The 25th Ward: The Silver Case (PS4)

Note: This review contains spoilers for The 25th Ward: The Silver Case.

After the positive reception to The Silver Case, Suda51 developed a sequel, The 25th Ward, but released it for mobile phones rather the initial planned console release under the idea that he could get it out more quickly. Unfortunately, this meant that the game only saw a Japanese release and as soon as the game was eventually shut down in 2011, The 25th Ward became lost media or, as Suda51 put it, a “ghost game”. Once the remake of The Silver Case performed well, however, Suda51 decided to resurrect The 25th Ward as a full remake, The 25th Ward: The Silver Case, rather than a simple remaster and released the completed game through publisher Nippon Ichi Software in 2018. This release meant that international fans of the Kill the Past series could finally experience another chapter. As much as I enjoyed The Silver Case back when I played it, however, the unnecessary tedium in The 25th Ward, both in its writing and gameplay, made finishing it more of a chore.

No More Heroes III

Over ten years after No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (NMH2), Travis Touchdown returns to the spotlight with a proper third installment, No More Heroes III (NMH3). As a fan of Suda51, I was excited enough for the prospect of NMH3 and Suda51 returning to directing games that it acted as a catalyst for buying a Nintendo Switch in the first place. With little knowledge of the game’s contents, I got a physical copy on release day and eagerly returned to the Garden of Madness, wondering just how Suda51 would wrap up Travis’ story for good. Unfortunately, I felt increasingly disappointed as the game went on and felt cheated by the end result, especially at full price.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (+ DLC) (Switch)

What journey to No More Heroes III (NMHIII) would be complete without a look at Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes (TSA), the first in the series released on the Nintendo Switch and the first one directed by Suda51 himself sine the original game? Back when this game first released, its connection to the other games wasn’t certain, so we ended up skipping it. Once NMHIII received a formal announcement, however, we regretted this decision, as demand made owning a physical copy prohibitively expensive, so we ended up buying the game and DLC digitally. While this may be a cheaper and more convenient option for many, however, I’m not sure I would recommend it at full price unless you’re a hardcore Suda51 fan.