izigame.me

NO PAIN, NO GAIN: THE GAME

Every review is subjective and aligns with the perception, tastes, preferences and/or interests of the person writing it. I’m someone who views video games as another form of artistic expression, which is why I do NOT assign a score, I don't believe art can be measured or quantified, I’ll simply share my personal experience while avoiding spoilers as much as possible.
This is the third time I've managed to achieve all the achievements/ trophies in this game (GOG and PlayStation were the first two), and my opinion remains unchanged: This game is a work of art, in many aspects, it stands above an average game (whether indie or not): design, music, gameplay, challenge/difficulty, perhaps not so much in the narrative department, on that front, I believe Celeste remains the best, at least among indie games, but even so, it has all the elements to be considered a great game.
The main reason I decided to review it was simple: after finishing it, I began to reflect on what makes Cuphead a great game, of course, this is entirely subjective, as everyone can perceive what makes something good or bad from completely opposite angles and still be right, in my opinion, what influences this perception to a great extent is the fact that Cuphead has never disappointed me, everything it promised from the very beginning was delivered: the old-school cartoon aesthetic, the handcrafted design, the challenge, the soundtrack, and all the other artistic elements, combined with the feeling of satisfaction that comes from mastering the gameplay mechanics, it makes the experience truly unique and genuinely challenging. That being said, I must clarify that it’s not the most difficult indie game I’ve ever played, not even close, that title still belongs to Ghost Song, however, unlike that game, I can play Cuphead for hours and never tire of it, those hours feel like mere seconds, and I believe that’s what makes it a great game, very few titles can evoke in me that sense of timelessness.