Cuphead Reviews

Cuphead is ranked in the 98th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Unscored
Oct 4, 2017

Cuphead is a delightful experience that won’t endear itself to all but its visuals will win over many who might otherwise avoid the run and gun genre

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8 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2017

Cuphead is a stunning game. And a cruel one. You have to find out if it's more entertaining or frustrating, and that's not an easy task.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Wccftech
Top Critic
8.9 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2017

The animation alone is nearly worth the price of admission, but if you want imaginative bosses to fight as well, you're in luck with Cuphead. Just make sure you're prepared to die - a lot.

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Oct 4, 2017

Outside of a few nagging flaws, namely the frustrating run and gun levels, Cuphead represents the shoot 'em up genre at its absolute best. The boss battles are consistently exciting and just the right amount of challenging, while the 1930s cartoon visuals amaze in every regard.

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Ray Carsillo
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2017

Cuphead is an addictive mix of fun and frustration that will constantly keep you coming back for more. It's amazing combination of terrific gameplay, tremendous style, and an original concept immediately catapults it into every game of the year discussion.

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9.2 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2017

Cuphead is the most beautiful 2D arcade shooter released in the past decade, and one hell of an exclusive for the Xbox One console. Studio MDHR might have delayed it numerous times, but the end results is full of flavour, ideas, variety and one of the best jazz composition I've heard in a long time.

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90%
Oct 4, 2017

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!

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90 / 100
Oct 4, 2017

Amazingly, with all of its roots firmly planted in the past, Cuphead raises the bar for indie games and platformers alike.

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Oct 5, 2017

I can't begin to think of the monumental effort that went in to making this game over the past several years. Cuphead is a challenging gameplay experience that is at odds with its whimsical-looking animation. I never found the difficulty to be off-putting, but it rather forced me to be more mindful during each encounter, which then led to every victory being so sublime. Be forewarned at it being a hard game, but know that Cuphead is a masterpiece worth enduring such hardships.

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Unscored
Oct 5, 2017

First, a little context that most people will be aware of, but that’s bound to be lost over time: a game journalist was recorded struggling to get past Cuphead’s tutorial level in the runup to its release, something that caused much embarrassment as well as questions about what kind of playing proficiency it’s reasonable to expect/demand from those in the industry. Now that it’s finally out, there’s been a veritable flood of outlets putting out videos of employees making it through levels unscathed and reviews that are quick to mention how difficult—but fair!—most of the game is. I imagine many of these people genuinely liked it, and that’s nice for them, but let’s not pretend that the overwhelming praise has nothing to do with the fact that the game has become a litmus test for reviewer competency as far as the gaming public is concerned. Let me tell you about my decidedly less positive Cuphead experience.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 5, 2017

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.

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86 / 100
Oct 5, 2017

Very hard Jump & Run with a wonderful cartoon look that requires a lot of patience, but in the the end is rewarding very richly.

Review in German | Read full review

9 / 10
Oct 5, 2017

The creators of this game had to remortgage their home just to make this game a reality. And all the hardships they have suffered through have been 100% worth it and I wish them the best of luck in their next endeavor. Overall Cuphead has been an absolutely fantastic experience and I just wanna keep playing it long after beating it. It has some parts that could’ve used a little extra but as it is I feel it’s almost perfect at what it sought to achieve.

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Unscored
Oct 6, 2017

'Cuphead' is really hard but learning its tricks is awfully fun

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Unscored
Oct 6, 2017

With an aesthetic which I hope and expect will be timeless, and a gameplay loop that's incredibly addictive and rewarding, Cuphead is justifiably the talk of the industry right now.

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JVL
Marko
Top Critic
18 / 20
Oct 6, 2017

Undoubtedly singular, Cuphead is a game as beautiful as it is ruthless. But behind this difficulty that will necessarily leave some players by the wayside, the title of Studio MDHR is not unfair and offers as much satisfaction as it requires requirement. A true love letter to the cartoons of the 30s, from Walt Disney to Hanna barbera, Cuphead has all the characteristics of a masterpiece that is just asking to be tamed to express what it has most beautiful to offer. It is a success.

Review in French | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 6, 2017

Nothing revolutionary in the Platformer genre here. However, the true challenge lies in the difficulty Cuphead has in addition to its one of a kind classical art direction that is very nostalgic.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 6, 2017

Frustration and reward go hand-in-hand in Cuphead. Your fingers will feel the pain of extended play sessions, but your face will be fixed in a fierce (albeit slightly pained) grin.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 6, 2017

If you want a great platform game with beautiful graphics and amazing atmosphere that will make you fight different perfectly designed bosses during it's gameplay, Cuphead is a game that you shouldn't miss.

Review in Persian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 6, 2017

If you don’t mind a high difficulty level and putting the time to master parrying then Cuphead is a game that you are going to thoroughly enjoy, from the artwork, music and sense of relief when you finally get shot of that boss that’s been giving you hassle for days.

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