Guacamelee! 2 is a Mexican brawler from developers Drinkbox Studios and is a follow-up to the 2013 original. It’s a platform puzzler with a distinctive graphics style and humour.

You play Juan, a luchador libre wrestling champion. The game picks up just after the events of the first game. Having rescued the president’s daughter, you find that you are now married to her. Having settled into connubial bliss and, having sire two children, Juan has let himself go.

When a dark cloud appears, so does Juan’s old mentor who informs him that the whole of the Mexiverse is in dire danger. Only by going to the Darkest Timeline and confronting Salvador can Juan save his own world. Along the way he meets an old friend who restores his wrestling mask and his abilities. Salvador is after relics and if successful he will destroy all timelines.

As you progress through the game Juan gains better offensive and defensive capabilities and progress will depend on your ability to master these new moves, including the updated chicken transformation. The world you traverse is colourful and varied, with numerous enemies and bosses to take on.

There are also training rooms where more new tricks can be obtained. In general, the levels are well designed, and the stylistic Mexican inspired art makes for environments you don’t mind spending time in

The whole game is played for laughs, so your reaction to the humour will depend on your overall enjoyment of the game. You do have to go some before Juan recovers all his abilities, but when he does it offers up a diverse gameplay.

The game offers up a well-balanced combat system, keeping things just the right side of difficult. You will die, probably a lot while you're getting used to the system, but none of the challenges are impossible. You can also play with others to make things a little easier.

Smartly written, the game offers up hours of platforming joy.

7

Charles Packer