Guacamelee 2 - Review

I remember playing the original Guacamelee! on the PS Vita a number of years ago and had a lot of fun playing it.  I was eager to play Guacamelee! 2 when it was released in 2018, but as these things often go I got distracted with other things.  I finally downloaded Guacamelee! 2 the other day and couldn't wait to play it.


I like chicken wings, but unless you are willing to go to a restaurant, or go to the effort of making them yourself it's hard to buy good shop bought ones.  I recently came across Diggers Hot 'N' Spicy Wings, I was intrigued so I bought a box of them.  Well damn, if they weren't tasty and had quite a heat to them.  Playing Guacmelee 2! I found myself asking would this be another disappointing shop bought chicken wing or would this be something special?

Story


Since Juan saved the world he got married, had a few kids, and he has let himself go a little.  If I'm honest he seemed a little unhappy, I suppose saving the world is a high that is hard to top.  But wait, what's that the world isn't trouble but the entire Mexiverse is?  Who can save us?  Luchador Juan!  The enemy this time is a luchador by the name of Salvador.  He is evil and has a bad case of smokers cough.  He intends to obtain the magical guacamole made by a god to take over and destroy the Mexiverse.  But fear, not Juan will not do it alone, he has allies and the Chicken Illuminati (we're not supposed to talk about them).


Overall the story is a lot of fun.  The game is not afraid to poke fun at itself, use cheesy and pun related jokes and generally be silly.  The game also has a lot of heart and there is a lot of effort put into the story as a whole, which for a Castlevania-style game is pretty different to a lot of others available on the market.

Visuals


The game is very vibrant even though the story itself is quite dark itself.  If I had to provide an image to describe the visuals in Guacamelee! 2, I would say it's like a bunch of colourful pinatas in a graveyard.  The game is dark but offers hope through its colourful imagery.  There is a nice day of the dead undertone throughout the game which looks great and works really well.  Some of the enemies from the first game are still present but there are also a number of new ones too.


Overall the game looks superb and it was a pleasure to look at the world, often to detriment of Juan's health.


Music


The music is so much fun and I found it hard to describe the feel of the music.  When I was listening to the soundtrack on Band Camp it was described as 'Mexican-inspired brass, strings and guitars blend with driving electronic beats (and the occasional chicken)'.  This is a perfect description of the soundtrack and I could not say it better.  The music is composed by Peter Chapman, Rom Di Prisco and Mariachi Entertainment System.  Some of their works include; Little Big Planet Karting, Castle Game, Unreal Tournament 3 and Guacamelee! The Mariachi Entertainment System cover many great songs everything from Kirby, Zelda and Chrono Trigger to the Avengers Theme.


The score runs at over ninety minutes and has 32 tracks.  My favourite tracks were; 'Guacamelee 2 Main Theme', 'Salvador's Theme', 'Badlands', 'Guacamelee 2 Theme Marachi Edition',
'Prison El Corazon', 'Pueblucho Darkest Timeline (World of the Dead)', 'La Tragedia De Salvador',
'Tempo De La Serpentine', 'Final Boss Theme', 'Los Manglares' and 'New Boss Theme'.  Big shout out to the Chicken Illuminati HQ track which by far one of the most fun tracks I have heard in a while.


Overall the soundtrack was fantastic and really shows how important music is in video games.

Gameplay


Guacamelee! 2 is Castlevania-style brawler but in earnest this doesn't define the game well enough.  There was a point in the game where I had to beat a heart to death in the chest of a man-dog-undead-shaman, this really sums up the game. 


There will be plenty of enemies to punch, throw, and headbutt throughout the game.  Outside of, this there will be moves that will help you get around or up obstacles.   Juan also has a secondary form, Juan Pollo!  Navigating the world as a chicken is a lot of fun, and in honesty even when it wasn't necessary I used it.


There are new allies in the game which give you access to skill trees.  These are quite fun and really add to the overall gameplay.  If you want some help the game can also be played in 4-player.


The game has a lot of fun games references, one of the areas you go into has signs for Tripple Dragon, Rivera City Ransom and includes the Street Fighter car bonus level.


Overall the game offers challenging gameplay that will bring you close to the point of frustration but never actually gets there.  That being said on the occasion while playing the game some parts felt a little overly awkward but as a whole, I had a lot of fun.




Final Thoughts

So, after spending twelve hours in the Mexiverse how did I feel?  Really happy.  It was a great experience offering an interesting story, vibrant fun visuals a great soundtrack and some fun gameplay.  In honesty, it is hard to fault the game, with the exception of the occasional bit of overly awkward gameplay.  This one gets a solid 4 out of 5