Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes has Suda51's eccentric charm, but the repetitive hack and slash gameplay doesn't feel nearly as great as previous entries in the series.

Travis Strikes Again succeeds as a simple hack-n-slash with seamless co-op, but doesn't do enough to avoid repetition or challenge you in meaningful ways.

A limp arcade action game amidst a sea of mindless references, Travis Strikes Again fatally lacks the style of its predecessors.

Travis Strikes Again returns to the more stylish tendencies of early Grasshopper Manufacture, with decent combat elevated by a strong sense of style and writing

Travis Strikes Again has some undeniable lows but the No More Heroes charm and the prospect of co-op lifts it up. Whether it's learning the intricacies of individual types of ramen or watching Travis curse at a talking cat, this is something that could only be born out of the mind of Suda 51 and his team at Grasshopper.

Billed as a side dish, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes has been prepared with enough love and affection to become a filling meal on its own, packed with the spice and spirit you'd expect from Travis Touchdown. It's a fun, indie-inflected blast of hack-and-slash which doesn't change the world mechanically (and don't go in expecting No More Heroes 3), but its sincerity and energy are charming. It's an adult game – a gamer's game – foul-mouthed and dripping with style. If you're sitting on the fence, we'd recommend diving in, if only to support its infectious, celebratory spirit; Suda51 seems to have a real affection for Nintendo hardware and this makes you feel lucky to have him working on Switch.

Technical issues, strange gameplay decisions, and an overall lackluster series of features make Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes an unworthy placeholder for the next entry in the series.

No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Back is not a complete failure, and there's a lot to love here, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I was somewhat disappointed. While playing I skipped between being in love with the game's style and personality and sick to death of actually having to play. A fascinating experiment from Suda51, one I'm glad he made, but not the best game. Add a point to the score if you love Japanese eccentricity, take one away if you have no time for it.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a welcome return of Travis Touchdown. Amidst the enjoyable gameplay is great storytelling and dialogue set in imaginative game worlds.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is without a shadow of a doubt a good game. But, it doesn’t try and push the boundaries of game making though. Without the Travis factor, this game would be fairly average. So the non Travis fans will not have as much of a good time as the fanatics. As much as it pains me to say this, I am having to judge this based on how good it is, rather than how much I liked it. Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes has been awarded a Thumb Culture Silver Award.