Cuphead Reviews

Cuphead is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
IGN
Top Critic
8.8 / 10.0
Oct 2, 2017

Cuphead made me feel more good and more bad than any other game I've played in the last several years. I swore, laughed, and hollered with delight. I hated it (and my own fingers) for long stretches but, having finished, I realise that's more or less the point – I emerged from all that pain smiling. Rather than simply offering the player what they want, Cuphead makes them earn that right – the rewards, if you can hack the tests, are absolutely worth it. Cuphead is incredible for more than just its looks. But before you dive in, make sure you actually want a game that plays like this, and not just a game that looks like this.

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No Recommendation / Blank
Oct 2, 2017

A brutal game that's equal parts frustrating and exhilarating, delivered in the mesmerising style of a prohibition-era cartoon.

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86 / 100
Oct 2, 2017

Not just for the masochists, Cuphead is a demanding but supremely rewarding modern 2D shooter that looks and sounds fantastic.

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Metro GameCentral
GameCentral
Top Critic
8 / 10
Oct 2, 2017

A stunning work of imagination, with a collection of high quality boss battles to rival any other in gaming – and a difficultly level that's equally hard to beat.

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Metro GameCentral
Top Critic
8 / 10
Jul 30, 2020

One of the best 2D shooters of the modern era is also one of the most visually distinctive games of the whole generation, and a stunning work of imagination on every level.

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Oct 9, 2017
Cuphead - Easy Allies Review video thumbnail
Sep 29, 2017

A potent cocktail of authentic 1930s aesthetics, jazzy tunes, ingenious boss designs, and gameplay founded on the fundamentals inherent to the best 2D shooters. Cuphead sure is swell.

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8 / 10.0
Feb 18, 2022

Cuphead is a singular experience. Studio MDHR knew what it wanted to make, then went ahead and made it. A tough boss-rush game based on classic animation archetypes? It shouldn’t work, but here we are. It’s fun to play, and possibly even as satisfying to watch, since you can fully absorb what’s going on screen. It would have been easy to dial down the overall difficulty (and I wouldn’t have complained), but that wouldn’t have been Cuphead, either. Stick with it, is all I can say. We don't often get something that will make you laugh and grind your teeth in such close proximity.

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GameSpot
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 29, 2017

Cuphead has been a longtime coming, and it's great to see that it lives up to its initial promises.

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Polygon
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Sep 29, 2017

When I think of my time with Cuphead, instead of frustration I'll remember the dozens of tiny breakthroughs, when the impossible became possible, and a game that built an identity around difficulty helped me to feel, however briefly, undefeatable.

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Giant Bomb
Top Critic
Oct 12, 2017

Come for the beautiful art, stay because you smashed all your controllers.

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Unscored
Oct 3, 2017

It's delightful and fun and worth the effort it'll take to clear.

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Jul 30, 2020

Cuphead is likely to be an unforgettable experience no matter what is played on.

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9.5 / 10.0
Sep 29, 2017

Cuphead's incredible style belies its magical complexity. It's so much more than a hard-as-hell shoot-'em-up with artistic flair. It's cerebral in a way that these kind of games rarely are. Cuphead's commitment to forcing the player to understand is commendable. Those who don't have the patience to learn won't get far. That's the kind of stand-your-ground moxie that makes this a hallmark of game design. My praise runneth over.

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Apr 18, 2019

Everything about Cuphead just feels right, even all these months after its original release. As it stands right now, this game is nearly flawless in its own right, thanks to its responsive controls and signature style.

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9 / 10.0
Apr 18, 2019

‎We will not deny that its graphic section does a lot for ‎‎Cuphead ‎‎to enter us by the eye; an artistic style worthy of an Oscar for best animation production. Still, ‎‎let's not stray from the important thing: yes, we're caught by its graphic style, but still with everything, Cuphead is one of the best video games ever.‎

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8 / 10
Oct 2, 2017

Cuphead was well worth waiting for. It provided exactly what Studio MDHR said it would be – a boss rush with plenty of well-designed bosses and gorgeous presentation that mimics the Fleisher brothers' art style. Depending on how used to 2D platformers with difficult bosses you are, there's a decent amount on offer, though with limited side attractions beyond the bosses, it could all be done before you know it. It's a swell ol' time though.

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90 / 100
Sep 29, 2017

An exquisite work of craftmanship in almost every aspect. You will recover the faith in classic gameplay. Be carefoul, tough, it's not a game for the less patient.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

10 / 10.0
Sep 29, 2017

Cuphead is a true piece of art of the modern day videogame. The game has lived up to the expectations and it is full with detail and quality in every aspect. From its soundtrack to its wonderful design, Studio MDHR has achieved the glory with this masterpiece.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

92 / 100
Apr 18, 2019

Cuphead's Switch port is, let's put this simple, BRILLIANT: it mantains the wonderful graphics of the Xbox One/PC version, with no sacrifices, and most important, all that made it a special game (coop, high difficulty level...). It also adds little improvements, like character selection or spanish translation, that rise the bar even a little more.

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