I suppose that I should start out by saying that I have never completed a Metroid game. Nor have I ever completed a Castlevania game. Go ahead: laugh. Discredit me. Okay, are those guys gone? Good.
I was really looking forward to Guacamelee. DrinkBox Studio's first game, Tales From Space: About a Blob, was really enjoyable. The art design and the gushing amount of character were two things that I absolutely loved about the game. The gameplay was solid and didn't really ever feel stale throughout the experience.
When I first saw trailers and previews for Guacamelee I knew that I had to get it. Both titles have a lot of love poured into them, that's obvious from just looking at the games. A little before it released I decided that I was going to Platinum Guacamelee. After downloading it and playing it for awhile, I knew that it wasn't going to be difficult for me to focus my attention on it long enough to Platinum. While I am not a huge brawler-lover or 2D sidescrolling guru, I was having a blast with Guacamelee. Then I reached the final battle with Carlos Calaca.
Note: there are no real spoilers here. Guacamelee has a simple story, so there really isn't much to spoil. I suppose I should say that it might help you to play the game and then read what I have to say. Hell, if you haven't played the game yet: go download it right now, it's definitely worth your time and money.
I could eventually figure out all of the other confrontations prior to this final battle, but Calaca raked me over the coals countless times before I had to quit in frustration. I've only ever chucked a controller once or twice in my life, but Calaca had me seriously debating whether I cared if that $50 piece of equipment needed to be replaced.
Psychologists and senators can debate all they want about violent video games making violent people. I would argue that Guacamelee is not a title being thrown around in that argument. That being said: I was more violently angry after being stuck in Guacamelee than any time I've ever come off of a 12-hour realistically gory, hyper-violent game stint. And it's a platformer.
I had to put Guacamelee down and immediately blog about it. I started writing this before I finally finished the game this weekend. Then I got more angry with the fact that I was about to post this to my gaming blog. So I stopped writing about it. Hell, I bought, completed, and Trophy hunted in Tomb Raider (another amazing title this year...) before I cooled down enough to go back and try again.
"Try" was the key word there, because I ended up spending another thirty minutes being destroyed by Calaca before I decided that I would take an alternate approach to this game. I really had enjoyed my time in Guacamelee before getting to this final battle. I knew that there were a ton of secrets to be found within its wonderfully coded levels. So I decided to go back and 100% the various stages that Guacamelee had on-tap.
While time-consuming: hunting for all of the chests and orbs was fun. A few of the orbs (two in particular...) pushed me harder than any platformer had before Guacamelee. While I failed time after time, there were safety nets and the promise of those orbs and the ending and Trophy that it would bring pushed me farther and farther. It was really satisfying.
After all of the levels were at 100%, it was time to go back and face Calaca once more. Oddly enough... I obtained victory on my first attempt. I don't know what it was that I did differently. Had I grown in patience while staring in the face of constant let-down and failure in the past few hours? I know that it wasn't due to a more honed dexterity that I was able to overcome him. Hell, my fingers felt as if they were going to fall off. Watching that final cut scene, though, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride in my accomplishment.
Guacamelee did something that no game has yet done for me: it pushed me to overcome and complete it. I know that sentence sounds rather ridiculous coming from someone who claims to play games as much as I do. However, there have been games (a very small few) that pushed me right to my next title rather than to its conclusion (Dark Souls, anyone?). The payoff was well worth the frustration.
While it remains to be seen if I will go back and attempt to truly master this game and obtain the Platinum Trophy, I know this: Guacamelee is a special game that does what it does well. It pushes a player to the brink of madness, but rather than leaving him/her there, it also sees the player through to the end. That speaks volumes for a $15 downloadable title.
Have you played Guacamelee? What were your experiences throughout the game? Let me know in the comments section below!
