Cuphead is a animated 2D Run N Gun game was originally released for XBONE in 2017, then was later released for Switch in 2019 and PS4 in 2020, which was developed and published by Studio MDHR. It's one of the game that uses the style of animation was inspired by the golden age of American animation such as the likes of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Fleischer Studios.
The game has caught my attention when I first saw the trailer on Xbox's E3 2014 event (via YouTube) which I am very impressed with the game itself can manage to pull off the visuals techniques which I have never seen anything like this so spectacular that really adds something new to the modern gaming era.
The game's release was both critical and commercially success sold over 6 millions digitally, but also regards as one of the toughest game to beat which got me really interested to get it from PS Store, so that I can spend my time on raging and enjoying at same time.
After beating all playthroughs, I was amazed with the game had turned out to be my one of my top favourite Run N Gun games for modern day era thanks to art direction of golden age visuals, wacky characters, humorous slapstick presentation, and surprisingly challenging gameplay with over the top bosses is what makes the game so outstanding which is the reason I'm here to review this masterpiece.
So without go further do, let's start the review.
Presentation
The game takes place in the happiest place of Inkwell Isle starting off with Cuphead and his brother Mugman are having a fun together while they had their wise old caretaker named Elder Kettle keeping an eye to make sure these kids playing safe outside.
While the brothers not following the rules from the caretaker, they went wander off and enter the Devil's Casino to play gambling till it went horribly wrong when the devil makes a deal with them If the two can collect the soul contracts from his runaway debtors by midnight the next day, he might spare them.
After agreeing with the devil's requests, the duos must battle though their quest in order to repay their debt to the devil.
The story is somewhat pretty interesting, as you can see you're the brothers living with the mentor who takes responsibility to watch over children for safety, not until they discover the big casinos where people normally go there and betting to win the prize of cash.
Then the duos got screw over by the tall hairy devil plays an unfair game with them, till he offers a job to them to collect all the soul contracts was been taken by debtors, so that he can spare them in very next day which really shows how frantic and cruel the devil treating them in the game.
Cuphead and Mugman are basically a Disney's Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit which pretty reminds me of the childhood days of classic cartoons. The Elder Kettle is a kind hearted old pot always took care of these children as he made sure the duos to do the right thing if they obey the rules carefully. He's also a retired knight, having a sword hanging on the wall of his cottage as well as there being a statue of him kneeling at Rugged Ridge.
Then you had the greedy-ass villain named devil who is tall-dark creature welding with his golden pitchfork and makes smirking smile on his ugly face running his own casino, plays filthy games, and takes advantage of his victims into his slaves for handing over the souls contracts in spite of promising to spare them if they do.
Speaking of the devil, he also has the right-hand man named King Dice which acts as a gatekeeper blocking passage between isles until duos handed over the required list of soul contracts.
He is sleazy, untrustworthy, and manipulative individual just as arrogant and overconfident as the devil, as he attempt to kill the duos if they succeed in getting all of the soul contracts.
Aside with story and characters, the presentation is absolutely incredible for its art direction based off the golden age cartoons uses the 2D traditional animation techniques such as rotoscoping which was pretty common at the time in 1930s that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce realistic action.
It is fascinating to see these kinds of techniques running on the gaming system which I believe the indie developers just hand-drew the animations, painted the backgrounds using watercolors, and then colorizing them in photoshop which is the reason why it took 7 years of development before the game's release.
I was amazed with the looks of the character's animation is looking so remarkable for video games standards that you have never seen it amazing. Stuff like The Root Pack which looks like Three Stooges in vegetable forms, Goopy Le Grande is a blue-rounded slime bouncing and pounding everywhere, Ribby and Croaks are boxing gloves duos, Cagney Carnation does a weird hand-dancing, Djimmi the Great is basically like a Genie from Disney's Aladdin, Wally Warbles is a crazy-ass blue bird hangs with birdhouse spits out eggs, Grim Matchstick is a green dragon that shoots fires, Captain Brineybeard looks like Bluto from Popeye rode on the frown-faced ship, Cala Maria is humanoid little mermaid making catchy poses, Dr. Kahl's Robot is kinda like Iron Giant and Dr.Wily teaming up together, Werner Werman are just Tom and Jerry wants to pick a fight, and there's more bosses which is looking spectacular to see the game can able to pull off the animation so smoothly.
I also liked the scenery in every locations such as Inkwell Isle I which has meadows and forests, the Inkwell Isle II are carnival themed places filled with fun fair, candy house, and entertainers, the Inkwell Isle III is a city filled with seaside side stuff around, and Inkwell Hell has castle-alike casinos run by the devil.
Overall, it has simple story sequences, memorable characters, and remarkable art direction.
Gameplay
The game gives you an option to select ether single-player solo or local 2-player co-op, as well as selecting any two of playable duos.
You will start off with the overworld map to explore around which has level locations such as boss battles, Run N Gun stages, shop, and other places.
You take control of ether Cuphead or Mugman, depending the character you've selected, in 2D perspective as your primary goal is to beat the stage and defeat all bosses as many possible.
The d-pad button and left thumbstick is to move player, where as the X button is to jump on platform, while holding down then press X button is to jump down from the top platform.
You can also perform parry jump by hitting on the pink symbol in right timing with the X button in mid-air which helps you reaching the far platform or deflecting the enemy's pink projectiles.
Pressing the triangle button lets you perform the dash in ground or mid-air to reach platform or evading enemy's encounter, so I mostly used with the left trigger for dashing depending on your control preferences can be re-configured through the option menu to suit player's playstyle.
