Platform: PC
Developer/Publisher: Drinkbox Studios
Genre: Metroidvania, Platformer, Beat-em-up
Gameplay Stats: 15 hours, 29/49 achievements, 0/2 DLC
Finally! I really loved the original Guacamelee and I've been looking forward to the sequel since DrinkBox announced they were working on it. Not enough to buy it on launch, but enough to buy it in the Humble Bundle the day it was announced.
Visuals: This game is intentionally drawn to look like a Saturday morning cartoon and I think it's a smart choice. It will look stylish and excellent as it ages. It's the same visual style as the first game, so I don't have too much new to say here. I will say that I think they added a whole lot more in the foreground in this game than they had in the previous game. This makes it look better, but play a bit worse. I can see why they made the trade off, this game is gorgeous and I think this is definitely a strength. Hopefully it means they'll get more sales. I really love the theme of the game and hope that more games decide to try out Dia de los Muertos.
Audio: The music in this game is great! I've actually listened to the soundtrack a couple times at work since finishing the game. No super standout tracks, but the whole thing is excellent. I prefer the Land of the Dead music, but I think players are supposed to. All the grunting sound effects sound good, but you will hear them so many times that they're bound to get annoying. Nothing is as annoying as the chicken sounds though! I suspect this is on purpose, but it is still grating.
Plot: Save the world! Again! You have to collect three triangles of power to make the tortilla chip of legend to keep the big bad guy from eating the guacamole of power! I'm not joking and I think it's glorious. The plot is intentionally ridiculous because it's not a plot driven game. It knows that's not why the player is there, so it doesn't waste time and tries to be amusing. I think they did pretty well overall, I got several chuckles throughout the game, it's all very tongue in cheek. I don't think I actually laughed out loud at any parts. My wife was actually able to give me some spoilers based on her knowledge of Spanish, which I thought was a neat touch.
Gameplay: Much like the first game, this game controls fantastically! It picks up with a bit more difficulty than the first did, which was kind of nice. Instead of starting a sequel back at square one and learning everything all over again, they had a tutorial dungeon which did all of the old stuff and started incorporating some of the new stuff too. Some of the more challenging bits are actually really tough this time too. It's nice! I remember 100% completing the previous game with not too much resistance. I didn't quite 100% this one, but I will when I replay it at some point when I get the DLCs.
I really enjoyed my time with this game and I think that anyone that enjoyed the first game will feel similarly. [9/10]
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