creative set pieces. It really had me cursing its lack of NG+, simply from being unable to upgrade my weapons further, engaging each of the encounters with those multiple weapon types, which is a testament to how invested I was into the overall gameplay apart from everything else.
I don't agree with that at all. Game play is a mixed bag in some titles but it definitely doesn't always suck.
Exactly.
I never paid the price of admission for Suda51 games to eat a fine meal but to taste a different and unique flavour which set it apart from anything else despite the issues that are always present.
Shadows of the damned is one of the best action adventures ever made. Pacing and atmosphere are phenomenal. EA has the rights, correct?
It's criminal that it never even got a PC port.
I don't want to plug my PS3 back in to play it.
Videogames are still a relatively young art form, us having these kinds of discussions is completely normal.
The value of art doesn't only come from its numeral qualities as an object or product (graphics, mechanics, length etc.) but also from the experience players get from it. Humans are subjects and thus art and culture are subjective. There are few niche cult creators in the videogame space as of now, but Suda51 has been definitely one of the more prominent ones.
Don't buy it if you don't like what you see, but don't try to trash people who do like it, or people whose tastes don't align with the safe 90's sequels we normally get.
The value of art doesn't only come from its numeral qualities as an object or product (graphics, mechanics, length etc.) but also from the experience players get from it. Humans are subjects and thus art and culture are subjective. There are few niche cult creators in the videogame space as of now, but Suda51 has been definitely one of the more prominent ones.
Don't buy it if you don't like what you see, but don't try to trash people who do like it, or people whose tastes don't align with the safe 90's sequels we normally get.
I'm more than an ardent critic of Suda's games. NMH2 was an extreme disappointment for me (that I still enjoyed). The Silver Case is a slow burn. Even Suda fans to this day are still kind of split whether Flower Sun Rain is a masterpiece or just kinda nonsense. And literally no one talks about Michigan Report From Hell.
TSA isn't a game I'm gonna pass the buck on until I get to try it. Based on the changes they've done to the combat, I imagine it should be kind of fun comparative to the originals which really weren't that great in terms of the meta of the combat. I reckon even if I weren't a fan I would give it a shot given the generous pricing. Killer7 looked like shit to me when I first saw it (long before I got sold on No More Heroes), and a similar cursory glance of the divisive "the game play looks crap but the presentation and story sure is something else" feels pretty familiar, but boy howdy I was wrong. Heck, I'd actually argue for Killer7 even its sort of lackluster gameplay was perfect for the kind of game it is, and my big question based on the divisiveness of some elements in TSA is whether that applies here too.
All of that I reckon is a long-winded way to say Suda's games are the kind of rare brand of games when it becomes really hard to trust anyone's opinion except one's own firsthand opinion of it. I think the only Suda-related game I never got around to buying based on the reception is Black Knight Sword.
Shadows of the Damned's gameplay was really good, and I attribute that in due part to Shinji Mikami's influence. My only real beef with the game is that it completely lacks replay value (no NG+, I don't think I've beaten it more than once). I also feel it's more of a straight concept even for someone like Suda. It's probably his least divisive game when you boil it down though - it came out the same year as Gears 3 when the TPS boom was still high, while even Lollipop Chainsaw came out when character action games were sort of becoming "out of vogue" - and I'm a bit surprised it wasn't more of a hit.
I really liked Let It Die, it was one of my favorite games of that year, though I also feel the title was a bit of a compromise for Suda. "Make a freemium game for GungHo and we'll let you do something goofy". I think at this time he was already sort of checking out, he wasn't around much during the marketing for it. Funnily enough that was also a game that had a really negative fan reception when it was revealed, though upon release most fans took to it.
I think TSA has the potential to similarly go down well with those who might feel compelled to take the leap. Some publications criticize the combat, some love it, but my personal takeaway from some of the texts is that multiple ideas are things that should be absorbed into the swordplay of a mainline game, which I'd be all for. Killer Is Dead already felt like (an extremely rough) approximation of what a third No More Heroes game might play like, right down to having a transformative arm with special abilities. I reckon if NMH3 does happen, they'll let Travis keep his little power glove and multiple of its abilities which I'm pretty excited about.
I'm not really gonna say anything about his opinion but Sterling is another example of how divisive Suda games get among people. He listed Lollipop Chainsaw as his favorite game of that year, and most people I know think of it as one of his most low-tier efforts with some of the stiffest and monotone combat any of his games have had.
