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.

Very epic game, took me a year to get all achievements but it was awesome. very cool very rewarding, would recommend

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).

I absolutely adore this game and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys platformers. It's on the easier side but remains engaging as not to be a snoozefest. I heavily recommend this game. It's worth the money at its normal price but frequently goes on a heavy sale in which case it is extremely worth the money.
Controls:
No notes, it's perfect. You get so many abilities and every single one of them functions and handles exactly how you'd think they should. It errs on the side of too lenient than not lenient enough which I think is exactly what this game needs.
Graphics:
I consider this one of the greatest looking games I've ever played. Some of the backgrounds for this game are drop dead gorgeous. Especially the visual themes for the land of the dead dimension made my jaw drop the first time I saw them. Every single enemy is visually distinct and have wonderful animations.
Difficulty:
This is where the game may stumble for some people. The short and sweet of is that around 80% of this game is relatively forgiving. However, I think part of why this is true is because of how well the game tutorializes their levels. The game slowly has you perform more and more complicated platforming challenges, each incorporating techniques learned in previous sections. This means that the game rarely throws more than 1 "new" challenge to you at any given time. That said, there are tricky sections, and I found them delightful. The vast majority of truly tricky areas are optional areas but I think the game is best played 100%ing it (and I rarely 100% games).
Story:
It's a non-story. Pretty goofy, but the characters which are present are silly and likable. It does what it needs to do in keeping the game moving. Nothing great here, but nothing I found to be annoying.
Replay value:
There is a hard mode which makes combat much more punishing, changes some enemy encounters to likewise be more difficult, and increases the speed of certain platforming hazards. Hard mode is definitely what you want to play after your first run, (it doesn't unlock until you beat the game once) and it's worth playing a second time or beyond.
Conclusion:
Hats off to DrinkBox. I got this in a random humble bundle I purchased, never thinking that it would someday become one of my favorite games of all time; but here we are. Thanks DrinkBox