Finished Cuphead (PC, Windows)
What was good
• It looks like one of those old timey cartoons!!!!
• Art direction
• This game is a literal work of art.
• Gameplay-wise, each level feels very fresh and different, where you have some standard shoot-y 2D bosses, some gravity-changing platforming, Gradius-style shooting, vertical scrolling boss fight. It has everything
What was not good
• There was this one part where ha ha just kidding it's perfect
This game avoids having too many moves or power-ups which are "just good"; each weapon has its advantages and drawbacks, and your starting weapon-- the peashooter-- could very well be a good late-game choice. For example the second-to-last boss fight (King Dice) I used that one. This specials are not your musou in Dynasty Warriors. They are not "just good", (with one exception) you are not invincible when you use them, they can and will get you killed versus if you didn't use the special. From a gameplay perspective this makes you put a lot more thought into your actions.
This game was as challenging as everyone says it was. There were moments I thought I may not be able to make progress in it, however each boss's moved are telegraphed one way or another so once you pick up on that it gets doable. I tend to be better that the reflex-based parts (like the bird feathers or robot missiles) while I had trouble with the weird parrying mechanic.
"Easiest" boss- the pirate. Everything in that fight is pretty killable or avoidable...
Hardest" boss- The bee. I don't know exactly why I really had trouble with it. feels like Donkey Kong?
Favorite boss- the stageplay/actress one. There is this part where she is replaced by a cardboard cutout. It reminds me of the final fight with Kefka from FF6. It's great.
