After releasing earlier this year on Nintendo Switch, Travis Strikes Again is finally on PS4, with upgraded visuals and all previously released DLC. Come find out what this game has to offer in our Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes – Complete Edition review!
The game starts with an intro that shows Badman, an assassin who’s been hiding for a while from the Smith Syndicate, being found by one of them, ready to be executed. He explains his reasons for hiding; it’s to be able to find the man who killed his daughter Bad Girl a few years back. Since the Syndicate wants Travis as much as him, the man offers Badman a second chance by giving him a Death Ball and Travis’ location. When Badman finds Travis, the Death Ball activates a weird video game console, and both are transported inside the video game. Rumor is, if they can find all the Death Balls and beat all their games, any wish could be granted, so there could be a way to bring Bad Girl back to life.
Even though there are some variants between each Death Ball game you’ll visit, the game is essentially played from a top-down perspective, navigating through linear levels to reach its end and boss. Your basic attacks are made with the Square button, while the heavy ones ade are made with the Triangle button. You also have your usual jump button with the X button, and the dodge/roll is done with the Circle button. You also have a limitation in the video games you’re in, as the Beam Katana you have as a weapon has a limited usage before being emptied and causing close to no damage. To refill its energy, you need to hold L3 and move the right joystick left and right.
You’ll eventually find Skill Chips while playing through the levels, which grant additional powers to Travis when you equip them. They are activated by holding down the L1 button and pressing one of the face buttons to which you assigned the chip. You’ll also gather experience points that you can grant to either of the characters to level them up in order to raise your hit points and attack power.
Each level is packed with lots of enemies known as bugs, and they come in different varieties. At first, it’s simple ones that regular attacks will easily dispose of, but as you progress through the game, there’ll be more challenging enemies, requiring you to use heavy attacks to break their shields or pretty much every skill you have in your arsenal.
The game features some colorful visuals while playing the levels and lots of blood pretty much everywhere. There are some sound effects while killing the bugs that aim at making it feel like you are in a video game. In between the levels, you can hop on your motorcycle to play Travis Strikes Back, which is a retro-styled visual novel that explains how Travis and Badman found the other Death Balls, so it unlocks your next level after viewing them.
Being a fan of hack and slash games, I immediately started having fun a few minutes after starting the game. The gameplay resembles a lot to God of War (the original one) in terms of attacks and skills, so it’s pretty easy to pick up for anyone who has played games like this in the past. There are also three difficulty levels available at the start, and you can switch at any time, so you can progress how you want in a difficulty that’s comfortable to you.
The story isn’t particularly stellar, but its narration is done in a funny way, and Travis is an incredible character to watch for all the interactions he has with whoever he ends up meeting during your time with the game. There’s also a bit of originality between the different levels, like the second Death Ball level, for example, where you are in a maze-like city with rotating parts that you have to find your way into a house to proceed with more killing.
As for the trophies, you’re in for a long ride if you aim for the Platinum. You’ll obviously have to beat the game, while also making sure to beat every boss on the hardest difficulty – available from the start – and on another difficulty that will eventually become available. There’s some grind to get to 10,000 bugs killed, but the true challenge will be to achieve SS rank on all bosses and to reach level 20 with the four characters (yes, two more will eventually unlock!).
Final Thoughts
Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes – Complete Edition is a welcomed addition for any fan of hack and slash games on the PS4. It might feel a bit repetitive at times because of the similarity of the enemies, but it’s still some decent fun that can even be played in co-op.
PSN Price: $39.99
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Disclaimer
This Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes – Complete Edition review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy provided by XSEED Games.
