2017

After watching the devastating video of journalist, Dean Takahashi, failed attempt at completing the easiest tutorial in the world, I’ll admit there was a bit of hesitation in taking the task of reviewing Cuphead. The amount of ridicule from Cuphead fans and video game enthusiasts from that one viral video, followed by Takahashi negative review of the game, can make any critic say “pass” when given the Cuphead job. Not me, I’m ready to face the backlash, always remember not all heroes wear capes, some have Dorito stains on the tip of their fingers. Before playing Cuphead my knowledge of the game was minimal to say the least and I didn’t know what I was expecting, but I’m happy to report that this game blew whatever expectations I had. First off, the 1950’s cartoon style dazzled me with its beauty. You might get the impression a 2D style game would have limitations, yet Cuphead shows that’s not the case with its ability to transport players into a stylized world, blending the old and modern esthetics together, oh so perfectly.

The gameplay is simple and easy. You can have any ole’ inexperienced buddy of yours pick up and learn the controls within minutes, unlike other games that require a textbook of gaming knowledge to even have the slightest bit of fun. Simple like Call of Duty yet beautiful and detailed like the open world game, Skyrim. My only complaint, and I know this is the part I will get scrutinize, is the ability to play the game on a mode tailored to people who are sick of constantly dying. Cuphead has two difficulty options, simple and regular, but I find myself throwing my controller for not being able to kill the second boss on the game’s easiest option. What makes Cuphead so popular or at least part of the reason is the challenging aspect to it. No matter how great you are, it’s a guarantee you will die over and over, but that’s the point right? Everyone who has played Cuphead tells me, “You need to first learn the patterns so when you revive blah blah blah.” Look, I get it, not going to argue and I’m not even going to let the difficulty effect too much of my review since at the end of the day the difficulty brings a certain charm that juxtaposes the innocent look. However, it would be nice if there was some sort of super easy option presented so I can progress and take in the beautiful designs without having to see the same level forty million times. Cuphead gets a strong 4 out of five.