Player One Reviews Guacamelee! 2

Guacamelee! 2 Review: A Smashing Success

Reviewed by Ravindu Weerasinghe

 

Guacamelee! 2, developed by Drinkbox Studio, puts a refreshing and zesty twist on the metroidvania genre. Donning the Lucha libre mask, you embark to the Mexiverse to punch, upcut, and body slam your way to saving the universe. 

 

Set several years after the events of the first Guacamelee!, you play as the now-retired Jaun Aguiacte who has abandoned his mask and costume to start a family. However, when dark clouds appear in the sky, Juan is pulled from retirement to answer a new threat. Uay Chivo, Jaun’s mentor foretells that the entire Mexiverse is coming to an end, brought on by another luchador named Salvador. 

 

 

Guacamelee! 2 has all the hallmarks of a classic metroidvania. Power-ups aiding both exploration and combat, combined with precision platforming, make the game an excellent challenge for anyone. It wears its inspiration on its sleeves, most obviously the stature where new statues are found being an homage to the Metroid games’ Chozo statue. Where Guacamelee! 2 sets itself apart is in the hilarious and engaging cast of characters that you meet along the way, including a chicken pope leader of a cult of talking chickens, or  a flame devil dressed as a cowboy . 

 

In combat, you use an array of basic attacks that will then juggle into aerial moves, before finally bringing down foes using a body slam that also knocks away below enemies. Throw in a handful of super moves, and combos just keep on going. Combos are everything in Guacamelee! 2. The longer you can dance around foes using dodge rolls, the stronger you become, with more devastating attacks being rewarded with more gold and health. As you enter different locales of the Mexiverse, the encounters get progressively difficult, with unique attack patterns and abilities that give the game a smooth difficulty curve.

 

 

Similar to other games in the genre, these attacking moves also serve as mobility options. For example,  the ‘Rooster Uppercut’ and  ‘Eagle Flight’ let you reach new heights while the ‘Dashing Derpdep’ sends you flying forwards to cross dangerous pitfalls. Returning from Guacamelee! is the ability to switch between the world of the living and world of the dead. This changes the landscape to create shortcuts and add new platforms and hazards, which can be overcomed by tactical use of the ability, sometimes requiring you to carefully switch between the two worlds mid-air. 

 

These options are also used to uncover blocked paths and secret areas. Similar to combat, the skill required to progress increase as well, with more button inputs and tighter timings, though, there was never a point where it became too overwhelming - at least, outside of the secret areas.

 

These secret areas are where the platform skills of both Guacamelle! 2 and you as the player get to shine. They require pixel-perfect precision, incredible timing and quick reflexes for complex button inputs, with the goal usually being a secret chest. The difficulty spikes for these areas is very apparent. Luckily, dying in one of these areas does not send your progress back at all - only to the start of the room - with quick loading times keeping the pace up. Soon enough, you will be upper-cutting and dashing your way to the goal once more. The exhilaration from completing such a challenge room is unparalleled and drives you to push through the intense difficulty.

 

 

Alongside its intense platforming and thrilling combat, Guacamelee! 2 sets itself apart is in the hilarious and engaging cast of characters that you will meet along the way, such as a delightful chicken pope. However, while the characters can be charming, they can also contribute to the game's outdated sense of humour. The game relies heavily on 2012 internet humour, with a few too many “hehe random XD” type jokes for personal preference. While the game attempts self-awareness with the “Dank Cave” area, where it calls itself out for relying on memes, is falls flat by being too long, and by the time you reach the end, it beings uninteresting, 

 

Exploration is also surprisingly limited. There aren’t any real hidden passages that can be stumbled upon, with most secret areas blocked by obvious, specific primary coloured barriers that can be broken by the corresponding special move. This feels lacking compared to other modern metroidvania games. Take, for example, Hollow Knight’s use of foreground and background elements to make hidden elements feel genuinely obscured and secret. While the creative platforming challenges somewhat make up for the lack of genuine discovery,players who enjoy a grittier exploration experience may find Guacamelee! 2 lacking.

 

 

Still, I found myself unable to put the game down.The foundational pillars of combat and exploration are that strong and easily make up for the lacklustre story. The game’s killer soundtrack helps. Inspired by both Mariachi bands with heavy use of trumpets and acoustic guitars alongside 8-bit instrumentation paying homage to its inspirations, it keeps the game fresh and fun throughout the journey. 

 

Just like the soundtrack, the visuals have a Mexican flair. Locations and characters have Spanish names, and even some dialogue is in Spanish without any translation. This gives the game a wonderful sense of immersion, making the Mexiverse feel fully realised. The Ability to switch between the mortal and undead world, besides adding a unique gameplay elements, changes and adds different NPCs inspired by the Cinco de Mayo festival, full of colours and foral patterns, vibrant purples and oranges, which creates a unique sense of an undead world being full of passion and excitement that has been carried on from the world of the living. 

 

 

I fell in love with the setting and gameplay. Guacamelee! 2 is an excellent game with a bright and colourful personality alongside excellent inspiration drawn from Mexican culture. Despite its shortcomings of outdated humour, and routine story, Guacamelee! 2 is still a great game. The engaging combat and challenging platforming make it fantastic for both experienced players and newcomers to the metroidvania genre. 
 

Guacamelee! 2 was reviewed by Ravindu Weerasinghe using a personal copy for PC