Cuphead is so Difficult It's Making Me Hate Myself

Paul Tamburro:

It's got pretty desperate over here since I received my copy of Cuphead this week. While I have been informed that game journalists are naturally afflicted with a crippling inability to play video games, I had assumed that I would be able to beat Cuphead within a sitting or two. I had heard that it would be difficult, but I mean, run-and-gun games are always tough — I'd get through it, I thought. It'd be a challenge, sure, but I could handle it. I redeemed my code, puffed out my chest like an aggressive pigeon ready to defend its nest, and dived in.

[FITgamer]

It's really not. It mostly comes down to timing. Some were saying it's "Dark Souls" difficult. Not even close.

[lelo2play]

I'm not a Dark Souls fan, but isn't Dark Souls also about timing?

[FITgamer]

Yes but the combat portions on CupHead aren't very difficult. Most of my dying has been screwing up the timing during platforming.

[Big_Game_Hunters]

Dark souls difficulty comes to down to trial and error/ tedious game design.

[babadivad]

It is.

[4Sh0w]

Bruh, I'm playing the he'll out of this game, YES it is hard. Sure it's timing but you say that like OK cool let me just click my "timing button". No, it's gonna take everybody besides those with that special twitch reaction and keen focus many, many tough hours to complete this game.

Arghh, just prepare to be aggravated, sweet, sweet, very bitter, very sour aggravation.

[bluefox755]

Yeah, from what I'm hearing the difficulty is pretty overstated.

[81BX]

The difficulty of any game is over stated. It's about strategy and patterns. Some will have a hard time with that lol.

[DarthZoolu]

I agree Dark Souls isn't actually that hard Ninja Gaiden black isn't actually that hard and cuphead isn't actually that hard you just got to get used to it.

[1nsomniac]

As a gamer of almost 30 years I’m disgusted at myself that I can’t get past level 1.

Albeit I’m old & very busy so I’ve not had a great amount of time to play it. I would definitely say it’s been more than 1 hour though & still haven’t completed a single level yet.

It has that “one more go!” Effect on you though.

[Benchm4rk]

Lol I struggled to get my rythem in that first level and spent longer on it than I thought I would. Been a while since I played this kind of game aswell. Once I got adjusted I started doing alot better and I've almost finished the first world in around 2 hours. Stick with it. It's a good game and that feeling you get after finishing a level you have been stuck on is great :)

[81BX]

Lol don't be. I found it tough at 1st. I'm so used to playing a certain way. Games have check points and saves now. This takes us back to when timing and patterns were key. You'll get it. I have 1 more boss till I get on the boat with the dice head guy lol

[1nsomniac]

Forgot about the shop. Just went & bought a new weapon. Now 3 levels in haha

[Cobra951]

That's our problem, man. We *are* 30-year gaming veterans, complete with the slower reflexes and tired knuckles. I used to be able to get through games like this, with some swearing and sweating. Now, forget it. I've pretty much stopped even trying.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

I’m 31 and I die a lot but I’ve beaten several bosses and gotten as high as an A- grade.

Watch for patterns and breathe.

[JayRyu]

Hang in there 1nsomniac. It is all about timing. When I tried to rush through a level I would end up dying. But as I would stop in the world for a second to watch how some enemies moved, I figured out their patterns and beat them. Now I've completed a few lvls and the game gets more fun as you progress.

Another important thing is your load out before starting a stage. It will literally mean success or multiple failed attempts. I got through 3 stages with the homing shot. If you're stuck try changing your load out.

[goldwyncq]

Dark Souls isn't even that difficult...

[DarthZoolu]

Dark Souls isn't that hard!

[slappy508]

Im a big dark souls fan hence I dont mind difficult games but I think they went overboard with Cuphead. Theres just too many things happening on the screen at once at a fast pace and I get a distinct feeling a few times I died I couldnt even control it. I guess it would differ with peoples reflexes but the game is too frustrating for me

[pyroxxx]

I agree it is a sensory overload,.. It does not help everything looking so good and respawning in 2 sec,.. Really strange decisoin to hide all the coins for perks in platforming levels,.. which take insane amount of dedication ,..
I am just having hard time breaking trough,.. I can probably get superb at it ,.. just don't think it is going to pull me for enough time to want to master it.

