Guacamelee 2

PC, PS4

No chickens were harmed during the making of Guacamelee 2, or so its closing credits claim. Plenty were during the playing, however – or certainly in our time with the game, at any rate. Yet for the most part, it’s not the chicken on the receiving end. In the first game, luchador hero Juan could transform into a rooster as a kind of Morph Ball analogue, squeezing through narrow gaps to locate secret rooms and the like. Now in his feathered guise he’s a fullblown fighter – and with a low slide to trip up opponents and darting diagonal attacks to launch and juggle them, he’s as capable a grappler as in human form, if not more so. Funnier, too: drop-kicking an opponent into a pit of spikes is especially satisfying when they’re way beyond your weight class.

It’s the most significant addition to Guacamelee’s combat, with Drinkbox smartly opting against any radical changes. As before, these encounters mostly take place in large rooms where you’re locked in with a series of skeletal opponents. There’s a handful of new enemy types, but its rhythms are familiar, certainly while playing as Juan. Again, it’s all about prioritising threats – when deadly spikes are nearby, you’ll want to take out the guys with the big hammers that can send you flying backwards. There are pests with homing projectiles you’ll want to deal with quickly, though they’ll move one step down your to-do list when the witchy summoners appear. Then you have the floating gaseous nasties whose visible countdown timers give you notice of their imminent self-destruction; their explosions take a large chunk out of your health meter, with later variants killing you instantly.

Since Juan’s repertoire of punches, grabs, suplexes and slams is broadly the same, even the joyous mariachi fanfare that greets a new power can’t make regaining old abilities feel exciting. Still, his skill tree has expanded, letting you invest the coins you’ve earned from smashing enemies and chests on improving the power of your favourite moves – or, perhaps, to counter any inadequacies. Increasing stamina recovery speed is worth investing in early, particularly since specials are an efficient way of quickly finishing opponents. By contrast, if you’re getting hit a lot, you can buy a health boost instead. Naturally, there’s also a branch for the chicken – and yes, that’s the one we maxed out first.

Again, these moves factor into the platforming: sometimes a specific move is mandatory; at others they’ll simply let you gain extra height or distance. In the latter case, you’ll most often be compensating for misjudging the new mid-air grapple points, which are very particular about momentum and timing. Juan eventually regains his ability to shift between the land of the living and dead at will, but there are also dimensional waves to contend with, sweeping across the screen to lend extra tension to already challenging sequences. Platforms can be present for a couple of seconds and then disappear, while pools of water become lava: easily dodged when you’re not under pressure, less so while being chased by a dragon. PostCeleste, it takes some getting used to the rigidity of the moves and comparative lack of mid-air adjustment, but landing safely at the other end of the most testing gauntlets still feels fantastic. By and large the most difficult sections are squirrelled down side paths, with cash stashes or stamina and health pickups rewarding effort. A few are so exacting that the boss fights actually come as something of a relief. The ability to recover health by allowing Juan to sink to his haunches mean we pass the majority on our first or second attempt. That’s no bad thing, as even with an adventure that’s twice the size of the original more players should reach the end. It’s a beautiful journey, too, the first game’s gaudy, angular art losing none of its appeal; indeed, Guacamelee 2’ s vision of Hell rivals that of Pyre for the medium’s prettiest purgatory. Despite the extra detail, the action stays readable, though keeping track of the chicken during the later, more intense combat arenas can be tricky.

All of this is framed by a funny and inventive story which sees Juan travelling between multiple timelines to save not just his home but the whole Mexiverse. Drinkbox mostly uses this as an excuse to indulge itself with references to other games: there’s an early nod to an indie favourite in one dimension, while another pays tribute to Street Fighter II’s car-smashing bonus game. One side path leads to a turn-based RPG, another to a tricky homage to an arcade classic, and there’s even a satirical swipe at loot boxes with a terrific punchline – though it’s topped by a later zinger from a guitarplaying nun. But it’s not just wall-to-wall puns, quips and dad jokes: there’s plenty of heart here, too. An encounter with Juan’s wife in another timeline is both witty and touching; likewise, a short sidequest which sees you flip between the land of the living and dead to convey messages between a father and daughter. And the initial setup with Juan as a tired, paunchy dadof-two seven years on from the original pays off at the very end, in a moment of silent storytelling that proves unexpectedly affecting.

If Juan looks exhausted, you’ll know how he feels. Guacamelee 2’ s closing stretch in particular is so unrelentingly intense it can be ever so slightly draining. But even here it offers moments of catharsis, stirring in weaker enemies with stronger ones for gratifying onehit takedowns, and introducing a rare single-use power-up that gives the chicken a thrilling opportunity to peck on someone its own size. Bigger rarely means better, but Guacamelee 2 entertainingly proves the exception to the rule.

It’s not just wallto-wall puns, quips and dad jokes: there’s plenty of heart here, too