Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Complete Edition
- October 17, 2019
- GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC.
- 10h median play time
Get on SteamTravis is living the trailerpark dream in the rural South when Badman comes knocking to avenge his daughter, Bad Girl. It looks like Game Over for Travis when both of them are sucked into the legendary Death Drive Mk II games console. This time, the games are taking the fight to you! The characters of the Death Drive Mk II's diverse game library aren't going to go down without a fight! Slice your …
PC
Phone
Steam Deck
Windows
Tablet
Reviews
- The game is a love letter to indie games and Suda51's legacy, filled with references to his previous works.
- The writing and storytelling are engaging, with a unique blend of humor and introspection that resonates with fans of Suda51.
- The co-op gameplay adds depth and fun, making it a more enjoyable experience when played with a friend.
- The gameplay can be repetitive and lacks depth, often leading to a monotonous experience.
- Some levels feel overly long and tedious, with frustrating mechanics that detract from the overall enjoyment.
- Newcomers to Suda51's work may find it hard to appreciate the game fully without prior knowledge of the No More Heroes series.
- gameplay204 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Travis Strikes Again" is a polarizing aspect, with many players finding it repetitive and shallow, particularly in combat mechanics that fail to evolve throughout the game. While some appreciate the unique top-down hack-and-slash style and the variety of skills and mechanics introduced in each stage, others criticize the overall execution as tedious and lacking depth. Despite its flaws, the game's artistic presentation and engaging writing often compensate for the gameplay shortcomings, making it a mixed experience for fans of the series.
“A fast-paced, arcade-style combat system allows you to acquire a variety of skills that keep the gameplay fresh, with each stage introducing new mechanics.”
“The gameplay is fun, albeit a little repetitive, but the unlockable characters and multitude of possible skill setups can lead to very creative gameplay.”
“While some may not prefer the new top-down/isometric arcade-like hack and slash gameplay compared to the full 3D action of previous entries, I find it to be a unique and nostalgic nod to retro games.”
“The gameplay (specifically combat) is the weakest part, often repetitive and does very little to evolve over the course of the game.”
“Incredible writing (dare I say the best writing in the series), terrible awful gameplay.”
“The gameplay is monotonous and boring and gets repetitive insanely fast; it's difficult to tell where you are a lot of the times, and everything just takes way too long to do.”
- story160 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story of "Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its meta-commentary and character introspection, while others find it incoherent and lacking depth. It serves as a bridge between the second and third installments of the series, featuring a blend of humor, references, and a visual novel-style narrative that some enjoy, but many criticize for being tedious and poorly executed. Overall, while the story has its merits, particularly for fans of Suda51's work, it is often overshadowed by the game's mediocre gameplay and is recommended primarily for those looking to understand the lead-up to "No More Heroes 3."
“The story itself is well-paced, engaging, emotional, and in classic Suda tradition, has some god-tier writing that's able to do so much for a player.”
“It's definitely not the most amazing game in terms of play style but what it does have is heart; Suda51 games have never felt like they were about pandering to everyone. They always felt like games made for the sake of being a game with stories and worlds that were strange, freaky, funny, and odd.”
“An important continuation to the NMH storyline, and a low budget game about several aspects of making games, and a bit of a reflection of Suda's career into video games with all the charm you've come to expect from him.”
“The gameplay sort of sucks a little bit, and the story really likes reminding you by breaking the fourth wall that it's just filler story to set up for NMH3 and that the game industry sucks.”
“The storyline is pretty basic: complete incoherence.”
“The story segments, which are told through a visual novel format circa 1989, are really bad.”
- music90 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in "Travis Strikes Again" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its variety, energy, and overall quality. The soundtrack features a mix of genres, including retro homages and remixes, which enhances the game's charm and complements its unique storytelling. While some stage music may become repetitive, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout element, making it a must-listen for fans of the series.
“The game is brimming with personality and charm, with unique enemies, actual challenge, immensely replayable boss battles and levels, fantastic soundtrack and an overall good time for everyone!”
“The soundtrack for Travis Strikes Again is easily a personal favorite of mine with how experimental it gets, keeping myself up for 10 hours of gaming a day.”
“The soundtrack is deserving of its own paragraph due to just how much variety, energy, and overall quality it is!”
“With the different tracks ranging from drum and bass to rap to heavily dramatic music pulled by the guitars demanding your full attention before bringing in your target.”
“The art and music and writing are on a whole other level, 'pushing the medium forward' stuff.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have been praised for their unique aesthetics and visual variety, showcasing a well-optimized PC port with uncapped framerate and numerous graphical options. While the art style and character designs are highlighted as standout features, some players noted that the visuals can suffer in later stages of the game. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a strong point, contributing to its engaging atmosphere despite criticisms of repetitive gameplay.
“Oh, and it helps that this port is awesome, uncapped FPS, plenty of graphics options, and it's already well-optimized for being a competently-made UE4 game, unlike the janky ports for No More Heroes 1 & 2. Let's really hope that since this game and No More Heroes 3 were made in the exact same engine, that 3's port will be just as solid as this game's is.”
“It's all really interesting and, in my opinion, makes this game by far the most visually interesting one yet in the series. All of the enemies stick out from one another and are given their own introductions, player characters are highlighted to make sure you know who's who, and the levels are all starkly different both in visuals and gameplay.”
“The art style, as expected from Suda51, is superb. The writing is hilarious, and the soundtrack is a banger.”
“Some cons are valid - the gameplay gets really repetitive and by the last area (the CIA area) it's way too tedious (+ the graphics have been obliterated).”
“As much as I love the aesthetics, this has been one of the worst games I've ever played.”
