Goichi “Suda51” Suda is a developer with such a diverse lineup of titles to his name that any attempts to categorize him quickly fall apart. He’s worked on arthouse cult hits such as “Killer 7,” puzzle games like “Flower, Sun, and Rain,” and visual novels such as “The Silver Case,” all while maintaining a dedicated following.
However, his most famous project by far has been the “No More Heroes” series, and now, Suda has decided to cap it off with “No More Heroes III.”
Does it work? Sort of.
“No More Heroes” follows the story of Travis Touchdown, an assassin with a bad attitude and a mean beam katana. Over the course of the previous games, Travis has been humbled, become a father, and has become slightly less of a human disaster, but is put to the test in “III” by a sudden alien invasion.
Led by Prince Jess Baptiste VI, AKA FU, the aliens ravage Travis’ hometown of Santa Destroy and institute a “Galactic Superhero Ranking” that Travis has to cut his way through until no more heroes remain.
To do this, Travis must navigate a city so bizarrely constructed that at times it feels like a joke. Santa Destroy has combat challenges and collectables galore, and blazing through it on Travis’ “Akira” style motorcycle can be fun, but not much of it feels all that rewarding. The best open worlds encourage exploration, but this one could not feel more superfluous.
The combat fares better in this regard, this time structured as a series of individual challenges based on differing combinations of distinct enemy types. Levels preceding a boss are applied rarely and irregularly, and when they do appear, they can radically shift the genre. Examples include a first-person horror section and a musical chairs battle – complimented by gorgeously eclectic visuals.
The combat itself feels more refined than the two previous games, though I do miss Travis’ variety of beam katana types, especially the Rose Nasty twin blades. New moves such as Travis’ brutal dropkick and time dilation make them a bit more strategic than the slugfests of previous games.
Encounters and bosses are generally well designed, though when playing on higher difficulties the luck-based nature of combat can become apparent. Sometimes you’ll struggle to get through one phase, then other times you’ll be given the opportunity to do back-to-back suplexes on your foes until they die.
In regards to the story, its biggest weakness is how much it feels like a part of a larger whole. This is mainly in regards to “Travis Strikes Again,” which catalyzes Travis’ development from killer nerd into a something resembling a hero, though it’s far from the only example. Characters from other Suda51 properties show up constantly, and at times it’s actually rather difficult to sift through all the in-jokes. This is on top of all the other references piled on top of that. Suda’s love of wrestling, Takashi Miike movies, and giant robots are not merely worn on the game’s sleeve, they’re basically the entire jacket.
Oh, and the constant “Kamen Rider” references - from Travis referring to himself as a “passing assassin” a la “Decade,” to his geeking out about one of his battles being held on a set from the show, to a Rider-style superhero suit being a gameplay mechanic.
But that sort of manic, unfocused energy is kind of the fun of the series. And thanks to Travis’ excellent vocal performance courtesy of Robin Atkins Downes, both the meta humor and his journey’s end land convincingly.
In this regard, “No More Heroes III” is triumphant in how it caps off Travis’ story. Seeing him go from an antisocial loser to a hero with a purpose, no matter how much prior context is needed, is eminently satisfying.
Even if his best idea for consoling a grieving woman is to recommend her old anime.
B-, A flawed paradise, but I suppose that fits
