Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Review - Screenshot 1 of 5

We haven't heard a peep from otaku assassinator Travis Touchdown since he last graced our screens in 2010'southward No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle. Brainchild of enigmatic industry effigy Goichi 'Suda51' Suda, Travis cut a stylish swathe through Wii's catalogue of casual fodder. That same infectious free energy is alive and well in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, the latest game from developer Grasshopper, and information technology's great to run into Suda51 back in the director's chair for the first fourth dimension since the original game.

This is non a directly sequel, though. Positioned more as an indie-spirited accompaniment, this was developed by a pocket-sized team and picks upwardly the story years later No More Heroes 2. Travis has been living the dream, travelling around the U.s.a. in a house-sized trailer playing video games. Despite this nomadic existence, Bad Man – vengeful father of No More Heroes' dearly-departed Bad Girl – has finally tracked him down but both are mysteriously sucked into the world of Electric Thunder Tiger 2, Travis' simply game for the legendary Death Drive MK II prototype console he's got his hands on. They strike up an uneasy brotherhood and stop upwards having to enter v other games, arriving Terminator-fashion, earlier hacking and slashing their fashion through static-infested enemies known as Bugstreet Boys.

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The cell-shaded aesthetic remains from previous entries. Everything is 3D, although with a fixed viewpoint that changes in every section, from summit-down to side-on with diverse angles in between, all without player input. Controls are unproblematic – 'B' to jump, with calorie-free and heavy strikes divide beyond 'Y' and 'X' respectively and a rolling dodge on 'A'. Travis' badass beam sword depletes with every swing and must be recharged past clicking in the left stick and shaking the correct Joy-Con (a familiar action to fans of the previous games). You waggle the right stick instead if playing in portable mode, although yous're encouraged to play Super Mario Odyssey-mode with a Joy-Con in each mitt.

Holding 'L' and hit a face button unleashes a variety of assignable skills you collect along the way, from lightning bolts to defensive barriers or summon spots that interact with enemies or replenish your health. Presets are saved and loaded from the pause card. Skills recharge at different rates, and combat relies heavily on them – it's vital to experiment and find what suits your playstyle.

Although each of the six Death Drive games has a different theme, Travis' hack-and-slash gameplay is consistent across the board. Specific sections ape other styles or games (and there are some corking surprises along the way). The second game intersperses a series of murder houses with a top-down suburban neighbourhood on rotatable tiles bringing some light puzzling. Some other Death Ball (DDMKII games don't come on carts, y'all run into) sees you exploring a spooky mansion in search of damn fine coffee and doughnuts (props to the localisation team for that one).

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The gimmicks raise a smiling, and while some are stronger than others, the base gameplay is satisfying enough to keep y'all going through the less-inspired sections. Save points (toilets, of form) are scattered throughout and enemies evolve quickly from lowly drones to shield-wielding variants and beyond. Crowd control becomes important and you'll need to prioritise baddie-spawning skulls before dealing with the horde. They inevitably go a niggling repetitive and, although mid-bosses provide some comedy, they're not peculiarly interesting fights – hack-and-slash veterans volition have little problem on standard difficulty. Bosses themselves are an entertaining bunch, but they're yet pretty standard – it'south slick, stylish fun but Travis Strikes Over again lacks the depth of more complex fighters. Bayonetta certainly won't be losing any sleep.

We spent the majority of our time every bit Travis, but the baseball bat-wielding Bad Homo is available at almost any time from the pause menu, with individual XP and a couple of bespoke skills. The game boasts drib in, driblet out single-screen co-op with a single Joy-Con, too, and the uncomplicated controls and mechanics lend themselves well to teaming up with less-experienced players.

Mechanics bated, Travis Strikes Once more's presentation is intoxicating. Every 'game' is introduced with crackling CRT static and presented in 4:3 with art and info occupying the borders on the sides of the screen. Information technology's a meta-collage of pop art, '80s neon, Spielberg films on VHS and, of grade, video games. On paper, it sounds like reconstituted Ready Player One, only it's got more than seize with teeth than that and Grasshopper's self-awareness prevents it from condign a 'spot-the-reference' box-ticking exercise. An eclectic soundtrack mixes Thomas Bangalter-esque techno with twangy hillbilly guitar and smooth chillout (we particularly liked the track in the mansion).

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Jokes near budget restraints, spiralling localisation costs and fighting against system specs will tickle anyone familiar with game development. Characters worry about gamers 'expecting an action game' and not wanting 'a buttload of text'. They ponder the importance of their Metacritic score. Grasshopper explores the dashed hopes and frustrations of game development, coming close to eating its own tail sometimes, merely information technology'southward never less than entertaining.

In between games you hang out in your trailer, a hub with a PC to access ramen blogs and a shop where you lot purchase indie game t-shirts using the coins and collectables you discover. We showed our love for Just Shapes & Beats, just at that place are dozens to choose from; Travis Strikes Again wears its fandom literally on its sleeve. For all its Tarantino-esque reverence, though, nosotros never found it grating or try-hard. This isn't a game of 'knowing' references or thematic nods to Spielberg'southward oeuvre; it gets upwardly on the table, demolishes the fourth wall and shouts: "EVERYTHING IS ******* AWESOME!" Its references are in-your-confront (with enemy names including Spielbug, Soderbug, and Zuckerbug) and genuine rather than affectations that broadcast nerd credentials, shoving Grasshopper'due south tastes down our throats. Information technology'south unpretentious and wonderfully inclusive – a Lego Movie-like commemoration of video games, if you will.

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And thank you to that generous spirit, yous tend to let its shortcomings slide, sitting back and enjoying the ride rather than dwelling on invisible walls, finicky platforming or repetitive enemy types. Instead, yous're opening up the archives section and reading fantastic era-appropriate reviews for tips, or enjoying the interstitial globe-trotting narrative via a DOS-style text adventure 'game' (although it's really merely borer through dialogue boxes). Information technology'due south pitch-perfect, anticipating the player's thoughts and mood, and information technology's willing to poke fun at itself and the limitations of the medium. Suda seems content to let his video games be video games, and then despite all the intertextual references, you'll spend your time playing Travis Strikes Again, different certain other series helmed by auteur game directors nosotros could mention.

Although we had sixteen hours on the in-game clock when credits rolled, exploring, dawdling and note-taking probably inflated this by 5-6 hours. There are collectables and hidden characters to go back for (how else are you going to procure all those natty t-shirts?) and 'Spicy' difficulty unlocks upon completion. Enough to keep you busy, then, and nosotros're eagerly awaiting the DLC.

Conclusion

Billed as a side dish, Travis Strikes Once again: No More Heroes has been prepared with enough love and affection to get a filling meal on its own, packed with the spice and spirit yous'd expect from Travis Touchdown. It's a fun, indie-inflected blast of hack-and-slash which doesn't change the world mechanically (and don't become in expecting No More than Heroes 3), simply its sincerity and energy are charming. It'southward an adult game – a gamer's game – foul-mouthed and dripping with style. If you're sitting on the contend, nosotros'd recommend diving in, if merely to support its infectious, celebratory spirit; Suda51 seems to have a real amore for Nintendo hardware and this makes you experience lucky to accept him working on Switch.

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