No More Heroes III is a wonderfully crude and triumphant finale to the No More Heroes series. It has some technical hiccups, but the memorable characters, satisfying gameplay, and hilarious humor make No More Heroes III into a one-of-a-kind sequel, the likes of which we may never see again.
No More Heroes III
Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture
Price: $60
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review
You can actually chronicle my history with No More Heroes as a series here on MonsterVine. My first exposure was my review of Travis Strikes Again, which got me interested in the series. Within a year of the review, I played both of the original games, loved them, and listed the first one as the best game to come out in 2008. So here we are in 2021, and I was more than ready to sink my teeth into the highly-anticipated third game– and, hoo boy, was that anticipation well-placed.
In No More Heroes III, aliens have descended upon the earth with malicious intent. Luckily their leader, Jess-Baptiste VI, chooses to team up with the United Assassins Association to turn this otherworldly invasion into a competition. It’s up to otaku assassin Travis Touchdown to hack his way through the ten aliens to save Santa Destroy, and consequently, the world. Travis has a team of pals to help him from previous games, like the no-nonsense Shinobu and the psychotic Badman, though most of the task falls to Travis. The story is over-the-top in every way, with tons of goof, gory, and genre-bending moments. It feels like a suitable end to the series, without ever compromising on its memorable tone for the sake of sentiment.
The tone of No More Heroes III is impossible to replicate, which says a lot about how talented Suda51 is when it comes to making surreal and hilarious games. Somehow, Suda manages to balance an incredibly dark and cynical take on the world with completely ridiculous humor that pays homage to countless pieces of media while always being unexpected. There are even references to previous Suda51 games throughout No More Heroes III’s narrative, with another version of Kamui Uehara appearing again and a couple mentions of “kill the past.” These references never take you out of the game though, so if this is your first run with a Suda51 game, you won’t miss anything major.
“[…] but know that the fourth-wall shattering antics of Suda51 are on full display here in an absolutely extravagant way.“
Playing No More Heroes III is as fun as it is straightforward. The combat isn’t especially deep, but it’s very enjoyable and easy to get into. You have light and heavy attacks, as well as Death Glove skills that range from drop-kicks to anti-gravity grabs. Cycling through attacks and getting slot-machine-esque power-ups keeps combat fresh the whole way through, especially when you get lucky with the slot effects and become insanely overpowered here and there.
There are quite a few enemy types across No More Heroes III, each with its own trippy designs and unique attacks. Hacking them up and seeing a rainbow of blood and gore is unnervingly exciting, as the gratuitous violence turns combat into a brilliant bloodbath. Bosses are the real highlight though, as each boss battle feels like an epic duel. Some of them fake you out in ways that I don’t want to spoil, but know that the fourth-wall shattering antics of Suda51 are on full display here in an absolutely extravagant way.
You can play with either the Switch Pro Controller or the Joy-Cons, but for once, I actually recommend playing with the Joy-Cons. Waving the controllers to slash, dash attack, and charge up your saber in an erotic fashion is a lot more immersive than using the right analog stick to do so, and makes No More Heroes III feel more in line with the previous two mainline titles. The Pro Controller is perfectly fine to play with, of course, I just think that you’ll be missing out on some additional fun.
The gameplay flow of earning cash to pay for boss fights is as fascinating as it was in the previous two titles. I could absolutely understand why some people might find it boring or repetitive, but doing weird volunteer tasks to save up cash can be a lot of fun. Unclogging toilets, mowing lawns, and mining for skill points may seem dull, but these activities are a key part of No More Heroes III. You have to earn your boss fights, as nothing in this world is free, so this pacing perfectly fits with the world of No More Heroes.
” […] Robin Atkin Downes is as flawless as ever when it comes to bringing sincerity and complete insanity to Travis Touchdown’s character.“
No More Heroes III does look a bit rough, and it suffers from some performance issues. The frame rate sometimes dips when you’re driving or a lot happens on-screen, though I thankfully never encountered this issue while battling. The environments are very simple, and most of each hub area is empty with some rough textures. It’s not hard to look past this stuff, but visually, this feels like a game from a generation or two ago. The designs themselves are fantastic though. The aliens, assassins, and ideas behind each hub are full of character, and the visual novel interludes, anime openings and outros are remarkably creative. It’s such a stylish game that it’s a bit easier to look past the previously mentioned issues, as the various designs are out of this world.
The music is as catchy as ever in No More Heroes III, with quite a few tracks that are still stuck in my head after beating the game. The voice acting deserves a special mention as well, as Robin Atkin Downes is as flawless as ever when it comes to bringing sincerity and complete insanity to Travis Touchdown’s character. The whole cast really nails the earnest but absurd tone of the world of No More Heroes, which is impressive given how unique and inimitable the setting is.
The Final Word
No More Heroes III is a wacky, funny, and bloody swan song for the No More Heroes series. The gameplay, characters, and aesthetic are still untouchable, and though there are some visual and performance issues, they never overshadow the best parts of the game. Even though this serves as the end of the series, I sincerely hope we continue to get weird games like this from Suda51.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
