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Cuphead Review
- Cuphead Review
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Cuphead Review
Infinite > 07-20-2020, 01:54 PM
Entertainment is one of the many things that allow you to take a brief break from this depressing world. During World War II, that was exactly what people needed and thus the Golden Age of Animation began. Characters like Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and Betty Boop helped brighten the moods of those during that time and created childhoods for many people. Two brothers, in particular, Chad and Jared Moldenhauer, watched Disney and Fleisher cartoons.
The two siblings based their game on these classic cartoons along with run and gun games like Contra. In 2010, development for the game began. At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2014, the game was shown off and attracted many people thanks to its cartoon-like art style and even won the Best Xbox One Game at E3 in 2015. On September 29, 2017, the game was released on Windows and Xbox One. About a year later in October, it was released on macOS and Nintendo Switch on April 18, 2019. It has won several awards upon its release. In the Golden Joystick Awards, it won Best Visual Design and Xbox Game of the Year. At the Game Awards, it won Best Art Direction, Best Indie Game, and Best Debut Indie Game along with so many other awards. So, is this game brewtiful? Or is it not worth the gamble?
Once upon a time, there were two brothers named Cuphead and Mugman. One day, they wandered far away from home and ended up in the Devil’s Casino. After winning multiple games, the Devil himself appears and offers the brothers a deal. If the two beat him at a game, all the loot in the casino is theirs for the taking. If they, however, they lose their souls. Cuphead, blinded by greed, agrees to the deal and plays the game. The two lose and their souls now belong to the Devil. In order for the brothers to earn their souls back, they must collect the souls of the Devil’s runaway debtors. And so they are off to their journey.
You play as these two brothers and fight multiple bosses to collect their soul contracts. While most of the stages are bosses, there are some platforming levels with multiple enemies. In order to defeat your enemies, you shoot bullets from your character’s fingers. There are a few bosses where you have to ride a plane to beat them, however. You will encounter different characters that will help you by giving you coins that you can use to purchase weapons and abilities.
The story in this game is lacking. It has some very interesting looking bosses who are very bizarre and unique with different victory lines depending on which part of the battle you die at. From a queen bee that turns to a helicopter, to a german rodent, and to a mermaid who eventually becomes a headless medusa, you will face many different bosses. I give the story a B+.
The gameplay is very fun. I enjoyed fighting all these bosses and going through the run and gun levels. This game can be really difficult, however. You can play the game on Easy, Normal, and Expert (you need to beat the game in order to get that difficulty). There is one problem I have with the game. While you can play the game on easy, you can’t actually BEAT the game in that difficulty because you won’t be able to obtain the bosses’ contracts if you beat them in that difficulty. You need those contracts in order to battle the final boss. Besides that, the gameplay was great. I give it an A.
The soundtrack is fantastic! Fitting the 1920s style, the music is made up of jazz (and sometimes barbershop) music by Kristofer Maddigan. My favorites in this soundtrack are “Die House,” “Floral Fury,” and “High Sea Hi Jynx.” This soundtrack remains one of my favorite gaming soundtracks of all time. I give it an A+.
The art style of the game is based on the classic cartoons of old. While everything has been digitally colored, it has all been drawn by HAND. The love and work they put into this style are very impressive. Bonus points for the art style.
To conclude, I love this game. The art style, characters, and music are great! The only thing this game lacks is story. I don’t recommend this game to people new to gaming since you cannot beat this game on easy mode, however. I give the game a 9/10.
At a Glance: Cuphead
Summary: Collect the Devil’s contracts by defeating bosses as Cuphead and Mugman.
Rated: E 10+ for Everyone 10 and Up: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, and Use of Alcohol and Tobacco.
Price: $19.99
Distributor: Studio MDHR
Systems: Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, and MacOS
Release Date: Xbox One and Windows: Sept. 29, 2017. MacOS: October 19, 2018. Nintendo Switch: April 18, 2019.
[b]Rating
/b] 9/10
