Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Critic Reviews

Travis Strikes Again marks a glorious return for Suda51's No More Heroes series, melding myriad genres to create a totally wild arcade experience.

Travis Strikes Back: No More Heroes isn’t the Lollipop Chainsaw remaster that I’ve been begging Goichi Suda to produce each year over the last four TGS' when I've caught up with him, but it’s a stylish, energetic, amusing and surrealistic return to Suda’s most popular character and “world.” Yes, it might have been a vanity project for a guy that wanted to indulge his love for retro and indie games, but I’ve had a cracking time watching Suda show off just how much of a nerd he really is.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is outrageous. The game is uncompromisingly zany: full of smart design, fluid combat, and laugh out loud personality front to back. While some may be turned off by its low budget feel and disjointed design, those who can look past these rough edges will find a hack-and-slash so quirky that it’ll be tough not to fall in love. This title stands as a shining beacon of bold creativity and anyone who values risk-taking in games owes it to themself to give Travis Strikes Again a shot.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a stylish, edgy, in your face game that is best enjoyed if you really don’t try to take it too seriously. Loaded with pop culture references, fourth wall breaks, hordes of enemies, and more charisma than you can handle, the only downside I encountered was an occasionally unforgiving camera during combat. Whether you are a fan of Suda51’s work or have never played any of his wild titles before, Travis Strikes Again is a must play for the absolute lunacy of the narrative and the chaotic - if repetitive - combat.

After a timeout, Travis Touchdown is back with a great game. Varied levels full of fun, a hooligan style characteristic of the saga and, above all, plenty of action. However, we must also highlight its short length.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes might not exactly be the game that fans of the series were hoping for, but if you’re want to catch up with your favorite assassin and are willing to accept changes made to the gameplay, you should find plenty to like here. This is a surprisingly complex game and seriously goofy sequel-ish thing, made with obvious passion and an undying love for the gaming experience.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a great game that perfectly captures what I personally love about indie experiences.

Travis Strikes Again finds a good balance between fun, approachable action and reveling in Suda51 and Grasshopper’s signature style. It’s not the most intricate action game out there, but the simple combat works well as a vessel for several one-off moments that elevate it above its simple premise. It’s more of a prelude than a main event, but both on its own and as sign of things to come, Travis Strikes again is a promising return to form.

It’s a miracle that Travis Touchdown is back in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes. With great writing and addictive gameplay, the series makes an epic comeback in game that we hope is just a taste of what’s to come.

Suda Goichi pays homage to some of the best indie games with Travis Strikes Again. We found lots of pop culture references, a unique sense of humor and some unique mechanics, although some elements such as camera and jump controls are not polished, and combat becomes repetitive.

What would otherwise be a mess is beautifully brought together in Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes. While much more simplistic when compared to its predecessors, Travis Strikes Again is a fun and fast paced action game that commands your attention from beginning to end. It has a few pacing issues, especially towards the end and the co-op implementation might not be perfect, but Travis Strikes Again is yet another momentous trip through the wicked and warped mind of Suda51.

Thankfully, even if it’s a little weird and limited in some respects, Travis Strikes Again is a fun game that makes me excited for the future of the series.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is not exactly the full-fledged sequel fans have been asking for, but it’s a step in the right direction and a sign of good things to come from Goichi Suda. With more than 10 hours of gameplay and further content planned via upcoming DLC updates, the game may very well keep you busy for a while. Another positive take that could be realized from the latest release: it’s a relief to know that Travis is back and he’s most likely here to stay.

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.

If you love No More Heroes, or any work of Suda51’s, then Travis Strikes Again is a must-play game. It’s a creative explosion of fanservice, callbacks and classic Travis Touchdown charm that will make any fan grin from ear to ear. If No More Heroes was all about the combat and gameplay for you, then this might be a harder sell. While the combat in Travis Strikes Again doesn’t surpass the gameplay from the originals, the variety of gameplay styles and genres that Travis Strikes Again explores and dips its toes in more than makes up for it. Travis Strikes Again is a love letter to gaming, and the perfect way to whet fans appetites before No More Heroes 3 gets made proper.

I’m not inclined to play back through it right away, but it’ll be staying downloaded on my Switch for those lengthy flights and commutes where I want to do nothing more than slash through countless enemies in style.

A welcome return of Travis Touchdown. Amidst the enjoyable gameplay is great storytelling and dialogue set in imaginative game worlds. Fans of previous No More Heroes games and Suda51 games in general will find a lot to enjoy here. Going through the different game worlds watching the story unfold through an old-fashioned computer is highly entertaining and collecting the T-shirts from your favorite indie games gives treasure hunters something to occupy their time. More still, each different game level has enough variety to keep the repetitive combat from getting stale.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is colorful, crazy and unpredictable, representing a perfect appetizer while we wait for an official third game in the series.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a spin-off that offers lots of fun and action elements. At the same time, there is also room for some philosophical moments that add to the overall fun of the game.

Suda51 games exist so that we can play something that only Suda51 could make, and in doing so, see who he is from the inside out. By that measure, this is his most successful game in years.