I know there's a topic in here somewhere, but I'm too lazy to dig it out.
Man, this game kicks ass on so many levels, you wouldn't believe! At first, I was taken aback because of the cute graphics and the 2D perspective, and I kept wondering why capcom was releasing a 2D platformer in the 3D era. I mean, it was so archaic! But I kept hearing so many raving reviews that I finally decided to give it a try.
And I wasn't ready for such a cool game.
This is videogaming at its best. You get to play Joe, an unconventional superhero, and use his VFX powers to beat the crap out of bad guys. And there aren't many things more satisfying than going through 7 or 8 bad guys while pummeling the shit out of them in slow motion, throwing incredible combos of kicks, punches, sommersaults, spinning kicks and uppercuts. Or punching someone using your mach speed, and throwing so many punches in so little time that you catch fire because of the friction. Or zooming in, beating the crap of a bunch of bad guys with acrobatic kicks, then landing and striking a pose that is just so cool that all bad guys on the screen are damaged.
Then, if you're not happy with the ass-kicking part of the game, you get the rest of it. You're inside a movie, so when you pull an incredibly cool combo, people cheer and shout. You're awarded points based on how good you are and how cool you do it. And this is not some mindless asskicking game too, you have to use your VFX powers in pretty inventive ways to solve some puzzles.
And if you're not sure of the 2D platform, then rest assured, it doesn't hinder the game in any way. In fact, I can't think of a better way to play it. And the graphics are drop dead gorgeous. And I didn't think of it as 'cute' once I started playing.
These are the kinds of things that make Viewtiful Joe the game of the year. And it's been so succesful that they're planning the sequel now, where you'll be able to play with two characters in cooperative mode! and there'll be some new VFX powers ( I hear there's one that's going to be "Rewind", where you can punch the guy, then rewing it, and punch it again for triple damage!)
My score: 5/5
