DrinkBox Studios is back with a second round of Guacamelee! 2 . So far the game looks polished a bit more compared to the first game that was released. Tag in a few new additions and you have a game that lays it all in the ring
Time has moved forward since the timeline of the first game. Now about 2 years in the future, the good timeline, Juan is now married to Lupita and has two kids and life seems good. On the opposite of the spectrum on the dark side, since there are many parallel universes in the game, Juan dies in one universe after meeting the lucha Salvador. Both of these timeline will converge in unexpected and hilarious ways. The goal is to use the guacamole recipe to unite the land of the living with the land of the dead.
The newest features that came out are new map areas, upgraded visuals, a dozen more enemies and 4-player local co-op. Nothing much has changed in the overall mechanics but that’s ok. New moves and challenges are available as well as some fresh funky new beats on the soundtrack. Overall that’s about it but the game still looks very fun.
Still centered in the Metroidvania style, fighting skeletons is still fun and just as impactful as you would expect. Guacamelee! 2 doesn’t lose itself in style and even added new ways for players to interact by using their skills as a way to explore the map. For example, if you don’t learn new skills such as the frog slam, then certain areas won’t open which effects the overall journey. This works too when it comes to large battles. Sometimes things that are found in the game (i.e keys) aren’t that simple to come by, but when you do finally get there, suddenly a new path is opened. This definitely makes the replayability high.
The first game was a surprise to finds of the genre and this sequel puts in new things while not forgetting what made the first game special. The idea that a beat um up and a Metroidvania game would work might have been seen as ridiculous, but I personally love when an idea looks terrible on paper and is fantastic in practice. Don your wrestling mask and help save the universe.
9/10
Available on PS4 and PC
