REVIEW: Guacamelee!

This game will take you through a whirlwind of Mexican wrestlers, huge chickens, goat men, and that's just the start.

Developer: Drinkbox Studios | Publisher: Drinkbox Studios| Genre: Platformer / 2D

PS3 | PS Vita | Windows PC | Mac OS X | Linux

DrinkBox Studios have gone all out in their latest title, offering players addictive and genuienly well-thought out gameplay, although it could've been a lot longer.

Guacamelee! puts you in the shoes of Juan Aguacate - your run of the mill Mexican farmer who's trying to make a living the best he can, that's until the president's daughter is kidnapped, in which it becomes Juan's mission to save her using his newly acquired Luchador (or Mexican wrestler if you will) skills. In other words, you're given a special mask that grants you various abilities that see you fit to be the next Knight in shining armour so to speak. 

The first thing sure to get your attention are the graphics - the artist(s) did an excellent job on perfecting that sharp looking cartoon imagery, which not only is a treat for the eyes but will more than likely make you want to delve further into the game. Each area is distinguished by a certain look, whether it be the gloomy dark temples or the roasting hot desert landscapes, and its things like this that show the sheer amount of thought and effort put into the game. 

All of the game is 2D and utilizes that perfectly with the use of environments and obstacles suited to those retro ideologies, once again proving you don't need fancy graphics or gameplay to make a good game - Guacamelee! is definitely one of those titles that feels like you're back playing NES, but with a modern twist and overall feel which most gamers will welcome with open arms.

Once you're free to explore the world, you can either pursue the main objective or seek out sidequests to get a wider experience of what the game has to offer - this is recommended as you'll encounter more items and cash. However, not everywhere is instantly accessible - much like Symphony of the Night, certain areas can only be entered upon obtaining the appropriate skill, this makes for replayability as you'll more than likely find yourself going back to areas previously locked.

There are a healthy amount of enemies to keep you busy and often will truly test your knowledge of your current skill set - skills involve typical wrestling moves such as the Suplex, however there are more 'magical' abilities that allow you to really pack a punch into the enemy, as well as opening certain areas of the maps. Some enemies can only be killed through very particular abilities, for example if an enemy is surrounded with a red glow/shield, they can only be defeated through the uppercut move - some areas of the game throw all sorts of enemies at you which will actually make you think of what to do instead of mindless button mashing.

For the most part, the quests are actually very entertaining and often funny - one that comes to mind is having to bash a bunch of chickens back into their coop (Zelda?), another example includes having to physically morph into a chicken yourself, yes there's a lot of chicken action in this game, but it's all good fun and reminds you games don't have to be overly serious to enjoy. REVIEW1

Overall, Guacamelee! will keep you entertained long enough to make you want more, however the only real downfall lies in its length - its way too short and could have done with more quests and a few more areas. But as a whole, the game is a lot of fun and is a brilliant portrayal of retro influences in contemporary gaming.

7/10