Final Thoughts: No More Heroes
"Trust your force, and enter the garden... of madness!"
Suda 51 is a game developer I really admire. Whatever you may think of him or his games, you absolutely have to give him credit for creating works that defy all conventions (and/or completely turn them on their head). His previous foray into utter insanity, a.k.a. "Killer 7", was a game that polarized players and reviewers alike - you either loved it or you hated it. Personally, I loved it, but I could also see how those who hated it could feel that way. After all, it was a little light in the actual gameplay department. No More Heroes, on the other hand, manages to mix the best of both worlds. It features a completely off-the wall story and style, but also matches it with great gameplay to boot. Not only does the gameplay hold up, but it actually takes advantage of the Wii controls in ways that most other games so far have failed to do, which is an achievement in itself.
The premise is simple. Travis Touchdown is a total loser (albeit a really cool loser) who buys a beam katana (a.k.a. lightsaber) from an online auction and decides to become a professional assassin. Upon meeting Sylvia Christel, an agent of the mysterious United Assassins Association, he begins a quest to become the #1 ranked assassin in the world. What follows is one of the most messed-up, hilariously tongue-in-cheek, retro-flavored FUN gaming experiences you'll ever have. The combat is extremely simple, yet never ceases to stop being fun (it comes in small bursts that prevent the game from getting stale). In between each major battle, you'll also be cruising around the town of Santa Destroy, taking up odd jobs to earn money for the next ranked fight. The main criticism I've seen of No More Heroes is this open-world structure - i.e., it's very limited and somewhat clunky. To that, I say... well, yes... but that was the point (I think). Every aspect of No More Heroes is either a send-up of (or homage to) some tried-and-true gaming convention or plot device. The open-world is meant to be simple. I took it as a fun little way to kill time between missions and actually enjoyed it... other people did not. That's fine, I guess... but let me just say this: don't let it deter you from trying this game. Even if you completely hate every moment of the open-world section, the story, humor, ranked fight missions (+ boss battles) and swordplay combat are enough to make the game a worthwhile experience. I implore you to give No More Heroes a try... it's fresh, fun, unique, and oozes style from top to bottom (and I feel developers should be rewarded for these things).
Suda 51 is a game developer I really admire. Whatever you may think of him or his games, you absolutely have to give him credit for creating works that defy all conventions (and/or completely turn them on their head). His previous foray into utter insanity, a.k.a. "Killer 7", was a game that polarized players and reviewers alike - you either loved it or you hated it. Personally, I loved it, but I could also see how those who hated it could feel that way. After all, it was a little light in the actual gameplay department. No More Heroes, on the other hand, manages to mix the best of both worlds. It features a completely off-the wall story and style, but also matches it with great gameplay to boot. Not only does the gameplay hold up, but it actually takes advantage of the Wii controls in ways that most other games so far have failed to do, which is an achievement in itself.
The premise is simple. Travis Touchdown is a total loser (albeit a really cool loser) who buys a beam katana (a.k.a. lightsaber) from an online auction and decides to become a professional assassin. Upon meeting Sylvia Christel, an agent of the mysterious United Assassins Association, he begins a quest to become the #1 ranked assassin in the world. What follows is one of the most messed-up, hilariously tongue-in-cheek, retro-flavored FUN gaming experiences you'll ever have. The combat is extremely simple, yet never ceases to stop being fun (it comes in small bursts that prevent the game from getting stale). In between each major battle, you'll also be cruising around the town of Santa Destroy, taking up odd jobs to earn money for the next ranked fight. The main criticism I've seen of No More Heroes is this open-world structure - i.e., it's very limited and somewhat clunky. To that, I say... well, yes... but that was the point (I think). Every aspect of No More Heroes is either a send-up of (or homage to) some tried-and-true gaming convention or plot device. The open-world is meant to be simple. I took it as a fun little way to kill time between missions and actually enjoyed it... other people did not. That's fine, I guess... but let me just say this: don't let it deter you from trying this game. Even if you completely hate every moment of the open-world section, the story, humor, ranked fight missions (+ boss battles) and swordplay combat are enough to make the game a worthwhile experience. I implore you to give No More Heroes a try... it's fresh, fun, unique, and oozes style from top to bottom (and I feel developers should be rewarded for these things).