Last edited:
Guess the main reason is that no one really knew who Suda is when this game was released. Also it wasn't released in the US I think. When I look at the european cover it's no wonder people think this was released straight in the bargain bin.
A few weeks backI played through Flower, Sun and Rain. Of course only the DS-Version. Game looks like a huge piece of polygon rubbish stacked together. But this only added up to my wonderful experience I had with this game. And I have to say, even for Suda standards, the game is beyond weird and surreal. Can't wait for this remaster if it ever happens.
I also liked No More Heroes 2. Have to admit I played the Minigames longer than the actual story. They scrapped this lousy Open World (which also added something to the charme of the first game) which gave the game a better pacing.
Also we have to talk about, what is a Suda51 game? The last game he fully directed was No More Heroes. Of course it is Travis Strikes Again now but if we go back, it was the original NMH. Advertising with Sudas name isn't new. He was neither fully responsible for Shadows of the Damned nor Lollipop Chainsaw, Killer is Dead and especially not Let it Die. Yes, even in No More Heroes 2 his role was nothing more than a Producer/Supervisor. Of course all of the games I've listed here were created under his influence and a lot of his ideas.
There is a complain regarding Travis Strikes Again I don't really get. It's a complain even many people in this thread are always writing: "TSA looks like a cheap Indie-Game and nothing like No More Heroes 3."
When the game was revealed at this Switch-Event back then, there was no gameplay shown, Suda mentioned that this game will take another direction and is clearly NOT No More Heroes 3. Later ist was revealed that the game is a Hommage to the recent Indie-Boom. So, basically, it is a low budget Indie title and this was stated from the beginning. It doesn't even look worse than the average indie game. I won't get this complain. There wasn't promised any fancy during the time this game was promoted.
What people like from Suda is so different. There are at least five different fanbases for Suda with wildly different needs.
That TSA is divisive is expected. Suda will never be able to please everyone, and he hammers it on it. There's people who likes his horror game stuff, people who likes his "so good it's bad stuff", people who likes his writing and fictional universe, people who likes his subversiveness, people who likes his more mainstream games.
It just shows in the reviews too. A game that is so unequivocally bad would never receive incredibly strong reviews like it actually did. It appeals to a group of people at the end of the day. His only big mistake is that it probably doesn't appeal to the general No More Heroes crowd despite having the name.
About what I expected really. Still won't beat Flower, Sun & Rain in terms of reception for a Suda game. :P
https://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/flower-sun-and-rain
Ahhh to bask in the height of the most hated Suda game by journalists. (And both The Silver Case and The 25th Ward, two other Suda games that weren't liked by most critics). It's standard at this point. NMH1 and 2 were a long time ago now.
https://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/flower-sun-and-rain
Ahhh to bask in the height of the most hated Suda game by journalists. (And both The Silver Case and The 25th Ward, two other Suda games that weren't liked by most critics). It's standard at this point. NMH1 and 2 were a long time ago now.
Oh God, can this not be a thing people start repeating this year.
"Safe 90s sequel" even as a concept just sounds bizarre on the face of it. How does it make any sense?
Looks like my fears about this game weren't unfounded, really disappointed this wasn't a proper follow up. Didn't like the look of this from the beginning, but was hoping something would wow me.
"Mainstream games are safe and predictable, enjoy those while, I, a man culture, appreciate punk."
The way a lot of people talk about Suda definitely seems goofy. But all of his games besides the first two No More Heroes are extremely divisive, so this one getting a mixed reception comes as no surprise to any of his fans. And that's fine, a lot of my favorite games have horrible scores on MC. I just think a lot of the Suda fans overreacting in this thread are upset that people are using what they see as an arbitrary number as validation of their preconceived notions. To Suda fans all that number tells us at this point is yeah "its a Suda game". Sure this one could actually be a piece of crap, but Suda fans can't tell that from a low score because pretty much every single game he's made has low scores, often even lower than this one, even the games the fans revere.
Personally I think people shouldn't take much stock in Meta Critic scores. Reviews are subjective, art is subjective. Like what you like and don't be dissuaded by a number. If you love Flower Sun and Rain but hate Mario Galaxy who cares?
Edit: I've been drinking so sorry if this comes off as rambling bullshit
