Guacamelee! 2

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,238 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • humor
Guacamelee! 2 Game Cover
A colourful, enthralling adventure, Guacamelee! 2 is a superb sequel to a superb game.
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In Guacamelee! 2, Juan Aguacate returns for a new Metroidvania-style adventure to save the Mexiverse from threat. The game features a hand-crafted world inspired by Mexican culture, with new wrestling moves and chicken-based abilities to explore and combat. Skeletal hordes, sassy villains, and platforming challenges await in this colorful and humorous sequel.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,238 reviews
gameplay131 positive mentions
grinding12 negative mentions
  • Engaging combat system that combines platforming and fighting mechanics effectively.
  • Vibrant art style and catchy soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
  • Humorous writing and clever references that add charm and personality to the game.
  • Some platforming challenges can be frustratingly difficult, requiring precise timing and execution.
  • The story feels less compelling and more convoluted compared to the first game.
  • Lack of significant new mechanics or innovations, making it feel too similar to the original.
  • gameplay318 mentions

    The gameplay in "Guacamelee 2" is largely an evolution of its predecessor, featuring a mix of engaging combat and platforming mechanics that are both fun and challenging. While it retains the core mechanics that made the first game enjoyable, it introduces new elements like enhanced chicken abilities and additional moves, which add variety and depth. However, some players feel that the gameplay can become repetitive and overly linear, with certain mechanics feeling cluttered or frustrating at times. Overall, the game is praised for its polished controls, vibrant art style, and humorous writing, making it a solid metroidvania experience.

    • “The platforming in the first 8 hours was engaging and diverse, with the ability to switch between Juan and the chicken, jumping between different dimensions – innovative features that truly made the gameplay unique and captivating.”
    • “Building upon the success of its predecessor, Guacamelee 2 expands on the vibrant and thrilling gameplay of the original game.”
    • “The gameplay is fast, can be challenging (but never unfair), and hilarious.”
    • “The story feels forced and gameplay lacks flow (it's basically just lucha after lucha after platforming puzzle after lucha... ad nauseam).”
    • “Mechanically, there are some truly heinous and BS challenges, with the worst ones revolving around the new grapple mechanic which is easily one of the worst aspects of the game the more precision gets demanded of it.”
    • “I found the game a little too linear for a metroidvania, and I did not enjoy what I felt was an overuse of instant kill mechanics towards the end of the game.”
  • story281 mentions

    The story of "Guacamelee 2" is characterized by its lighthearted and silly tone, filled with humor and pop culture references, though it often feels less engaging and more convoluted than its predecessor. While some players appreciate the comedic elements and the continuation of the protagonist's journey through a multiverse, others criticize the pacing, one-dimensional characters, and a lack of depth in the plot, making it feel more like a backdrop for gameplay than a compelling narrative. Overall, the story is seen as entertaining but not particularly memorable, with many reviewers suggesting that it relies heavily on the original game's context for full appreciation.

    • “The story is fun, the dank memes are fun, and the dialogue is funny.”
    • “The writing is silly and doesn't take itself too seriously, but still manages to tell an engaging story and present me with characters I care about.”
    • “The villains' backstory/motivation doesn't get explained until 30 minutes before the end and is nowhere near as interesting as the villain of the original title.”
    • “The story feels forced and gameplay lacks flow; it's basically just lucha after lucha after platforming puzzle after lucha... ad nauseam.”
    • “The story is both silly and cohesive, with a sense of purpose.”
  • humor244 mentions

    The humor in Guacamelee 2 is a standout feature, characterized by clever writing, playful references, and a mix of silly and self-aware jokes that resonate with both casual players and hardcore fans. While some players appreciate the abundance of memes and comedic moments, others find the humor hit-or-miss, with critiques on its reliance on dated references. Overall, the game successfully combines its vibrant art style and engaging gameplay with a lighthearted tone, making it a fun experience for those who enjoy its comedic flair.

