Guacamelee! – Add Some Spicy Burrrrrn to Your Playstation 3!

Guacamelee! Is a game I’d been watching for a while, but didn’t jump on until I received a glowing recommendation from a buddy. It’s been touted as “Luchador Metroid” and that’s not entirely far from the truth. What Guacamelee! Does is blend elements into something entirely unique and fresh. Available on the PSN, it promises to become one of the platform’s standout games of the year.

A Mexican theme is highly prevalent in Guacamelee! from the Luchador element to the Dia de Meurtos theme and aesthetic. It’s very fresh and appealing, and makes Guacamelee! Stand out among other games. It stays visually interesting and presents a narrative that – while fairly traditional – moves with enough momentum and characterization to keep you going. As agave farmer Juan, you will become a Luchador and strive to rescue El Presidente’s Daughter from the evil Calaca who has a plan that spans both the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead.

The obvious comparison that is drawn between Guacamelee! and other games is that it resembles Metroid and Castlevania games in that it presents an interconnected world where you can progress and find secrets through the acquisition of new abilities. Guacamelee! is a little more straightforward than these games for the most part, most of the paths are blocked with obvious colour coded slabs, and the (super useful) map marks these for you for when you return to open them back up. Despite this, there are a few areas that require some ingenuity to breach so the game is really no slouch.

So these elements of Metroid apply to world and level design. But Guacamelee! lends itself as a brawler, very much a beat-em-up. As the name says, combat is primarily melee. It’s very combo and throw heavy. It’s very satisfying to interrupt enemies by throwing them into one another, to dodge their attacks and counterattack perfectly, to combo them to oblivion before they ever have the chance to return fire. Regardless of how congested the screen can get, or how brutal the combination of enemies presented is, or how tricky a boss may seem the game always feels fair because everything works as it is supposed to. Kudos!

As a possible downside to the combat, I would say I’d have appreciated 3-4 more enemy types. As it stands you will fight the same enemies the whole way through the game, generally with a new type added in a new area (some exclusive to the area). This gets a little visually redundant, though the game does manage to keep combat fresh. Different combinations of enemies in different room layouts present a very different combat situation every time. And this is often used to effect. Not to mention, enemies eventually wear force field style shields that can only be broken with certain attacks. So every situation requires a different strategy, no matter how similar it may seem. I will say the bosses are excellent and each plays differently from the other. And they seem to behave a little differently on Hard Mode as well.

Hard Mode is a smart addition, but I do wish there were more than one save file in this game. It’s not totally necessary, but I’d have liked to have both my Normal and Hard playthroughs on hand to compare them at the end. Their times, the map coverage, or even to do side by side comparisons of the enemy strengths. I guess one could create a new profile, but it lacks the convenience that could be there. I think just having one save irks me in general?

Guacamelee! is also a platformer. You’l jump, walljump, and uppercut your way to new areas. Platforming is satisfying because it uses all of your abilities – both travel AND combat – to complete any given situation. Eventually you gain the ability to [spoiler]switch between the Lands of the Living and Dead[/spoiler] and you will use this frequently in very inventive situations – again, both in travel AND combat! There is so much depth in this game.

I should mention the other caveat about Guacamelee! at this point, for all of its depth it is a short game. I’d have liked another area or two, perhaps somewhere optional, or another boss or two. Or a few more sidequests with more substance beyond ‘fetch this.’ But here’s the thing – I’m already on my second playthrough and have every intention of playing it again in the future. Perhaps I want it to be longer because I didn’t want it to end. And when a game leaves you wanting more, that’s usually a good sign.

Most of the added exploration comes from finding chests for stamina and health upgrades, or money to purchase upgrades to Juan’s abilities. The most difficult collectables to find are a set of six items. These will impact the ending, so keep your eyes peeled!

I’ve mentioned flavour of the game. The visuals really are very fresh, but the music is really just as fresh.  It fit’s the Mexican theme and is well done in general. It even has variations for when you use the aforementioned [spoiler]“dimension swapping”[/spoiler] ability. The writing is really well done, hitting up some likeable NPCs and a lot of referential material. The latter really surprised me. You’re not as inundated with references as you are in, say, Retro City Rampage (also fantastic). But there are a lot of sly references and plenty of overt ones yourself. And not just in dialog, but in background elements as well. From signage, to set pieces, to even the exposed bricks in a wall forming sprite silhouettes. Metroid especially gets a lot of love. There is a lot to take in and I found myself grinning again and again and again. I won’t spoil too many of these, but here’s a few examples:

Really, this game was a joy to play through. So much flavour, so much depth. The degree of polish and care is plainly evident. It’s a little short, but everything is intuitive and leaves you wanting more. This is a game that takes traditional elements and creates its own unique identity. And hey, it tastes a lot better than any guacamole Doritos ever have ;).