Continuing my spree of playing through recent indie Metroidvanias via Game Pass, I played through Guacamelee 2. I quite enjoyed the first game, but never got around to playing the 2nd one until now. It took me a while to click with it, but I enjoyed my time with this game. It took me roughly 9 hours to beat on the normal difficulty with the best ending and full completion.
Guacamelee 2 is very much more of the first game. I'd heard that before I started playing it, and that's pretty true to what it is. There are a couuuple new things. The number of character in co-op has been increased from 2 to 4 (although I've heard that the game is utterly unplayable with 2, let alone 4 people trying to do the same platforming puzzles), and the chicken form has been given some new moves. I wanna say there also are a few new enemy types, but I don't' remember the first game well enough to say just how many of these are new. Other than that, this game will be mechanically and stylistically very familiar to anyone who has played the first game. Sequences of platforming intermixed with brawling arenas in the "Metroidvania but a beat 'em up" style that Guacamelee 1 did so well with a heavy aesthetic of Mexican Luchador wrestling. It wasn't broke, so they didn't fix it. However I would say that this game is a bit easier than the first, from the platforming to the combat encounters, it never feels like I'm really struggling like a good few areas in 1 felt.
The writing is a very irreverent and meme-filled style that the first game also had, but this feels cranked up a notch. The villains aren't as memorable as the first game (although the best characters from the first game do make reappearances, especially Flame Face), and at least as far as I remember, there are a LOT more outright meme references in this one than the 1st one. Some of them land, a fair few of them don't, and I'd be lying if I said it never got grating. To be totally fair to the game, a lot of the meme stuff and homages to old games/other indie games (of which there are quite a few and are often boring/bad/weird) is all optional content, but if you want the best ending to the game, you'll come across them if not finish them in your hunt for the 5 special things you need. There are also a lot more new versions of the Luchador-ification of pop culture characters in the form of wrestling promotional posteres in the background (one of my favorites being a He-Man & Skeletor one), and they do not disappoint.
The game definitely looks a lot prettier than the first. Guacamelee 1 looks like a game that was made to be able to run on a Wii U, while 2 really cranks up the art style. The angular, not-quite-hand-drawn style is really boosted by a lot of flourishes that bring enemies and environments to life in beautiful color, and the game never suffers any performance drops for it (as I'd damn well hope it wouldn't). The music is nice, but never super stand-out memorable. I mostly had podcasts on while I played it, but I did still have the sound on enough to hear the largely atmospheric music.
Verdict: Recommended. Certainly not a bad game, but nothing super duper special. Especially if you've already played the first one, this game isn't a must-play if you have very limited time. But if you're like me and love any Metroidvania you can get your hands on, you'll enjoy your time with Guacamelee 2. If you wanted more Guacamelee, this delivers it in a way just as good as it was the last time (for better or worse).
Guacamelee 2 is very much more of the first game. I'd heard that before I started playing it, and that's pretty true to what it is. There are a couuuple new things. The number of character in co-op has been increased from 2 to 4 (although I've heard that the game is utterly unplayable with 2, let alone 4 people trying to do the same platforming puzzles), and the chicken form has been given some new moves. I wanna say there also are a few new enemy types, but I don't' remember the first game well enough to say just how many of these are new. Other than that, this game will be mechanically and stylistically very familiar to anyone who has played the first game. Sequences of platforming intermixed with brawling arenas in the "Metroidvania but a beat 'em up" style that Guacamelee 1 did so well with a heavy aesthetic of Mexican Luchador wrestling. It wasn't broke, so they didn't fix it. However I would say that this game is a bit easier than the first, from the platforming to the combat encounters, it never feels like I'm really struggling like a good few areas in 1 felt.
The writing is a very irreverent and meme-filled style that the first game also had, but this feels cranked up a notch. The villains aren't as memorable as the first game (although the best characters from the first game do make reappearances, especially Flame Face), and at least as far as I remember, there are a LOT more outright meme references in this one than the 1st one. Some of them land, a fair few of them don't, and I'd be lying if I said it never got grating. To be totally fair to the game, a lot of the meme stuff and homages to old games/other indie games (of which there are quite a few and are often boring/bad/weird) is all optional content, but if you want the best ending to the game, you'll come across them if not finish them in your hunt for the 5 special things you need. There are also a lot more new versions of the Luchador-ification of pop culture characters in the form of wrestling promotional posteres in the background (one of my favorites being a He-Man & Skeletor one), and they do not disappoint.
The game definitely looks a lot prettier than the first. Guacamelee 1 looks like a game that was made to be able to run on a Wii U, while 2 really cranks up the art style. The angular, not-quite-hand-drawn style is really boosted by a lot of flourishes that bring enemies and environments to life in beautiful color, and the game never suffers any performance drops for it (as I'd damn well hope it wouldn't). The music is nice, but never super stand-out memorable. I mostly had podcasts on while I played it, but I did still have the sound on enough to hear the largely atmospheric music.
Verdict: Recommended. Certainly not a bad game, but nothing super duper special. Especially if you've already played the first one, this game isn't a must-play if you have very limited time. But if you're like me and love any Metroidvania you can get your hands on, you'll enjoy your time with Guacamelee 2. If you wanted more Guacamelee, this delivers it in a way just as good as it was the last time (for better or worse).