Cuphead Review: Beautiful, Brutal, and Worth Every Death (9/10)

The Verdict

Cuphead is one of those rare games where dying over and over somehow stays fun. It’s punishing, yes. But it’s almost never unfair. If you’re willing to push through the frustration, what’s waiting on the other side is genuinely one of the best-feeling games ever made.

Why Cuphead Actually Works

The key thing Cuphead gets right is that every death teaches you something. Patterns are readable. Tells are clear. You don’t die because the game cheated; you die because you weren’t quite good enough yet. That’s a huge distinction, and it’s why the “one more try” loop stays compelling for hours.

It also helps that the game looks incredible. The hand-drawn 1930s rubber-hose animation isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a full artistic commitment. Every boss is its own little cartoon short, complete with an original jazz soundtrack that matches the chaos on screen. You’ll die to a giant flying lion, and you’ll still stop for a second to appreciate how good it looks.

The boss fights themselves are the main event, and they deliver. Each one has a distinct personality and a set of mechanics you have to learn from scratch. Getting to a new boss genuinely feels like an event.

Where It Falls Short

There’s really only one honest complaint: if you’re not into hard games, this one will wear you out before you see the best of it. The difficulty isn’t adjustable in any meaningful way (the simple mode cuts off access to the final boss), so players who don’t connect with the challenge loop may bounce off before they experience what makes Cuphead special.

Bottom Line

Cuphead earns a 9/10 because it pairs world-class art with mechanics tuned to near-perfection. It drops one point purely for accessibility. The high difficulty floor keeps casual players from seeing everything the game has to offer. But for anyone willing to stick with it, it’s a mandatory experience.