Nedávné recenze uživatele Sophtopus

I'm so late to the game, so I don't think I'll write up a detailed review. Many other people have already done it.

I will say that I recommend this game 10/10 even after decades down the line! It starts out quite slow. But once it gets going, it's one of the most enchanting adventure's you'll have.

Be sure to play this game with sound and if possible, full screen. Headphones definitely recommended. The sound is a key pat of the story. You'll miss out a lot if you don't listen to the tunes.

This game may appeal to people who like dice board games. But for those who have limited gaming time and/or prefer skill based games, I can't recommend this one. After spending what felt like an hour, I still lost the tutorial stage. Twice.

I've not played enough hours in the game yet, so no indepth gameplay review yet. So far, it's cute and charming. Kinda vague though. First round will always be the most haphazard.

But the main reason I'm I'm giving it an upvote though... is for this dev's journey. As a creator, I understand 1000% how he feels.

If you unlocked at least one achievement, you'll get a 20 page slideshow story about his life. In summary it's something like this:

Our dev HopFrog here was 'that kid' who always skipped classes to make games. He flunked his classes. To quote: "my parents were very worried."

But then as a youngun his father fell sick and died. In his dying bed, dev's dad supported his son all the way. He also advised that our dev would succeed if he learned how to focus and cooperate with a team.

To chase the dream, the dev dropped out of college and started the intensive training of gamemaking. First few years didn't work out. Nobody was interested in anything. He ran out of money, had to move home, and Dev's mom used her life savings to help fund the next project. This would eventually become Forager.

Then after tons and TONS of struggle, he finally won a GameJam competition. That led to a chain of events that caught the attention of Humble Bundle.

Since then, people started joining in to help out. It's his dear dad's advice came true here. He focused and cooperated with a team. And so, after many years later Forager is finally released.

Dev wanted to repay his mom 3 fold the amount of money she put into the project. But, she said that just a dinner is enough. And, "he (dad) would be proud."

I'm more than happy to give the dev's family a reward for being so awesome.

Lots of people compare this to Minecraft and Stardew Valley. That's not fair, in my opinion. Every game has their own pros and cons. I have Minecraft since 2012 and I got tired of the Minecraftness at one point. I spent tons of hours in Stardew Valley too, and then I stopped playing because I was satisfied. Any game that you play for too long, too much, and too often will burn you out no matter how good it is.

What does Staxel do right? For one, the art. It's incredibly beautiful! The flowers, for example. I learned some new species there. The walls and furniture are also pleasant to look at. One can walk around just to appreciate the sheer amount of art effort going into this. From the blocks to the environment to the insects to the flowers, are all really well done. Makes you want to build something nice.

No survival features? Well, if I want more survival features I'll just go back to Minecraft. Or stick to real life. It's nice to not worry about your health in a digital world sometimes.

Music and sound is really cute. Nothing makes me want to flip a table out of irritation.

Story? I don't expect much story. It's just a cute creative game.

So, what is the weakest part of staxel? In my opinion it has to be the crafting system. It's convoluted for a first-timer (and can still be complex even for an experienced player). The reason why it's so complicated is because it tries to match up with real life. DYI takes effort and planning.

But, you can skip crafting once you obtain the catalogue. Money = convenience.

The game doesn't tell you this very well, but the recipe tells you which table you need to use. If the instructions says "tile" you need a tiling table. If it says "assemble" you need an assembly table. Construct is not the same as assemble is not the same as combine. Also, you don't need a blueprint to have access to a recipe. If a friend tells you that so and so makes this, listen to your friend. It will work.

But, if you really, really, struggle trying to learn how the crafting works you can turn yourself into a 'time wizard' and fiddle around. In the chat console, type /enablecheats and then type /stoptime.

I do admit that I've been spoiled by Minecraft's insanely simple system, so it's quite a high learning curve for me. Once I got it though, it's really logical. Just keep track of your needed ingredients.

Another con is probably the lack of incentive for mining. Underneath the island, there are no special gemstones to discover. No metal ores. In fact, it doesn't even have a bedrock. You could mine downwards until the game crashes. Your main income will be from farming and foraging. Treasure diggers may not be happy with this.

This game is NOT a survival-adventure, or dating sim, or hardcore farming.

This game is to relax, enjoy the art, and build something nice. It's more about its charm than excitement.

This is a surprisingly accessible Megaman game made by a team of 40 people in Capcom, many who're also fans of Mega Man. It retains the old-school system of puzzling out which boss to start with, but they added more difficulty choices and an item shop system.

