Cuphead Review

Genre: Run and Gun / Brawler
Players: 1-2
Playtime: 12 hours (Includes beating the game in local co-op play at 100% completion on Regular difficulty)


This is a review long overdue, but would be criminal to overlook.  Developed and published by a new Canadian indie game company, StudioMDHR, Cuphead represents a project of deep affinity and passion for the surreal animation styling of 1930's cartoons and the punishing, but rewarding difficulty of retro gaming.  With a development time of 7 years and the developers even remortgaging their own house to keep funds afloat, no shortcuts were taken in ensuring most every facet of this game received the polish it deserved.  So grab your fighting gloves as we prepare to parry through the pros and cons of this jolly-brawly gem.

Animation / Art Direction

The degree to which this game captures the aesthetic of 1930's cartoon animation and styling is astounding.  Every character is full of personality, such fluid animation, and a wealth of creativity / imagination in their every movement and attack.  An evil clown whose head turns into a balloon as it sicks killer balloon animals on you.  A sinister blimp that transforms into a pair of dancing constellations.  A cranky medusa-like mermaid whose snake hair grabs her eyes to shoot beams of petrification.  Every bit of animation is so surreal and yet so perfectly fitting in this looney little world.

Watching the jubilant bugs frolic in the background can be just as entertaining as the fight in the foreground.

The authenticity of this art direction is carried even further with an attention to detail unparalleled to what you'd find in most any other game.  The way the screen flickers and wavers to capture that old filmy effect.  The painstakingly detailed, hand-painted watercolor backgrounds that make all the characters pop that much more.  The effort that was put into delivering this astounding art direction really cannot be understated.

Gameplay / Boss Variety

The game is by and large a series of intricate boss fights, with the occasional platforming stage or aerial shump (shoot-em' up) for some welcome variety.  With a selection of six different types of firing mechanics and three special powers, the mechanics of this game have enough room for experimentation without ever getting too complicated.  And the simple premise that anything pink can be parried makes every encounter that much more captivating as players keep a watchful eye to quickly react as needed.

A platforming stage from Cuphead where players must parry pink cards to switch between the floor and ceiling.

As briefly mentioned in the Animation / Art section, there is such a wealth and variety of bosses and scenarios to be found in this game, you just can't wait to see what's in store next.  Even more impressive are the variety of phases and attacks found with every boss.  You can die and repeat a fight upward to ten, twenty, even thirty times, and there may still be a hidden surprise to be found or new realization to be uncovered.  This amazing effort to create such varied bosses makes every bout such a fresh experience and a true, exciting test of skill / quick reflexes.

Sound Design / Music

Just as the developers set out to faithfully recreate the animation styling of 1930's cartoons, so did they stay true when capturing the essence of big jazz band orchestration as would have been recorded back in that time period.  The result is nothing short of brilliance.  Every track of this game is full of such energy and playfulness that is just perfectly suited for the brawling, slapstick nature of this game.

Co-Op

It's always a treat when games include co-op features, and having a buddy for this tough-as-nails makes this a much welcome feature.  Granted, the extra player can make things a bit more chaotic at times, as there is not only so much more being blasted across the screen, but enemy attacks can be that much harder to predict which player such is being aimed at.  The benefit of a second player though is being able to save each other from death, as players can parry off a KO'd player's ghost to revive them.  However, each time a player is KO'd, their ghost will ascend a little more quickly making that window smaller and smaller, so players can't just abuse this system.  It's such a fun mechanic and really highlights the cooperative, yet chaotic nature of playing this game together.

Adding a second player to the mix also adds a degree of extra chaos on screen, which can be enjoyable if in good company.

Difficulty

The one barrier of entry for this game is most notably its grueling difficulty.  As each boss fight is divided into multiple segments without any means of recovery unless you're playing co-op, each fight becomes a test of endurance.  It becomes a matter recognizing attacks and being able to react on the fly.  Unfortunately, there are a handful of attacks that seem unavoidable upon first encounter without prior knowledge, which lead to a few moments of bitter disappointment.  Overall though, most of this can be forgiven due to the wealth and variety to be found in this game that always keeps each experience fresh and exciting.  Also, each boss fight realistically is beatable in roughly 2 minutes, so the hurdle in which to achieve victory always feels as if it is within reach at least.

Getting hit with an unexpected attack like this can be a real "buzz" kill.

Cuphead is a game that knows exactly what it wants to be and delivers just that with an astonishingly exemplary level of polish and finesse.  Its brutal difficulty may make it hard to appreciate the incredible amount of detail on display here at times, but players will likely have ample opportunity to soak it all in as they challenge each boss to rematch after rematch.  The satisfaction that comes from beating a good challenge, and the thrilling anticipation of what wacky hi-jinx lie in wait next, it's a fine day to wallop on Inkwell Isle.

If you have any questions or thoughts about this game, please feel free to comment and discuss below.  Thanks.  And happy gaming!