No More Heroes for the Wii might at first glance appear to be nothing
more than a sub-par Japanese approximation of the Grand Theft Auto
series, with its small, shallow and glitchy open-world driving
environment and its penchant (in the US version) for fountains of
toe-curdling blood and gore. Appearances can be deceiving, however, and
any passing resemblance to GTA is quickly seen to be superficial after
a few hours spent with the game.
Directed by Killer 7 director Suda51, No More Heroes is every bit as
wacky and subversive as his last project. After he wins his very own
"beam katana" in an internet auction (a weapon which looks very much
like a lightsaber), the game's protagonist Travis Touchdown decides to
become a paid assassin, roaming the streets of Santa Destroy to earn
money for his video game and porn addiction (well, what else are you
going to do with a beam katana?). The game begins with Travis having
been inducted into the United Assassins Association, a kind of guild
for expert hitmen. His mission: to kill every other assassin in the
UAA's top-ten list and become the world's No. 1 rated hitman. It's as
far-fetched and as ludicrous as it sounds.
Rather than being a mission-based GTA-driving clone, No More Heroes is
actually a fairly straightforward action game, with our protagonist
spending the majority of his time slashing and slicing his way though a
variety of stylised enemies on his way to each level's boss, or ranked
assassin in the guild. The game's best moments are to be found whist
confronting these always interesting super-villains, with each
character possessing their own unique and often hilarious quirks and
dialogue. The fighting mechanics are satisfying and responsive, with
the A button used to swing the beam katana and various "finishing
moves" being performed by way of moving the Wii remote quickly in the
direction indicated on-screen. Travis can earn new beam katanas over
time, and, although the fighting plays similarly no matter which weapon
you are equipped with, the action never gets old or repetitive, and
decapitating enemies will make you squirm with delight even ten hours
into the game.
The action is fast and frantic as Travis is pitted against multiple
enemies at a time, although the game never becomes overly difficult
with smartly-placed save points before each boss and an abundance of
life-restoring items scattered throughout each level.
The sections of the game that require the player to drive around the
city on Travis's motorcycle can become somewhat tedious, as the city of
Santa Destroy isn't the most well-realised or involving sandbox-like
environment you'll ever see, although you get the impression that the
almost tacked-on feel of the city has been in part intentional, in a
wry Japanese jab at the preponderance of open-world games made in
America. Whilst this is amusing at first, the game makes you drive
around this barren city a little too often, as you earn cash between
missions to pay for a "registration fee" necessary to take on each new
ranked assassin. Whilst the city offers various distractions that you
can involve yourself with, such as digging with your katana for cash
and opening dumpsters to find new clothes, they aren't enough to
warrant the time spent engaged with such tasks.
No More Heroes is a unique action game that injects a much-needed dose
of surreal, adult-oriented insanity to the Wii. The game should take
roughly 12-15 hours to complete, depending on whether you involve
yourself with the activities outside of the main missions. No More
Heroes has its ups and downs, with some sections beginning to grate
after a while, but the addictive and visceral fighting and genuinely
amusing dialogue nevertheless make this a game that is highly
recommended.