[SarcasticDuck]

answering to your reply to lelo2play, if you died on Dark Souls, wouldn't it be because you screwed up your timing during dodging and/or attacking?

[Erik7357]

I mean can you give me a example of a game thats not difficult that doesnt involve timing?

Even so your comment is stupid, I just played 1 hour of the same level trying to beat it and your gonna tell me thats not hard because it involved timing?

DUDE LOOK AT DARK SOULS THATS SO MUCH TIMING OF ENEMY STRIKES??!?!?

N4g is not for smart people sometimes

[FallenAngel1984]

At least it's not Contra difficult

[freshslicepizza]

Or Battletoad difficult.

[DarthZoolu]

That's what I've been saying Dark Souls isn't hard at all compared to a bunch of old Nintendo games.

[Bahamut]

Even the original Mega Man.

[Last_Boss]

Which Contra?!

[jaekapow]

Or NES Ninja Gaiden difficult.

[Automatic79]

This game is difficult in a fun way. I have not stopped trying to complete every mission every single time I die. Every time I go back I feel the adrenaline in me from trying to complete the entire mission without dying. I won't begin to discuss boss battles. Glad to see a great unique game like this. Congratulations to studio MDHR and Team Xbox for bringing this game to Xbox.

[Blu3_Berry]

Good, I'm glad its a challenge and is sticking to it. Too many games these days have your hand held, even with different difficulties. Sometimes it's nice to just have one set difficulty across the board.

[Skuletor]

The boss battles have two difficulties but only the regular difficulty unlocks the bosses soul contracts.

[Kribwalker]

there’s actually a hard mode after you beat the game....

[Skuletor]

@Kribwalker,
Damn and it's already hard on normal, should be frustratingly fun to try it on hard.

[PCgamer98]

I love this game. A lot of bosses are hard as hell but platform stages are the ones really giving me trouble since there so many stuffs to watch out for.

[Ra3v3r]

Aye the carnival platform sections are pretty sick. The bosses have required quite a few restarts to learn the patterns and once you get those sorted it becomes a little easier. It's usually me not watching or following projectiles that gets me hit. Managed to A+ the first island, the seconds been tougher. Hated that rollercoaster guy!

[CandarianGaming]

Really makes you wonder how many platformers these journalists have actually played

[Prince_TFK]

Not everyone can ace at every genres, no matter who they are.

Just like in real life, not everyone can be number one.

[shaenoide]

C'mon it's not that hard. Don't buy extra heart (less damage). Spread shot+Dash make the game "easier".

[DivineAssault]

Use the konami code

[GrimDragon]

No matter how hard some say a game is, there's always a batch that claims it's not hard enough.

[sazselesbon]

Amazing game! Start playing It with my daughter and we had a blast so far. Difficult, but beautyful and rewarding

[Kribwalker]

my 3 year old loves it, she doesn’t last long, but she loves the cartoon look to it playing couch co-op

[opinionated]

That article is hilarious. Keep at it dude!

[giovonni]

I agree, it's difficult, as specially looking at it from a modern day platform stand point. We have grown spoiled with mid level saves, and energy replenishment rewards, which are nonexistent in this game. Also, the game can overwhelm with having multiple things to avoid in one sequence, add in that some weapons are limited by strength, distance, and speed which is another headache.
To add, another unique thing about the game is its changing patterns of play. One boss battle I thought the Toad was going to throw some fireballs, but instead the second toad started the battle with sending insects, which threw me off.
All and all, it's a great game but if you're expecting it to be a walk in the park oooh boy!

[DeadManMMX]

I played it yesterday and really enjoyed it. I kept aiming for perfect runs, where I took no hits, got all parrys and super move shots.

[TheHan]

This game isn’t hard. I’m having a blast playing it myself

[Cobra951]

"I've spent my morning reading Cuphead reviews, and the words "tough but fair" have cut through me like barbed wire. That's how everyone is describing it: tough, but fair. Tough. But. Fair. Who are these reviewers, with their nigh-on superhuman level of restraint? How have they remained so calm in the face of a game designed to infuriate?"

Heheh! My feelings exactly since sadistic game design made a comeback from the 80s. It didn't take me long to realize that Cuphead was not made for me. I'll wait for the trainer.