If you find one difficulty too hard, try a lower tier. There's no secret shaming likea lackluster ending for playing easy mode. No matter how you choose to play, you will see the same story.

Definitely recommended for first-time players of the stage-based genre. I am personally not a big fan of it, and yet I would vouch this game. It's made with a lot of love and charm.

TLDR version: AWESOME SEQUEL! If you liked Guacamelee 1, definitely get this game. Also highly recommended to anyone who likes Metroidvanias and brawling. You'll have a blast.

It would be best if you have played the first game before, since you learn a lot of your core platforming skills there. But this game will teach you everything you need anyway.

Rating: 10/10 will (try) 100% achievement this.

Now for the long version:

Story

It's 7 years after the events of the first game. Juan, our protagonist, had become a family man who's... a bit out of shape. He could still pack a mean punch, but he's no longer the Lucha God who beat the final boss.

And then trouble strikes! Juan must buckle up and save the world once again.

The story is hilarious with a slight undertone of tragedy. It's difficult to explain why without spoiling the details. It may not be as deep or intricate as a visual novel, but for a 2D platformer it serves it purpose.

Graphics

This is where this game shines. A ton.

Every asset is a work of art, and that's not something I say lightly! From the foreground lighting to the background, it's filled with the whimsical elaborateness of Central American folk art. This crispy vector will look good no mater how many years had passed.

The devs certainly took more time to craft the setting in this edition. Details will change depending whether you're in the world of the Living or the Dead. Stop to admire the surroundings once in a while.

Gameplay

You play as a Luchador. The moveset is a brawler and wrestler combined: punch, kicks, throws, and special moves. Throws are primarily crowd control, while special moves serve a double purpose as navigation abilities. This sequel also adds a whole bunch of new stuff which may get overwhelming at first. But, you'll eventually get used to it.

The other main feature of this game is the ability to switch between the world of the Living and the Dead. This is key to both battle and puzzle solving. Switching worlds alter the environment, and shadowed enemies are only accessible in one dimension. Gotta learn when to switch!

Like the first game, you'll eventually gain the ability to transform into a chicken. BUT! Unlike the first chicken incarnation, this version is a gadzooks-level powerhouse. Ever wanted to kick-butt as a bird? This is the game for you.

Sound

This is the series that introduced mariachi music to me. Lovely soundtrack. Switching worlds will also alter the tunes!

For me, the main negative point was that the chicken form clucks upon every attack.

EVERY.
ATTACK.

After a while, the constant chickenery grates my ears. Though, it's easily solved by lowering the sound effects volume.

Puzzles
Be determined. Be very, very determined. They can be DIFFICULT, but they're always fair.

Misc
References everywhere. EVERYWHERE! And what are skeletons without puns? You can tell the devs had fun with the shoutouts.

Endgame

Spoilers ahead. Hover your mouse over at your own risk. This is where the bulk of my criticism lay.

Unfortunately, the endgame is where this game suffers the most. The game is fun if you don't intend to 100%. If you do, expect the Crucible and some of the Lucha rooms to be a matter of trial and error. As Metroidvania, excessive trial and error is not fun. At all. If the ordeal takes days and weeks (depending on schedule) to pass one section.

The Final Chicken Temple is especially guilty of this. Every room becomes a trial-and-error precision section with a good smattering of luck. Guacamelee 1, although difficult, doesn't numb your mind. The Final Chicken Temple does. It is considerably worse than the infamous disappearing block cave. And yes, worse than the Tule Tree.

The combination of moving elements (fans, onekill-bullets) combined together with reset-spikes removes a certain degree of agency from the player. There are many other genres where such frustrations are welcomed. Just not this one.

Most fun I had in a roguelike in a long while.

Don't let the cheap price fool you! This game is fun.

Back when it first released on PS2, this is my first 100% game.

When I have the time I will definitely 100% this again. Also Okami inspired me enough to buy an actual inkstone/inkstick/brush set.

I got this as a Kickstarter reward for the main Bloodstained game.

This. Is. Awesome. You wouldn't believe that this was a Kickstarter side-game goal!

The only thing you need to get used to is the fact that this is a Castlevania retro style engine. They have two kinds of jumps: one that goes straight upward, and one which is a fixed forward jump. You have to choose between the two before you take the leap.

Hold forward and jump for forward jump.
Don't touch any direction for upward jump.

Once you get used to that, this game is a beautiful treat. Highly recommend 'Casual mode' if you're not a fan of NES retro-hard. There's no penalty or content lockout. Otherwise, go Veteran.

There are also multiple endings. Though, I won't spoil here.