    • “The humor is as sharp as ever, and like the first game, it has jokes that will appeal to the masses as well as clever, more obscure gags that only hardcore fans will truly appreciate.”
    • “I almost fell out of my chair laughing at multiple characters, most of them chickens.”
    • “The writing is hilarious and will leave you in stitches on a whim.”
    • “Feels like the writer went too hard on 'wink to the player' moments, without realizing they make no sense and end up not funny at all.”
    • “Honestly, I might have slogged through the game if it weren't for the fact that I knew the only rewards were unfunny jokes and an uninteresting plot.”
    • “In this one, it's mostly unfunny, sometimes just stupid, and sometimes cliché.”
  • music183 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and energetic soundtrack that blends mariachi and electronic elements, enhancing the overall atmosphere. However, some players feel it falls short compared to the original game's score, describing it as less memorable or repetitive. Overall, while the music is generally well-received and complements the gameplay, opinions vary on its distinctiveness and impact compared to its predecessor.

    • “The music is fantastic and the combat is fun.”
    • “The art direction, music, combat, platforming, story, everything works so perfectly together into one of the best and most entertaining metroidvanias I've ever played.”
    • “The music is super-distinctive and for some reason much more memorable than before.”
    • “The music also feels like a significant step down, which was very disappointing.”
    • “I found the music to be repetitive and annoying.”
    • “I was likewise unimpressed with the changes to the music.”
  • graphics160 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant and unique art style, which draws heavily from Mexican culture and enhances the overall experience. While some reviewers noted a lack of variety in environments, the improved visuals, including dynamic lighting and detailed animations, contribute to a polished and engaging aesthetic. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, complementing its fun gameplay and humor.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and polished.”
    • “The graphics are unique in an awesome way!”
    • “The visuals are great, although the story is kind of lame.”
    • “The graphics are improved, most notably the lighting and reflections; however, the new zones in this darker timeline mostly look the same to me.”
    • “It's functional but certainly contributes to the game having a certain soulless vibe in its presentation that unfortunately goes against the genuinely expressive art style that this otherwise has.”
    • “Aside from that... while the game definitely looks better, aesthetically it's a lot more homogenous; the areas don't feel anywhere near as distinct in this game as they did in the first, and I'm going to put the blame squarely on the darker aesthetic this game goes for.”
  • atmosphere13 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its vibrant and engaging design, combining humor, cultural references, and captivating music to create a unique experience. Reviewers highlight the game's charming, cartoonish writing and its ability to evoke a rich Mexican ambiance, enhancing both the gameplay and emotional depth. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, elevating the game beyond its simple 2D platforming roots.

    • “2 has some of the best atmosphere, environment, and scenery I have ever seen, with its transition from the living world to the world of the dead, like in Mexican tradition, to its great Mexican music. It really made me happy how well the atmosphere was put together!”
    • “Despite being a 2D platformer, the music and visual design come together to create a deeper atmosphere than a game this simple should probably have.”
    • “The atmosphere is charming as usual, and the writing is distinctly 'cartoony,' which is nothing different from the first game.”
    • “Atmosphere will feel similar to the first game, though this time around it's a lot more colorful and has slightly more places to visit.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be a mixed experience; while some players appreciate the challenge and the satisfaction of overcoming difficult puzzles followed by combat, others find certain segments tedious and repetitive. The game lacks overly grindy achievements, but some challenges feel unnecessarily time-consuming. Overall, the level design and pacing can lead to frustration, particularly in later stages, detracting from the enjoyment of exploration and combat.

    • “In summary, the game might appeal to those with very nimble fingers or those who enjoy grinding through the same locations a hundred times.”
    • “Some challenges are way too 'grindy' and are not worth the time.”
    • “Don't get me wrong, I love a good challenge, but some segments of this game try to be challenging but are just boring and tedious.”
  • emotional12 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players found it surprisingly touching and engaging, others criticized the story as boring and overly meta. The writing and atmosphere are noted for their ability to evoke feelings, particularly in the game's ending, though the humor often undercuts the emotional weight. Overall, it offers moments of genuine emotion amidst a lighthearted and humorous narrative.