The player has basic range attack by holding down the square button to shoot down the enemies, objects, and switches, while holding down the right trigger then rotating with d-pad or left thumbstick lets you point and shoot in multiple direction.
You can purchase the weapons and upgrades through shop which requires to collect all 5 coins each from the Run N Gun stages, so you can any of items which added to your equipment such as spread which fires an 8-ways of large spikes deals high damage in close range, chaser fires a long range of slow-homing projectiles deals half of damage, lobber which shoots lob of bouncy ball deals great damage, charge deals a high-velocity shot that lets player hold down the firing for charged projectiles, and lastly roundabout fires a boomerang-like projectile that moves in the direction it is fired from forward to backward.
The player can perform 3 different special attacks which is known as super arts which are extremely powerful attacks can be unlocked one by one upon rescuing the Legendary Chalice from each Mausoleum.
They can be activated once the player has filed their super meter with 5 cards through parrying objects or damaging enemies.
You will have energy beam which fires a large portion of liquid from the head dealing massive damage, the invincibility temporary gives the player a 5 seconds of invincibility, and finally the player spawns the giant ghost which constantly spins dealing high damage per hit.
So far the controls and the mechanism are pretty worked well through out the game because I finding the player's movement feels smoother with no signs of chunkiness whatsoever, as I can able to jump, dash, parry, and being able to firing multiple direction throughout the levels with responsiveness of player's action.
The firing combat worked flawlessly against the enemies and bosses thanks to effective weapons that deals the amount of damages that made the bad guys feel vulnerable during the battle.
I also loved one of the segments in the game which is similar to classic side-scrolling shooter style where you rode on the plane to fight against depending which boss you're fighting, so you just simply fire the shot, parrying the enemy's projectiles, and turning your plane into micro-size makes your plane move faster but has short-ranged firing which I got to say I really enjoyed these kinds of level.
The Run N Gun stages are just as fun for collecting all coins, has good platforming design, and being able to reach at finishing lines without dying, where as the bosses that can be quite tedious for some players, but it's really good for them to practice the more better makes it very entertaining indeed which brings up a great amount of skills with learning curves such as numerous of enemy's patterns to evade and being able to find an enemy's weak points are the two main keys to beat the stage which makes the game really fun to play especially with the 2-player co-op are also perfect for your friends or families to experience 2D Run N Gun madness with brutally over-challenged game.
Despite the positive parts of the game, I find the game kinda rather too short which only has three worlds and two final stage at the end that I wish they could add 2 or 3 more worlds would be nice to have, but don't get me wrong because I still loved the game as its today.
Overall, it has fantastic controls, great segments, and epic bosses.
Graphics
The graphics is incredibly optimistic for the technical aspects of gaming hardware can able to pull off an impressive visuals design of levels filled with many details of scenery at background layers and several colourful filters been added to the environments much closer to the classic animation film from the 1930s.
The character is looking recognisable for its wacky sense of humour and makes funny facial expression that adds the charming personalities thanks to smoother frames of hand-drawn animation runs really well on modern gaming hardware including most PCs and consoles in general with no signs of frame drops whatsoever.
This is got to be one of the best graphical techniques for video games which I am glad the developers behind this game can able to render with rotoscope tools.
Overall, it has detailed background layers, colourful environments, and wacky character's animation.
Music and Sounds
I got to say I really loved the old-fashion music of original soundtrack which sounds like you're listening a childhood days of Disney's song with the style of Big Band Jazz music really fits the game's presentation of 1930's golden era animation.
The game does also had classy vocal songs such as Don't Deal with the Devil from the title screen and of course Alana Bridgewater's Die House which sounds absolutely amazing to listen.
The game does also had a similar sound effects you may hear from most of the golden era animation stuff, as well as some voiceovers for bosses and the announcers are just as good.
This game definite has the best soundtrack and sound design of any indie games has to offer with no doubt whatsoever.
Overall, it has amazing soundtrack and old-school sound design.
Special Features
To be frankly honest, there's not much of unlockable stuff in the game besides expert mode, so I also heard the news from the developer team has confirmed the DLC release with extra levels, more bosses, and new playable character coming soon.
Overall, thankfully they confirmed the next adventure for DLC release.
Advantages
Remarkable art direction
Fantastic gameplay design
Perfect for 2-player co-op
Epic bosses
Wacky character's animation
Amazing soundtrack
We getting new DLC soon (Yeahhhhhh!!!)
Disadvantages
Short-length playthrough
Final Verdict
Presentation 10/10 - simple story sequences, memorable characters, and remarkable art direction.
Gameplay 10/10 - fantastic controls, great segments, and epic bosses.
Graphics 10/10 - detailed background layers, colourful environments, and wacky character's animation.
Music and Sounds 10/10 - amazing soundtrack and old-school sound design.
Special Features 8/10 - I was originally to give it a 5 for just unlockable difficulty options, but thankfully they confirmed for the additional DLC with extra levels, more bosses, and new playable character coming soon which is why I now give it a 8.
Overall 10/10 - I consider Cuphead as the 2D side-scrolling masterpiece that is definite must play for the fans of the Run N Gun genres.
I was blown away with the game offers a traditional golden-age animation that really adds up perfectly to the slapstick presentation which I call it the most impressive art direction for indie gaming that I adored.
The gameplay is very well done filled with insane amount of boss battle, wacky Run N Gun segments, tough as nails difficulty, and has 2-player co-op adds up a overall fun factor of the game's action that I highly recommend to buy this digitally from PS Store, Nintendo eShop, Xbox Store, and of course Steam just for £15.99.
Hopefully I will look forward to see another Cuphead wacky action for the new DLC coming soon this year.
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