Guacamelee 2

I can't say enough how enjoyable this game is.
There are many memes and references. Fighting is fun, and platforming is challenging, but not so hard that it makes you stop.
The story is simple yet solid.

The game offers a lot in both its combat (lots of attacks to use, with enemy weaknesses tied to specific abilities) and its platforming (multiple mechanics all offering a combination of different challenges).

I completed the game solo, so there were some moments in the combat encounters where I was challenged to think about my approach as opposed to button mashing. What was unexpectedly challenging for me were the platforming puzzles - given the vast amount of abilities offered to the player, the game provides a lot of ways to push those abilities to the limit.

This game is mostly linear in the sense that backtracking and revisiting of previous areas doesn't happen as aggressively as other Metroidvania titles. The game's premise is fun and quirky, but personally I wasn't expecting much depth in terms of storytelling as the dialogue and cutscenes lean a lot on video game references and light humour. Basically, the game isn't taking itself too seriously on that front.

Overall - a solid game. It scratched the itch I had to play a 2D beat-em-up with 'Smash Bros.'-like mechanics, but offered a lot more in the form of its platforming puzzles.

I played the first guac when it first arrived on steam but didn't actually get around to finishing it until 2025 and then found this on sale for under $10. Whilst it's very similar, the writing is pretty good. Please, save the Mexiverse.

It's a decent game but I prefer the simplicity, plot and structure of the first game. This one felt too long and exhausting in the end. Still fun though and worth a playthrough.

This is the second time I play through the game, had to buy it again just because the game is that good. As a metroidvania, as a beat 'em up, and as a platformer this game does everything right,
Also as a mexican myself, I can pretty much say that everything about this game, despite being overly stereotypical, does a lot of mexican references right, to the point that makes me proud being a mexican and enjoying through the many references and jokes this game constantly pulls.
My only gripe is just how short it takes to beat, and the fact that Hard mode is not available at the start (at least not unless you are aware of the cheat code, which I didn't until I was midway through the game).

Guacamelee 2 is an amazing sequel to the first game. However, it does do some serious stumbling in other areas that keep it from reaching the true heights the series can achieve.
The Good: The writing, art direction and moment-to-moment gameplay are still brilliant. They even beefed up the chicken form to be more than a reason to squeeze through small pathways. It was also awesome to see how they worked in the previous characters and fan reaction to the first game. Then there are all the awesome easter eggs they've scattered in the game! It's really a love letter to video games. Runs like a dream on the Steam Deck.
The Bad: The controls can still be finicky, especially when you add the chicken form into the mix and now you've gotta hit your controller like a stenographer playing the game as it progresses. I honestly don't know why it didn't get more forgiving than the first one. There are also weird difficulty spikes. The devs will absolutely rake you over the coals for $400 then you'll fight a boss who dies to a kitten sneezing in their direction.
The Ugly: This game *fetishizes* one-hit deaths. It's criminal. By about the halfway mark of the game, the environment can kill you in one hit, enemies can kill you in one hit and enemies that explode anywhere on the screen can kill you in one hit. Then you get to the challenge levels and you just want to rip your face off as you're trying to pull off twitch platforming with Juan and literally a fraction of a second will cause you to lose. On *numerous* occasions Juan has refused to jump, attack, react, etc. despite clearly hitting the button. I've never felt so gaslit by a video game before. The challenge levels themselves aren't really fun - they're frustrating. I'm assuming that's a chicken/egg thing given the controls.
But for all the criticisms I have, I couldn't put the game down. If you're not a crazy completionist, this game is an easy recommend at any price. If you are a crazy completionist, just be aware that it can be a little bit frustrating when deaths aren't in your control - literally.

Guacamelee 2 is a fun and fast-paced Metroidvania. You unlock several abilities through the course of the game that are used during combat and unlock paths to new locations. It has an interesting mechanic where you will find coloured blocks that will block your path and you will have to use the relevant ability to break it, this helps you to read the map and reduce backtracking, ensuring you will only go back to places that you really need to go.
The combat is fast-paced and is not hard at all, the toughest challenges are - actually - the Platformer aspct of the game, and only if you are planning to do the true end and/or 100% completion. One of the issues with the combat in my option is the hit-box, for some reason I feel it is so weird and it makes the combat not as responsive as I whiched for.
As for its aesthetic, I found it quite refreshing and funny. It has lots of homages to different famous games and lots of "memes", but I really loved was the Mexican background - though I would say it relies on stereotypes - I find funny and I loved the occasional Spanish word that appear here and there during the conversation.
You can play this game coach co-op up to 4 players, I never did that but I can only imagine it would be mayhem - which could be quite cool - similarity to Magicka.
It goes without it is an upgrade over Guacamelee 1, improving on every aspect of the game.