Guacamelee 2
A SPICY SECOND HELPING
$29.95 | PC, PS4 | drinkboxstudios.com
JUAN AGUACATE’S QUEST to save the Mexiverse from evil skeleton Carlos Calaca in the original Guacamelee! provided one of the best Metroidvania-style platformers on the market. Now, our favourite luchador returns to the ring for another round of Mexicanthemed hilarity that offers new special abilities, more demanding platforming, killer combos against a greater array of enemies, and even more chicken-based chaos.
Not content with stepping between the lands of the living and the dead, Guacamelee2 also sees you travel between timelines. This reality hopping helps to weave an intricate and exciting tale filled with old allies and kooky newcomers. The first game’s razor-sharp wit returns, and practically every line of dialogue in this dimension-swapping story will have you chuckling.
New abilities make for a sequel that has an even greater punch, but the real game-changer is the enhanced chicken elements. Juan’s ability to transform into a chicken is now not only reserved for squeezing into small spaces, but can also be used for some frantic fighting and even has its very own set of special moves. There are areas to explore where you can find sacred chicken chambers that bestow new abilities on your feathered fellow. These fowl-based sections are such fun we’d be perfectly happy to run around as a chicken for the entire game.
Guacamelee2 staunchly sticks to the formula of the first, making the additions feel more like an extension of the original. And this is no bad thing, Juan’s initial outing was a masterful Metroidvania, and this keeps everything we loved, while adding cool new abilities, obstacles that make for an even greater challenge, and extra enemies to ensure the combat elements remain fresh. It’s exactly what we want from a sequel. If you didn’t enjoy the demanding nature of the first, you won’t find this any more appealing, but if you loved the original’s blend of slapstick humour, hand-painted visuals, and bold platforming, don’t miss round two.