“Let's start with the visuals:”
- humor28 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as intense, diverse, and often crass, appealing to fans of Suda51's unique style while potentially alienating others. Reviewers appreciate the meta-narrative, clever writing, and references to pop culture and previous games, though some criticize the fourth wall breaks and find certain jokes unfunny. Overall, the humor is a defining feature that adds depth and charm, making it a memorable experience for those who resonate with its quirky tone.
“Overall, just like NMH1, this one was overly violent, extremely funny, super meta, and a wonderful addition to the NMH world.”
“The writing is funny and well balanced, featuring characters from other Suda51 games, retro sprites, thoughts about game development, and serious moments that are sure to sober you up after a flurry of meta jokes.”
“I love the art style of 'Travis Strikes Back' that shows you how Travis gets each individual death ball, with the witty humor and always breaking the fourth wall.”
“It's not funny, it's not witty, it's not interesting, and it's not worth the price of admission.”
“It's not funny, it's not witty, it's not interesting, and it's not worth the price of admission.”
- grinding20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious, repetitive, and monotonous, with many players finding the leveling process unfulfilling and lacking engaging content. While some appreciate the variety of special moves available, the overall gameplay experience is described as boring and lacking the charm typically associated with Suda games. Many reviewers suggest that the grind feels more like a chore than an enjoyable part of the game, leading to a disappointing final experience.
“Leveling characters can be a grind, and there aren't enough good levels to make it worth grinding (unless you're achievement hunting).”
“It's so tedious and boring it honestly belongs in a masterclass of bad game design, and the final boss and ending are so anticlimactic it's insulting.”
“Tedious, repetitive, monotonous, and absolutely none of the charm you'd normally expect from NMH or Suda.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its well-paced and engaging story, which features heartfelt writing and a personal redemption arc for both the protagonist, Travis Touchdown, and the creator, Suda51. While some players felt disappointed by the lack of significant content, those who appreciate deeper narratives may find the introspective themes and references to Suda's past work to be meaningful and impactful. Overall, the emotional depth resonates particularly with dedicated fans of Suda51.
“The story itself is well-paced, engaging, emotional, and in classic Suda tradition, has some god-tier writing that's able to do so much for a player.”
“Tsa is a myriad of references, introspections, observations, and jabs at Suda's past work and his participation in the creation of those, constructing a surprisingly heartfelt and personal redemption arc for both Travis Touchdown and Suda.”
“Do you like to actually look deeper into video games and see that they're a really big message and a very heartfelt, personal one at that?”
- character development8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The character development in "Travis Strikes Again" is notably strong, particularly for the protagonist Travis and the introduction of Badman, who is highlighted as a standout character. Reviewers praise the writing, character design, and overall artistic presentation, though they note that the repetitive gameplay detracts from the experience. Overall, the game successfully showcases Suda51's signature style while delivering substantial narrative depth.
“Great soundtrack, fun story, charming writing, and just a ton of really noteworthy art and character designs from player characters, bosses, and the plethora of enemy types you end up fighting.”
“The writing, character design, boss fights, music, and variety is all great to fantastic, but the core gameplay of Travis Strikes Again is simply too repetitive to last the whole ride.”
“Everything that is to like about Suda51 is present here, and honestly, I was surprised by the amount of story and character development Travis has in this game.”
“It has a lot of essential character development for Travis and introduces the second best character in the series, Badman.”
- stability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it runs well on PC and is generally a good port, players have reported various glitches and bugs that can disrupt gameplay, occasionally requiring level restarts. Despite these issues, many users find the game to be enjoyable for the most part.
“Runs great on PC.”
“It's nice to see NMH making a comeback, but the gameplay is pretty bland and there were too many random glitches that made me have to redo a level.”
“Okay, let me start off by saying this game does have problems; it has glitches and bugs, and not the intentional ones.”
“Overall, good port, runs well and looks good, but there are minor glitches that affect the experience.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability, featuring four difficulty levels and score ratings that encourage players to improve their performance. With unique enemies, challenging boss battles, and a captivating soundtrack, it provides a fresh experience on each playthrough. Overall, players find it immensely enjoyable and engaging, making it worth revisiting.
“The game is brimming with personality and charm, with unique enemies, actual challenge (if you had your first playthrough on bitter), immensely replayable boss battles and levels, fantastic soundtrack, and an overall good time for everyone!”
“Good replayability with 4 difficulty levels and score rating, aim for the moon!”
“The game offers a fair replayability value.”
“The game offers very limited replayability, making it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return, as the side quests feel repetitive.”
“The lack of meaningful choices and consequences means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its unique and quirky qualities, effectively carrying over the distinctive vibe from the first installment. While some reviewers found the sequel less impressive, the overall ambiance remains a standout feature that fans appreciate.
“Good, weird atmosphere as these guys are known for.”
“This game really carried over that atmosphere from the first game (NMH2 was kind of meh, to be honest).”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its excellent optimization on PC, featuring uncapped frame rates and a variety of graphics options. Reviewers note that it stands out as a well-optimized title within the Unreal Engine 4 framework, especially in comparison to previous janky ports of the No More Heroes series.
“This port is awesome, with uncapped FPS, plenty of graphics options, and it's already well-optimized for being a competently made UE4 game. Let's hope that since this game and No More Heroes 3 were made in the exact same engine, 3's port will be just as solid as this game's.”
“Excellently optimized for PC.”
“Excellently optimized for PC.”
“The optimization in this game is a mixed bag; while it has some good features, there are still noticeable performance issues that detract from the overall experience.”
“Despite having a variety of graphics options, the game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, which can be frustrating during intense gameplay.”
“The lack of proper optimization leads to frequent stuttering and lag, making it difficult to enjoy the game as intended.”
