Bad Man, Bad Girl's dad, seeks revenge for his daughter, who was murdered by Travis Touchdown in the first episode of No More Heroes. But as he lands in his target's trailer, he discovers that the man with the "beam katana" owns the Death Drive Mark II, a legendary game console in more ways than one. Connected to the player's nervous system, it acts as a great virtual reality equipment. Moreover, it and its catalog of six exclusive games have never been commercially released. But above all, it is rumored that by completing these six games, a wish could be granted. Bad Man and Travis therefore decide to cooperate (literally, if you ever decide to go through the adventure with a friend) in order to resuscitate Bad Girl. This well barred scenario is accompanied by a delirious graphic dressing, which mixes psychedelic colors, artefacts simulating the reading of a VHS cassette, pixelated zones representing bugs, solid colors, strong shading and other delusions of which Suda51 has the secret. Thus, you can only save when going to the toilet, and Japanese folklore is constantly invited into the adventure, whether through photos and ramen recipes (yes, yes) or even references to various Japanese pastries and other maid cafes. We must add to all this gloubi-boulga already loaded with countless elements from the world of video games. The coins that are collected in the levels are used, for example, to buy t-shirts relating to many independent games. If you want Travis to wear the colors of Papers Please, Superhot, Dead Cells, Hollow Knight or Ruiner, it's possible! Good point also for the sound logo of the Death Drive, which takes up the two notes popularized by Sega in the last century. Or for this video game magazine which presents the various console games in a deliciously retro style (and even reveals some really functional cheat codes).
RETRO IS TOO
However, Suda51 may have taken the nostalgia and references to the video game past a bit too far. Apart from the hub which allows you to launch each of the Death Drive games (therefore each of the levels of Travis Strikes Again), the graphics are clearly struggling to seduce. You have to make do with sketchy modeling, cheap special effects and a huge interface that limits the real game screen to a 4/3 format. Fortunately, the beat'em all type gameplay is impeccable. Dynamic at will, it offers fast attack, powerful attack, jump attack, charged attack, dodge roll and multiple special abilities to find in the levels and equip. Presented in the form of "technical chips", these attacks all have a charge time and allow you to flutter enemies, emit multiple shots, create a double acting as a decoy, send an electric shock, shoot a giant laser from an orbiting satellite, launch a gas capsule in four directions, generate a slowdown zone for enemies, produce a healing zone, launch a sticky bomb, transform into a human spinning top and deadly, or to erect a temporary wall of protection. All of these capabilities result in a very dynamic and quite enjoyable combat system. And fortunately, because it constitutes the essence of the gameplay. Despite some camera variations (which may favor a bird's eye view, a profile or a top view) and rare recreations (including a real-fake motorcycle race), the six cartridges of the Death Drive can be summed up in "advance and kill the all". We would have liked a little more variety. Admittedly, the caravan provides access to an adventure mode pompously titled "Travis Strikes Back: Travis' Odyssey", in which we recover the various cartridges intended for the Death Drive. But it's just long screens of text and pixelated images displayed in green on a black background in low, interlaced resolution. Once again, the desire to "go retro" is detrimental to pleasure and visual comfort. These phases are unnecessarily talkative, boring, and really hurt the eyes!
A GAME THAT GOES INTO THE (FOURTH) WALL
Aware of the problem, the developers even try to pass the lack of interest of these sequences for humor. The characters thus split dialogues such as "are we doing this like a visual novel?" et al. "most gamers bought this game thinking it was an action game, so it's not to read an 800-page novel". It must be said, and this time it's a positive point, that the game does not hesitate to pour into the excessive meta. Reference to the tutorial in the tutorial phase, mini-bosses who question us on the danger of the mini-bosses, bosses who announce by text their phase changes, characters who are worried about the future Metacritic rating of the game, direct reference to the publisher Devolver, indirect reference to the future No More Heroes 3, or frank evocation of the destruction of the fourth wall are just a few examples of what is in store for players. The latter will also be able to unearth more or less supported references to Terminator 2, Deadpool, Twin Peaks, Zelda, Mappy, Unreal or Hotline Miami. Epic Games is also at the party since the game does not stop promoting the Unreal Engine. The intro cinematic actually pauses to read "this game is being developed with Unreal Engine 4, Epic Games' incomparable and eminent middleware", most of Travis' free outfits refer to the famous engine, and there are even a few items that take the shape of its logo. We are close to an overdose… But the most important references are quite simply those relating to other Suda51 productions. Those who know The Silver Case, the two episodes of No More Heroes, Killer is Dead or even Shadows of the Damned will find many familiar places, names and faces with pleasure. On the other hand, players who do not collect the works of the Grasshopper Manufacture studio will miss out on a lot of winks and risk getting bored quickly. A game to be reserved for fans, therefore.
