Guacamelee! arrived as a surprise hit in 2013. Drinkbox Studios, the Canadian indie developer known for their distinct aesthetic showcased in titles like Severed, released a humorous and challenging Metroidvania platformer steeped in Mexican folklore. Players assume the role of Juan Aguacate, a Luchador (a Mexican professional wrestler akin to the character in Nacho Libre), tasked with rescuing the president’s daughter and defeating the evil skeleton Calaca in the realm of the dead. Prior experience with the first title isn’t essential, as the sequel opens with a replay of the final fight (albeit with a reduced difficulty), accompanied by the line “What is a luchador? A miserable pile of secrets” (a nod to a classic game – the answer is below). Guacamelee! 2 builds upon the original’s formula, presenting similar challenges but with more enemies, intricate levels, and the addition of local co-op for up to four players.
Guacamelee 2 retains Drinkbox’s distinctive visual style and its “Mexican galaxy” setting. The sequel enhances the presentation with parallax scrolling for added depth, refined backgrounds and graphical details, and consistently smooth frame rates on PS4 Pro. The puzzles are generally straightforward; the challenge, as in the original, lies in quickly executing and combining jumps and special moves with precision. While the opening hours are relatively forgiving, the difficulty ramps up significantly thereafter.
Local co-op for four players adds a layer of chaotic fun to the experience. While the game presents a substantial challenge for a single player, coordinating jumps, moving platforms, and landings with four players simultaneously intensifies the difficulty. Although opportunities for true collaboration are limited, the humor and references to games, movies, and popular culture are abundant. We won’t spoil all the surprises, but expect nods to genre classics like Castlevania: Symphony of The Night (from which the aforementioned quote originates), Limbo, and cult arcade titles such as Bad Dudes vs Dragon Ninja. The developers’ evident enjoyment in creating the game translates into humor that resonates effectively.
Four players at once becomes chaotically fun.
Overall, Guacamelee 2 is not a radical departure from its predecessor, but it offers a more refined and complete experience. Building upon the foundations of the first game, originally released for the PS3 five years prior, this installment features larger levels, more diverse environments, a greater variety of enemies, and numerous unlockable features, including new playable luchadores and animal transformations (the chicken form being a particularly memorable highlight).
We enjoyed our time with Guacamelee 2, appreciating both its humor and its challenging gameplay. In the spirit of classic Metroidvanias, it presents a demanding but fair level of difficulty. While extensive by modern standards, it avoids becoming overly protracted. Fans of the platforming genre, and those currently enjoying the Metroidvania resurgence exemplified by titles like Dead Cells, Curse of the Blood Moon, and the earlier Axiom Verge, will find this technically polished and entertaining game a worthwhile investment, especially given the option to share the experience with up to three friends locally.
One final thought: Will Xbox players get an opportunity to play this title in the future, as the original was released on virtually every platform?
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