Everything's better with a little Guacamelee in Sequelpalooza: Part 2

 Indie game reviews Sequelpalooza: 

Part 2- Guacamelee 2

Written by JD Estrada

The 1st Guacamelee is a stellar beat 'em up platformer I have heartily recommended before. It’s fun and silly, but at its core it’s a great game. Beautiful graphics, tight and precise controls, rewards exploration, amazing music, and the type of game when you die, it’s because you messed up and not because the game was at fault. 

Enter Guacamelee 2 and everything I loved from the first game was revamped. Graphics look even better; stage design is amazing with some stunning graphic details that definitely make the game pop. Truly, the Mexiverse looks great and more than once I found myself stopping a second just to enjoy the view. 

The storyline is also a blast. As I mentioned, there’s a Mexiverse and would you know it, it’s at risk of collapsing because of a baddy who needs to find the recipe AND ingredients for a mystical guacamole. The supporting cast of characters is as fun as the first time out and I do think it’s a bit deeper in regard to storyline than the first one. I’m not a fan of spoilers so suffice to say that if in the first one, the idea of dying and having to traverse the underworld is taken up a notch, then you can imagine the ride you’re in store for. 

Then there’s the controls. Those wonderful controls. Ok, let’s start of this topic by saying that Guacamelee 2 is NOT an easy game. It’s also not an impossible game. It strikes a wonderful balance and to finish the main storyline, you need skills, but not crazy skills...that’s what you have a whole trove of bonus levels for. Like the levels of Inferno in Guacamelee 1, the sequel brings a set of stages for those hardcore gamers than don’t mind grinding until they finish. Challenges there range from psychotic platforming to beat-em-up scenarios that will push you to the brink. As for the game itself, the storyline will offer plenty of interesting challenges, including jump-dash-grapple-wall jump combos that can last upwards of a minute of absolute focus (If some of the screenshots look frantic, it’s because they are). Again, it has its tough moments, but it’s rarely cheap and ALWAYS rewarding. 

How about them nuances?

Guacamelee 1 had several nods to well-known video games and the sequel follows this tradition and takes it up SEVERAL notches, not just giving an Easter egg, but letting you play them. From RPG tribute levels, to fighting game bonus level nods, the variety, creativity, and laugh out loud goodness of these moments make it even more special for people who have been playing a long time. 

How much should you pay for this game? 

I got this game for less than $6 on sale...you don’t need to wait for gangbuster prices to get this game though. It’s WELL worth the full price of admission. DrinkBox Studio should be hella proud of this game. It’s an accomplishment across the board as a standalone and as a sequel to a game that blew me away. The level of polish shows the commitment to excellence and that this should be treated, spoken of, and played as a AAA game. Hats off to the team and remember, when it comes to life, you ALWAYS deserve to get the guac. 

YOU CAN GET THE GAME HERE: AT GOG FOR LESS THAN $6