No More Heroes user review

See it for what it really is.

Review written by
Randolph the Grey

If you consider how absolutely crazy Killer7 was, it's hard to imagine how the next console offering would turn out. Thankfully (if there was any doubt), Goichi Suda does this game perhaps even better than Killer7.

The graphics are killer, possibly some of the best on the system. The detailed environments, and the even more detailed character models never cease to impress. Although the Ranking Assassination environments are more than a little linear, they keep you quite busy, hiding treasure chests and goodies to tease you into exploration. The shadows are solid black a la Killer7, to create striking contrast. The colors are wild, and keep the taste of the game fresh throughout.

The sound is just as good as in Killer7. The voice overs are (cough! thank GOD! cough!) greatly improved from the trailer. Each character's voice adds to their taste. Holly Summers has a smooth, purring voice. Destroyman has quite a psychotic laugh. Silvia Christel has a bouncy (hah...) voice. Everyone sounds great. The ambiance is only helped by the fast-paced music offered. The sound of the villains screaming and shouting at you only adds to the depth of the combat.

That leads me to my next point: gameplay. The free-roaming world is quite large, if redundant and slightly empty. It's still fun to just explore, even if there's not much to do. The minigames are quirky and quite funny, as is the dialog between any of the characters. However, the combat is where the game shines. You can tell, while playing, that emphasis was placed upon the combat. You have your high strikes, your low strikes, your high beats, your low beats, your wrestling moves, your down strikes, your finishing blows, your weapon clashes, and your Dark Side modes to consider all at once during battle. However, arm-flailing is not required. This makes long play sessions much more forgiving, and the battle more intuitive, and allows you to prepare for your motion-sensitive finishing strikes and wrestling throws. This, as well as your lock-on mode, makes for the best battle experience I've found in quite some time. The side jobs that I mentioned earlier are all quite different and fun. The motion controls, including your arm-flailing, are implemented well here. It rounds out the gameplay and makes the game diverse.

This game is sure to appeal for a long time, as its story is just as trippy as Killer7, the characters are just as memorable, and there are plenty of unlockables offered. These are fun to experiment with. Your wealth of clothing options provides the most fun of the lot. Hardcore players will have them done in no time, but as the gameplay is just fantastic, you'll be able to play this game again and again to experience the mind-tearing ending.

This is quite a daring game. These projects come along once a console generation. Although the chances are slim for a sequel, we should, at the very least, encourage any developer to continue breaking the mold. You owe it to yourself to experience this game.