8.5 /10 3

Guacamelee! 2 takes the already beloved luchador Metroidvania formula and stretches it into a denser, trickier, and funnier adventure. Critics on Metacritic and OpenCritic praise its tight platforming, co-op chaos, and Mexican folklore flair. This review looks at how the sequel plays in 2026, from mechanics and performance to longevity and how it stacks up against rival Metroidvanias.

How to Play Guacamelee! 2

Guacamelee! 2 is a side-scrolling Metroidvania where you chain wrestling-style strikes, special moves, and dimension swaps to traverse large interconnected maps.[184] Expect frequent platforming set-pieces, arena fights, and secrets that reward experimental movement rather than grinding stats.

1. Controls – On a gamepad, basic attacks sit on the face buttons, with shoulder triggers mapped to dodge, grab, and dimension shift. The move set grows quickly, but inputs stay consistent so the main learning curve is timing, not memorization.
2. Progression – New abilities unlock from statues and trainers, opening colour-coded obstacles that double as combat tools. Backtracking stays brisk thanks to fast-travel altars and compact zone layouts that keep the critical path readable.
3. Combat/Mechanics – Encounters mix brawler-style juggling with enemies shielded by coloured armour that demands matching special moves. Swapping between living and dead worlds mid-combo keeps even small skirmishes tactically engaging.
4. Tips – Prioritise mobility upgrades like the Eagle Boost, collect stamina and health fragments whenever you see them, and chip away at optional challenge rooms over multiple visits instead of marathoning the hardest sequences.

Who Should Play Guacamelee! 2

This sequel suits players who enjoy demanding, mechanically dense 2D action rather than relaxed exploration. Difficulty sits above most platformers yet below the cruelest precision games, especially if you tackle side challenges after mastering core movement.

• Player 1 – Metroidvania fans who love revisiting earlier zones with new powers will appreciate how often fresh routes, shortcuts, and secrets appear without bloating the map.
• Player 2 – Local co-op groups wanting a full campaign to share on the couch will enjoy synchronising throws, juggles, and dimension swaps across up to four players while still keeping the action readable.
• Player 3 – Action-platformer devotees coming from Hollow Knight or Ori will find a shorter, punchier adventure focused more on combat puzzles than on pure atmosphere.
• Skip if – You dislike high-precision platforming, meme-heavy humour, or replaying tricky rooms after failures, even when checkpoints are frequent and deaths are rarely punishingly long setbacks.

Guacamelee! 2 Platform Performance

Guacamelee! 2 is lightweight by modern standards, so current PCs and consoles run it effortlessly, with silky animation and snappy loading in most scenes. The main differences across platforms relate to resolution targets, legacy enhancement modes, and minor input latency variations.

Guacamelee! 2 System Requirements

On PC, Guacamelee! 2 targets very modest hardware, mirroring the low barrier shown on official requirement listings for Steam and Epic. Any recent Windows machine with a DirectX 11 GPU and a couple of gigabytes free should run it smoothly.

Similar Games to Guacamelee! 2

In 2026 the Metroidvania field is crowded, yet Guacamelee! 2 still carves out a niche with its lucha-comedy tone and combo-driven combat. If you are deciding what to play next, these alternatives frame where it sits mechanically and tonally.

• Hollow Knight – Similar emphasis on exploration and secrets, but with a far larger, moodier world, tougher baseline combat, and a much longer main campaign.
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps – Shares precise platforming and upgrade-driven progression, yet focuses on emotional storytelling and flowing acrobatics over brawler-style encounters.
• Dead Cells – Offers equally responsive 2D action, but in a roguelike structure built around runs, loot, and meta-progression instead of a fixed, hand-crafted map.
• Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition – The first game, leaner and slightly simpler, acting as a spiritual starting point for the Mexiverse and its key characters.

Guacamelee! 2 vs Competitors

Against heavyweight peers, Guacamelee! 2 trades sheer scope for intensity. It is shorter than Hollow Knight or Ori, but its combat-focused rooms, four-player co-op, and elaborate challenge sequences give it a distinct role in a modern Metroidvania rotation.

Guacamelee! 2 Story & World

Set years after Juan’s retirement, Guacamelee! 2 throws him back into the Mexiverse to stop rival luchador Salvador from collapsing parallel timelines. The premise is delightfully absurd, yet the world feels coherent thanks to vivid Mexican-inspired villages, haunted temples, jungles, and underworld vistas rendered in bold, colourful silhouettes. Dialogue leans heavily on jokes and references, but key character moments still land, giving just enough emotional spine to support the relentless platforming.

Guacamelee! 2 Multiplayer & Online

Multiplayer revolves entirely around local co-op, letting up to four players drop in or out of the campaign on the same screen with shared progression. There is no native online mode, though remote-play streaming on PC can approximate it for determined groups.

• Campaign Co-op – Two to four players experience the full story together, reviving each other in tough arenas and combining throws, specials, and dimension swaps for stylish crowd control.
• Challenge Rooms – Optional combat and platforming trials become louder and more chaotic with extra players, rewarding tight coordination when hazards fill the screen.
• Party Sessions – Ideal for short gatherings where friends tackle a few checkpoints or bosses, since progress and unlocks persist even if different people join later.
• Cross-Play – Not supported; each platform maintains its own save data and local-only multiplayer pool.

Guacamelee! 2 DLC & Expansions

Post-launch support focused on a concise set of DLC and bundles rather than seasonal battle passes. Both paid packs integrate smoothly with the main game, adding challenge and replay variety for veterans without splitting the community.

• “Three Enemigos Character Pack” – Introduces three playable characters with unique modifiers for $2.99, ideal for remixing co-op runs and higher-difficulty replays.
• “The Proving Grounds” – A challenge-level DLC around $3.99 that strings together brutal combat-platforming gauntlets aimed squarely at expert players chasing mastery.
• Season Pass – No formal pass; instead, a “Complete” bundle on most storefronts discounts the base game plus both DLCs into a single purchase.
• Free Updates – Occasional patches have tweaked difficulty, fixed bugs, and maintained platform compatibility, particularly on PC where store assets were still updated in 2025.

Is Guacamelee! 2 Worth Playing in 2026?

In 2026, Guacamelee! 2 remains easy to recommend if you want a focused Metroidvania that you can finish in a weekend yet keep refining across repeat runs. Its art and controls have aged gracefully, and modest requirements make it a great fit for mid-tier laptops, handhelds, and living-room co-op setups.

Guacamelee! 2 Community & Support

Despite its 2018 release, Guacamelee! 2 still enjoys an active niche community centred on co-op runs, speedruns, and challenge-room clears. Official channels and storefront hubs make it straightforward to find tips, patch notes, and players still discussing optimal routes and combo tech.

• Official Forums – Steam discussions and console store hubs act as informal forums, occasionally featuring responses or announcements linked from Drinkbox’s social channels.
• Reddit/Discord – Community subreddits and the Drinkbox Discord host build talk, route planning, and light tech support, plus clips of outrageous co-op recoveries.
• Mod Support – There is no formal Steam Workshop; outside small tweaks on PC, most players experience the intended vanilla balance and challenge curve.
• Updates – While major content is complete, compatibility and platform updates still arrive periodically, keeping the game stable on modern operating systems and hardware.