[addictedtochaos]

Not that different from the Contra games. In terms of gameplay.

[-Gespenst-]

When games are too difficult, it often doesn't feel worth it when you finally beat a level. I just feel like, "what? That's it? That's all I get for doing all that?" I feel like overly difficult games can never adequately reward the player. The reward is never able to make up for the sheer struggle. I haven't played Cuphead yet, but I have a feeling it might suffer from this a bit.

[zuul9018]

Its not the destination, its the journey.

What do you expect $10 when you win?

[-Gespenst-]

Perfectly fine if the journey is fun and enjoyable, but if something is too difficult it can go from being fun to the very opposite. If it's not about the destination, then make sure the journey is fun, because if it isn't you're really getting nothing out of it - no fun, no reward. Not accusing Cuphead of this - I intend to buy the game on Steam, but I'm just commenting on overly difficult games.

[mafiahajeri]

AVGN needs to review this game.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

It’s not that hard. You need patience and dedication.

[TheHan]

Couldn’t have said it better myself

[loadstone007]

Really hate these games. They are making them too retro!
I enjoyed these kind of games as a kid, but thinking back they are really difficult and needlessly difficult!

Creating such games today should be adjusted to today's era.

[pyroxxx]

Maybe if it ever comes to Playstation I would be more inclined to master it for the trophies or something,.. I don't think this will pull me for long enough time,.. bosses are ok,.. but those run and gun levels take insane amount of dedication (and you really need them for perks),..almost too much happening at once and it looks so pretty,.. It is hard to not have sensory overload,..so I don't know ,.. But It is so beautiful I just might push trough it,..

[pyroxxx]

It does have this ,.. just one more time thing,.. It is pretty awesome,.. but it is exhausting

[showtimefolks]

what i don't understand especially in today's gaming market is why they aren't difficulty options to choose your play style. I know demon souls,dark souls etc started this whole super hard games love by a very niche market but it doesn't mean every game needs that

i know my comment won't be accepted by many since everyone on the net is a core gamer who loves hard games

every single game needs to have difficulty settings yes including series like dark souls otherwise don't expect game to do too well

[Chaos_Order]

Game devs should be able to make games the way they want. If they want to work on 10 difficulty settings from super easy to mega hard, fine. If they want to concentrate on balancing a single difficulty setting for their intended experience, that's fine too. If consumers don't want that, they don't have to buy it. Devs should have complete freedom without being shamed.

It's not a case of "omg, git gud", it's a case of allowing devs to fulfill their vision. Creating multiple difficulty levels requires extra work and time that the devs might not have, or might not want to focus on. And lazily implementing a "numbers on a slider" effect to do this can create unbalanced experiences. You could make all enemies do 20% normal damage in Dark Souls but Sen's Fortress would still be difficult because of other factors, creating an unnatural difficulty spike. Plus no matter how easy you make an easy mode, there will always be people who find it way too hard. Always. Every single game would need to include a difficulty option where the game plays itself to completion at the touch of a button.

Also, games don't just get better sales if they include more difficulty options. If Demon's Souls had done this there's no way From Software would've become as big as they have. If the "true" experience could only be accessed by changing certain settings and playing on the highest difficulty then the game would've never become as massively popular as it has. The majority of people none the wiser would've played it on easy/normal mode, enabled maps, checkpoints etc, then got to the end of the game and wondered why it was boring.

[TheHan]

You can choose to play the level you are going into at the time on a lower difficulty, for those who find it too hard

[showtimefolks]

thehan

are there difficulty setting for each level?

[babadivad]

This game is seriously fun.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Ikaruga is much harder than this game. And Radiant Silvergun isn’t harder than Ikaruga.

Hell Contra and Metal Slug are harder than this game.

[nondescriptcitizen]

One girl, two cups

[360WINS]

ill pass on this game no way my blood pressure is gonna go sky high hell no!

[Obscure_Observer]

lmao!

[CyberRekkr]

Why not it's making me hate the gsme instead of hating myself, That sounds stupid! Why would a stupid ass game make someone hate themselves?

[ion666]

I'm glad the new generation is experiencing what I went through with o.g. Nintendo and genesis games. Almost every game in the late 80s and 90s felt this way.Feel our pain. I love it!!!

[TheHan]

I agree, what soft gamers we have this generation