Walt Would be Proud.
The first thing you’ll notice about Cuphead is the artstyle, with its old timey look and beautiful imagery reminiscent of the old Steamboat Willie era of Disney However, don’t let the colorful and cute look fool you, this game is hard, like Mega-Man level hard (at least for me). What started out at a boss rush game, has blossomed into a wonderfully challenging and fun platformer, with unique bosses and levels. The gameplay is simple, just hold X to shoot, A to jump, Y to dash, and RB to switch weapons, but what Cuphead is great at is keeping you on your toes. It has fast paced action throughout every level and boss fight, that will have you relying on precise timing and speed to achieve your goal. On top of that you’re also given a number of different weapon and special choices to change the way you play and approach obstacles. What sets Cuphead above other platformers, is its level of challenge. It finds a great balance between hard bosses/levels and fun and rewarding gameplay. When you beat a boss/level it gives you a great sense of accomplishment, and it never became too frustrating.
The story is simple and cute, the two brothers Cuphead and Mugman gamble with the devil and loose their souls. They then make a deal to collect other souls for the devil, but decide to fight him and take their contract back. Other than that, the game just presents you with unique enemies who are all compelling but you don’t learn anything about them. This isn’t an issue though, because it makes the world feel real and lived in. That feeling makes it easy for you to accept the multitude of unique enemies that you face.
With its wonderfully beautiful art style and challenging gameplay, Cuphead is a must play for any fan of the genre or games in general, just be ready to die over and over again.