    • “The story was surprisingly emotional at parts, though it never takes itself too seriously.”
    • “A great game with gameplay that's easy to learn but hard to master (great combat) and a simple story with an emotional end.”
    • “The writing and atmosphere in the game were engaging and captivating, fun and touching.”
    • “Boring story, forced puns, same attacks as before have to be relearned...”
    • “Very boring story at the beginning of the game.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with some players experiencing noticeable frame stuttering and performance issues, particularly in crowded or visually complex areas. While the overall gameplay remains enjoyable, the linear design and increasing challenge in later levels can detract from the experience, suggesting that further optimization could enhance player satisfaction.

    • “Performance could be improved significantly, and the level design in the later temples starts to dwindle as the challenge skyrockets, making it tedious and almost boring to try and finish a room.”
    • “The game improves on the original Guacamelee; the only issue is that there are performance issues.”
    • “I have performance issues; they're not serious (a bit of frame stuttering), but they're there. I'm not quite certain what's causing them, though, and it's entirely possible that it is an issue with my rig.”
    • “Don't bother with this stuttering mess.”
    • “Performance could be improved significantly and the level design in the later temples starts to dwindle as the challenge skyrockets, making it tedious and almost boring to try and finish a room.”
    • “The only reason it's not a 10 is due to lack of framerate optimization during rainy or overly crowded areas.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    Guacamelee 2 offers limited replayability, primarily due to its short length and minimal additional content beyond a few achievements and a speedrun leaderboard. While some players find potential in future DLC and multiplayer options, the current gameplay lacks depth for repeated playthroughs, especially in co-op mode where synchronization can be challenging. Overall, it shows more promise for replayability than its predecessor, but still falls short of being a highly replayable title.

    • “I'm only over 5 hours in at the time of writing this, but I can already say that this is definitely going to be more replayable than the first game.”
    • “The adventure has the potential for replay value, especially with DLC, achievements, and multiplayer for up to four players thrown into the mix.”
    • “Upside is that the game is highly replayable, although I would like two more temples; that would be great.”
    • “Guacamelee 2 is a short game and has next to no replay value, outside of a single achievement and an in-game speedrun leaderboard.”
    • “No mechanic feels wasted, though the 'proving grounds' challenge levels reveal that their ideas go much further. Sadly, new concepts aren't developed beyond single minigames with not much replay value.”
    • “And I can't recommend an action game where I don't see replay value.”
  • monetization4 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the sequel has drawn criticism for prioritizing profit over community engagement, as it lacks workshop support and relies on selling skin packs, leading some to perceive it as a cash grab despite the absence of microtransactions. Overall, while the game introduces some new elements, many feel it primarily recycles the original's formula.

    • “Microtransactions: none.”
    • “Sadly, Drinkbox decided that community creative input by disabling workshop support was less important than the few microtransactions they could squeeze out of selling a few skin packs on the store page.”
    • “While this sequel does bring a decent mix of old and new (mechanics, characters, etc.), at the end of the day, it mostly felt like a cash grab.”
    • “Not saying this sequel is a cash grab, but like the other negative reviews confirmed - the game, despite adding a few (unnecessary) elements, is just a recycling of the first game formula.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is minimal and primarily focuses on alternate reality versions of characters that players do not feel attached to, leading to a lack of emotional investment. The main villain lacks depth and backstory, contributing to an overall disappointing experience in terms of character growth and narrative engagement.

    • “The little character development there is is for alternate reality versions of existing characters that you don't really care about since they're not 'your' versions of the characters.”
    • “Makes some really mild improvements in gameplay over the original, but is generally worse in pretty much every other category; writing, character design, level design, how obnoxious the references are, how tedious backtracking is, etc. Most of the game is absolutely pathetic difficulty-wise outside of maybe one or two optional rooms for collectibles, and the main villain is a complete nobody with an absolutely barebones backstory and a comically easy boss fight to go with it.”
    • “There was no character development.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, users find the game to run smoothly on various devices, including lower-end hardware like school laptops, indicating good stability. However, some feel that the price may not reflect its value unless purchased on sale.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

85% average critic score

Buy Guacamelee! 2

Play time

17hMedian play time
17hAverage play time
9hMain story
15hCompletionist
5-29hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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