The story behind Studio MDHR’s Cuphead is an inspiring one: a pair of brothers, raised on classic cartoons and videogames, decided to pool their considerable talents and work for years to craft a painstaking tribute to both. The result packs a real wallop – and so it’s only fitting that, in telling that story, we should deliver an Edge cover that does the same.
That naturally meant doing something a little different. OK, a /lot/ different. To celebrate the imminent release of the game’s long-anticipated expansion, The Delicious Last Course, the Edge logo has had a shake-up – literally. Indeed, thanks to the studio’s talented artists, the entire cover adopts the style of a 1930s comic – and just to give it some extra punch, it folds out to reveal several of the bosses you’ll face within this generous extra helping.
That’s not all. Inside the mag, you’ll find a deep dive into the making of Cuphead, with Chad, Jared and Maja Moldenhauer recounting the game’s fascinating journey from those very first sketches through to its triumphant launch and an animated series on Netflix. We learn about the meticulous process behind the game’s extraordinary animations, and how the Moldenhauers referenced and built upon the titles they loved as kids to deliver a modern phenomenon with a vintage feel. Accompanying those reflections are a collection of never-before-seen in-progress sketches, concepts and frame sequences. And, as the cherry on top, E373 also has the first review of The Delicious Last Course you’ll find anywhere.
Elsewhere in this issue, we revisit the film that the Moldenhauers say was a “lightbulb” moment that inspired them to realise their dream: Indie Game: The Movie. Ten years on, we catch up with the makers and subjects of the project, as they reflect on the legacy of gaming’s most influential documentary. We also meet with John Romero for a Collected Works that looks across the Doom master’s career, and there’s a candid interview with Lucas Pope, too, in which he discusses the challenge of following up modern classic Return Of The Obra Dinn, and tells us more about his forthcoming Playdate game, Mars After Midnight. And in Time Extend, we return to the original Mass Effect and consider why the beginning of BioWare’s sci-fi trilogy is better than its reputation suggests.
In Hype, we look forward to the likes of Wanted: Dead, Echostasis, The Pale Beyond and Old Skies. And alongside our Cuphead verdict, you’ll also find reviews of Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Card Shark, The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story, Silt and Sniper Elite 5. A great mag and then some, as Cuphead’s announcer might put it – and an issue that is sure to be in high demand. So ahead of tonight’s world premiere The Delicious Last Course gameplay showcase at Summer Game Fest, we’re making preorders available a week ahead of the issue’s street date: click here if you want to get your hands on a physical copy of E373 while stocks last.
