Cuphead Reviews
If you enjoy a game that takes delight in constantly kicking you in the nads -- while laughing hysterically -- then Cuphead is for you. The hardcore need only apply.
Cuphead was an absolute masterpiece when it launched on Xbox 18 months ago and nothing has been sacrificed in its move to the Switch. It's the same visually jaw-dropping, aurally delightful, knuckle-whiteningly difficult game it was on Microsoft's console and the Switch's library is all the better for its presence. Its focus on intense boss battles won't be to everyone's tastes, but as long as you know what you're getting yourself into we can't recommend it enough.
It's a game that will make your life a living hell but in a way that's addicting and forever challenging. Cuphead is a damn good time.
Although unchanged since 2017, thankfully Cuphead's unique strengths have not been dulled by time. This long awaited PS4 port deserves to find a new audience with its charming character designs and frantic onscreen action.
Seemingly simple gameplay and delightful art aside, Cuphead manages to balance challenge and difficulty fairly well.
Normally when a game is this tough it can be off-putting, but the combination of intense difficulty and the skill required to learn each pattern is incredibly satisfying. It’s a fine balance that Cuphead is able to achieve with every single boss you’ll encounter, and even when you’re feeling frustrated, the brilliant soundtrack and completely unique art direction will keep you smiling with every new attempt. The standard for combining style and substance in this genre has well and truly been set.
Cuphead will go down as a classic, that's for sure, and it's quite possibly the hardest game I've ever played, but you just have to try it. If only for a short-while. Just get out before that blood pressure rises!
Ultimately the game provides too much nostalgic satisfaction for me to be upset by its conventions, no matter how punishing or familiar they may be. Style may not always offer substance, but in the case of Cuphead, I'm satisfied.
In the end, Cuphead proves to be everything I wanted it to be — challenging, stylised and fun. It's a tough, tough game — but unlike Dark Souls, my failures in Cuphead made me want to keep playing. Bring it on.
It's a bit unfair to compare Cuphead to almost any other of the brutally tough platformers I've grown to love recently, as it lacks the filler. It gets straight to the good stuff and gives us an almost 'greatest hits' of boss fights. And if they don't get better and more rewarding as they go, I'll go eat. So while you've still got to be a masochist at heart to get through the 'true' Cuphead, people of all ages and backgrounds would be able to sit in front of the television and appreciate Cuphead for its sense of style and its ability to evoke that childlike wonder that was, until now, dormant in most of us.
Cuphead has long been in development; but, upon its reveal, it stunned people due to its unique art style. After releasing late last month does its style is still as impressive as before. But beneath that, is an addictive platforming and boss rush game that pummels you with challenges whilst simultaneously rewarding you with said challenges.
Microsoft's true standout exclusive for 2017
Beneath its cartoony aesthetic lies a game that is brutally difficult and incredibly rewarding
Reagan received a digital copy of Cuphead from Microsoft for review.
The art is something the videogaming landscape has never seen before and is, arguably, worth the price of admission alone. But we come for the art, and stay for the challenge. And boy, does Cuphead have challenge in spades.
All in all, I didn’t like Cuphead in the slightest. I fell in love with it. The charm and care they put into this game brings back a nostalgia I haven’t felt in many years. Not nostalgia for the 1930s, as I wasn’t born yet, and I’m not quite that old to have watched American Golden Age Cartoons, but nostalgia for the challenging feel-good types of games I played as a younger self. While the stark challenge might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and 1930s cartoony art styles might not appeal to today’s anime crowds, what StudioMDHR has created is nothing short of a masterpiece. If there was ever a game to take a chance on, this would be it. Leave your silverware at the door and pick up a cup, you won’t be disappointed.
And yet, while there will likely be times where it seems like the game has cheated you out of a successful parry or likewise isn't sure what counts as a hit or not, it goes without saying that for a studio that had to remortgage just to finish it, what Studio MDHR have crafted here over the course of three years is a special, once-in-a-generation type of game.
In an age where punishing difficulty is finally yearned for again, Cuphead is a worthy title to the list of the best ways to test your gaming mettle.
Cuphead is a crazy ride into the minds of Studio MDHR and if you're looking for something very diverse, check this out on the Xbox One because you'll be surprised at how addictive, frustrating and entertaining this game is. It takes the classic side-scrolling shooters of yesterday and transforms it into a game of today with some beautiful art and music inspired from a simpler time.