The Guacamelee! series has seen success with its release back in 2013 on the PlayStation 3 and Vita, followed up by an enhanced version for the PS4. Developer Drinkbox Studios has been busily working on a sequel since that time (when they weren?t busy working on the wonderful Severed in the meantime, that is), and we were recently able to go hands-on at Sony?s PlayStation Experience 2017 convention. Read our impressions to see what?s changed.
Juan Unretires
Guacamelee! 2 takes place seven years after the events of the first game. Protagonist Juan Aguacate has been living a quiet life with his family, but of course such things don?t last forever. A new menace threatens to not only destroy Mexico, but also time and space itself. Though Juan may have become a bit doughy in the intervening years, he quickly sheds his unassuming demeanor and dons the luchador outfit. From that point on, it?s as if nothing really changed and Juan and pals are back to fighting evil. The first Guacamelee! had some wonderful, colorful, Mexican-inspired visuals. These have been enhanced in the sequel. While the original was done entirely in 2D, Guacamelee! 2 features 3D elements without changing the game?s perspective. Normal mapping has been applied, which results in great lighting on these assets. What?s more, Drinkbox?s proprietary game engine now includes 4K and HDR support when the game is loaded onto a PS4 Pro. Targeting 60 frames per second also ensures that all the luchador and killer chicke...