Guacamelee! 2 Review

The fighting is no slouch, either. Enemies are as fun and varied as the platforming challenges, constantly switching up mechanics to keep you on your toes throughout the screen-filling scraps. Some enemies need to be hit by certain moves to become vulnerable, some need you to hop between dimensions to lay the smack down on them. All of this is conveyed effortlessly through clean, readable and inoffensive prompts that convey exactly what’s expected of you – even if you’re getting thoroughly battered in the process.

Presentation:

If Guacamelee 2 stumbles – and honestly I’m not sure that it does – it’s in its questionable presentation. Now, don’t take that the wrong way – the game looks gorgeous (and sounds brilliant too) – but the entire aesthetic of the game feels like it was ripped out of an episode of South Park.

Everything is so stereotypically ‘Mexican’ – with that vibe cranked up as hard as the dial allows – that it begins to feel a little disingenuous. Guacamelee 2 feels like a celebration of Mexican culture, but everything it presents is so on the nose and cliché that it begins to feel like a little too much fun is being had at the expense of this nacho loving, poncho-wearing, Dia de los Muertos-obsessed people.

As a fairly ignorant individual when it comes to Mexican culture – most of my own knowledge comes from similarly ‘themed’ products to Guacamelee – I can’t really weigh in on this – not in any way that actually matters. But I do know that Stereotypes can be hilarious and loving, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be cutting or cruel – and these two approaches aren’t even mutually exclusive. As a Brit I’ve endured my fair share of barbed media that pokes fun whilst also celebrating a culture; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes it manages both at once. As an outsider looking in, Guacamelee 2 balances on a knife edge when it comes to cultural representation – I absolutely loved its world, its people and –above all – it’s brilliant sense of humour. But I understand that your mileage may absolutely vary.

Conclusion:

There’s a load to love about Guacamelee! 2. It’s got heaps of great content, an enjoyable levelling up system, slick combat and fluid platforming challenges. It’s constantly engaging thanks to a smooth difficulty curve that always expects more of you as you careen through its ten hour campaign. It may not be doing anything strikingly new within the genre, but what it does it does flawlessly, much like its predecessor. My time with the title never felt dull or repetitive, and even though it doesn’t even offer a wildly different experience from the game it’s a sequel to, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable experience that I consider a must play for anyone with a passion for the genre.