It has been quite some time since Cuphead was released and no other platform shooter has been as impressive as Cuphead. Cuphead still has almost 2,000 average players daily, which is more than most high-budget games.
Key Takeaways
With numbers like these, it is obvious that players can’t get enough of this game. But why is it that makes them stick to it for years? The answer lies in the gameplay design.
An Amazing Platform Shooter
Many platform shooters have come and gone, but none are as impressive as Cuphead. Cuphead seamlessly blends the classic run-and-gun style of older platformers with a modern twist. Instead of mindlessly jumping and shooting, Cuphead demands precision and adaptability to conquer stages and defeat bosses.
One of the standout features of Cuphead is the parry system: pressing jump in mid-air at the perfect time parries certain objects. However, the objects are limited to those that are highlighted pink.
This mechanic alone sets Cuphead apart, creating a high-skill ceiling where players must parry while dodging a barrage of bullets. Parrying also fills your special meter, encouraging you to engage with this mechanic and making replaying stages even more fun.
Cuphead also offers a variety of ‘guns’ or weapons to equip. Whether you prefer a fast-firing automatic gun or a close-range high-damage weapon, there’s a weapon type to suit every playstyle. Each gun has its special attack, making loadout customization fun and rewarding, especially when you find the perfect setup for a stage.
The game’s art style is a significant factor in its success. Reminiscent of classic 1930s cartoons, it remains visually appealing even today. The developer’s choice to adopt this timeless and charming art style is smart.
The animations in Cuphead are top-notch, bringing life to the stages and consistently giving smiles. High-quality animations with a timeless art style result in a game that looks and feels amazing.
Surprisingly Difficult
Do not be fooled by its goofy art style or happy animations—this game is difficult. At first, you might think it’s hard because you’re getting used to the controls, but the more you play, the more you’ll realize how truly challenging it is. People sometimes call it a “Platforming Dark Souls” due to its difficulty.
However, this difficulty is part of what makes Cuphead so rewarding. Each stage completed brings a profound sense of progression and satisfaction. Much like the Souls series, getting stuck on a tough stage and finally overcoming it is immensely gratifying. While the stages in Cuphead may seem daunting at first, they are conquerable with practice and by learning the enemy patterns.
Notice how I said stage not bosses because they are a different challenge. While they have some patterns to follow, they mostly require precise reactions and perfect timing with your parries, especially in the bosses at the endgame. The bosses are the best part of this game, and many believe that boss designs like these are hard to find in any other platforming game.
Challenge Yourself
The game has a DLC that increases its content and playtime. However, there will come a time when you have completed every stage and still want more. In that case, you can challenge yourself in different ways.
The first and most obvious challenge is to achieve the best grade in every stage. Each stage and boss fight has a grade that determines how well you played and if you accomplished all the side objectives stated by the game. This is a great way to replay and experience the full potential of the game.
There are many other ways to create a challenge for yourself. You can try speedrunning the game and learning speedrun methods from YouTubers if you like time trials or enjoy watching speed runs.
The Cuphead community has created many challenges for players to test their skills and lose their minds. Some mods can increase the difficulty if you find it too easy, though I doubt that will ever be.
One Of It’s Kind
Cuphead has made a significant impact on the speedrunning community and demonstrated that developers can create masterpieces, regardless of budget, as long as they have a passion for their work.
While Cuphead may not be as prominent as it was at launch, gamers still appreciate its creativity and engaging gameplay. I hope you find this game to be an enjoyable experience, especially if you are a fan of platformers. Just make sure to complete the tutorial faster than this.
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An enthusiastic writer who loves art and gaming, you can find Maaz casually spending his day either behind the keyboard or the canvas. Maaz holds a major in Electronics and has over 5 years of experience working as a freelance blog and content writer. He loves to talk about all things gaming and help other gamers through his guides. He’s an expert when it comes to Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Dark Souls, Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3.
Maaz mostly plays games on PC, you can check out his library on Steam attached below:
