As games become more complex and ‘adult’ as the years roll by, it’s noticeable to find that the menial tasks you do in the real life end up being included in the games you play. Whether it’s having to take up a job to gain enough cash to proceed to the next stage, or perform a series of menial tasks to improve your experience, more aspects of the lives we lead seem to appear in the games that are meant to take us into another reality. No More Heroes makes the transfer from Wii to PS3 in No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise, it has a Katana and is about killing assassins, so surely none of life’s mediocre moments will have to be battled through?
You play as Travis Touchdown (seriously that is his actual name) as you battle your way to becoming the world’s number one assassin! Travis’s weapon of choice is his trusty and super-lethal beam Katana, though you better be an expert at wielding it because you have to eliminate the top 10 ranked killers before you can call yourself the best. Taken from a third-person viewpoint, the majority of your time is spent fighting the assassins minions until you finally catch up with what can be described as an old school end of level boss.
Many of you may be more than aware that No More Heroes has previously appeared on the Wii and, as such, you’ll be pleased to hear that No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise is Playstation Move compatible. It works well with strikes and deathblows registering without too much energy on your part, whilst powering up your Katana is as easy as a simple shake of the Move. Using the Move is a slightly more invigorating experience compared to the controller, but there really isn’t that much of a notable difference between the two. You are able to move fluidly through each level without too much trouble as the camera points you in the right direction, and there is a constant barrage of baddies to battle through who, obviously, become harder as you progress. No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise is rude and crass but that’s also why it’s an enjoyable and attractive offering. The various power-ups and Katana special moves really bring back memories of a simpler and arguably more ‘fun’ time.
You would think there wasn’t much else to do besides the fighting, but that’s not the case. In Heroes Paradise you see, Travis is a bit of a bum. After each successful assassin killing you go back to your shoddy little motel room and realise that you need money to get by. This is where you’ll have to engage in several menial tasks such as lawn mowing. To one extent these tasks give you time to recuperate after all the frenetic button bashing, but more often than not you’ll find the jobs you have to perform mind-numbingly frustrating to the point of boredom. Luckily the tasks don’t take too long to complete, but if you were given the choice you wouldn’t take part in them.
Graphically the boss fights and general fighting is very energetic with lots of colours and arcade-like elements. The bright and bold colours hide the fact that the Santa Destroy backdrop hasn’t got a lot going for it in terms of content or variety, and there is a fair degree of noticeable pixilation in some parts. These flaws don’t necessarily detract from the gameplay, but when you come across them you do notice it. Travis and the rest of the main ensemble are quite varied in their designs and look good on screen, whilst some of the clothes the women wear……….don’t leave a lot to the imagination. But that is what No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise is about, it’s not by accident the game has ended up this way, it’s been developed to attract fans of blood and old action films.
There is a lot of swearing and gore on screen, so be prepared for an audio onslaught when you begin No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise. The dialogue serves a purpose to forward the story along whilst the end of level assassins are quite entertaining. The effects of blocking enemy strikes or bullets is very satisfying, whilst the constant power up and multiplier sounds keep you involved and wanting more.
No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise is an interesting game to play because it relies heavily on its strengths and craziness to pull you in. There are some obvious flaws as highlighted earlier but in essence No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise is an enjoyable game to get to grips with. However, the swearing and constant blood splattering may put some of you off! If you like big end level bosses and kicking ass, then No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise is the game for you.
REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Sony Playstation 3 code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.
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