In this feature, we’ll be talking about what we feel have been the 15 best Metroidvania games of the last few years. Given how spoilt for choice we are, it goes without saying that we’ll be missing out on a few games, so sound off about those in your comments below.

So let’s kick this off, and let’s begin with the most obvious choice:

HOLLOW KNIGHT

To say that Hollow Knight is not only one of the best games of the last few years, but quite simply one of the greatest games ever made, would not be an exaggeration in the slightest. Team Cherry’s masterpiece exudes a breathtaking level of confidence in everything it does, from the crisp combat, the incredible atmosphere, and the tight platforming to the labyrinthine map design, the charming visuals, and the memorable boss fights. It’s the standard that all Metroidvania games should aspire to, and stands toe-to-toe with genre giants like Super Metroid.

]]> https://gamingbolt.com/15-best-modern-metroidvania-games/feed 0 429830 https://gamingbolt.com/guacamelee-2-releasing-on-switch-december-10-and-xbox-one-in-january https://gamingbolt.com/guacamelee-2-releasing-on-switch-december-10-and-xbox-one-in-january#respond Thu, 29 Nov 2018 10:29:14 +0000 https://gamingbolt.com/?p=375263

Guacamelee! 2, one of the better Metroidvania titles we’ve played in the last few years, launched on the PS4 and PC earlier this year to predictably great reception. DrinkBox Studios had promised that the game would eventually be making its way to the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One as well, and now, they have confirmed release dates for both, releasing separate videos for each system’s announcement, both of which you can view below.

On the Nintendo Switch, Guacamelee! 2 will be releasing on December 10, which is less than two weeks away. The video’s description also states that those who have Guacamelee!: Super Turbo Championship Edition on the system will get 30 per cent off on the second game’s purchase.

Meanwhile, on the Xbox One, Guacamelee! 2 will be releasing next month in January, though a more specific release date hasn’t been provided. If you’re wondering whether Guacamelee! 2 is worth the price of admission, you should check out our review here (spoilers: it absolutely is).

A DLC pack was also recently released for the game, while a second one is scheduled for launch in the coming days as well. Read more on that through here.

Fancy some more content for DrinkBox Studios’ stellar Metroidvania title Guacamelee! 2? Ask and ye shall receive, as producer/designer David Rusak has announced two DLC packs releasing in the coming days. The first is the “Three Enemigos” Character Pack, which releases today for $2.99.

It allows players to experience the entire campaign as one of three bosses – El Muñeco, Uay Pek, and Jaguar Javier. They each have their own styles, advantages/disadvantages, and associated Trophies, so there’s plenty of reason to replay the game with all three. On December 7th, “The Proving Grounds” Challenge Pack releases for $3.99.

This is essentially a temple full of 15 crazy challenges for players to complete. If you manage to best each challenge, then the Luchador Trainers will award unique skins and become playable in-game. Complete all challenge with Gold Medals and you face off against Tiempochtli, the temple’s god, with a final challenge offering a “super secret skin” for your efforts.

Guacamelee! 2 is currently available on PC and PS4, with a Nintendo Switch version also being in the pipeline.

Drinkbox Studios’ Guacamelee! 2 may be the new big indie hit, but sadly, it’s not available for Nintendo Switch. Not yet, at least. While the developer is promising a Switch release later this year for the Metroidvania title, it does have something to tide fans over in the meantime. Guacamelee!: Super Turbo Championship Edition is now available for the Nintendo Switch and costs $14.99.

Those who purchase the game can avail of a 30 percent discount on Guacamelee! 2 when it launches for Switch. As for Guacamelee: Super Turbo Championship Edition, it includes the same amazing combat and platforming inherent in the sequel. Four player co-op, custom outfits, previously launched downloadable content, and even some new levels are also included.

If you have even a passing inclination toward quality Metroidvania titles, it’s definitely worth picking up. You don’t have to experience the original to enjoy the sequel, but it’s certainly worth it. As for Guacamelee! 2, you can check out GamingBolt’s official review here for more information.

To me, the term “indie” developer is equal parts counter-culture and unfettered creative vision. However, they are not on a different level from triple-A studios – really, the only things that separate them are bigger budgets and more marketing. Just like indie games are not by virtue worse than triple-A titles because of the lack of money, so too are they not superior because of their unique ideas (which come down to proper execution at the end of the day). I’m not a fan of the “triple-A” or “indie” moniker when it comes down to great games. Because great games, at the end of the day, are great games. And 2018, for all its typical franchises, has seen a lot of great games.

"Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year."

Let’s start with January. It was a cold, dark month, punctuated by the impending release of Monster Hunter World. For me, the month was important for two reasons – Cellar Door Games’ Full Metal Furies and Konjak’s Iconoclasts. The former, obviously, is due to the developer’s amazing Rogue Legacy. Full Metal Furies has been in development for a long time and while its beat ’em up mechanics were decent, the overall gameplay and structure felt a bit wanting. It came and went but thankfully, the same didn’t apply to Iconoclasts. This years-in-development action platformer from Joakim Sandberg culminated in a colourful adventure with a deep story, lovable characters and excellent boss fights. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch as well, making it the perfect title to have on the go.

However, between these titles and Unknown Worlds’ Subnautica finally leaving Steam Early Access amid much fanfare (rightly so given how excellently the development was handled), there was Celeste. Developed by Matt Thorson and friends aka Matt Makes Games that brought us the wildly entertaining multiplayer-centric Towerfall: Ascension, Celeste turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. It overtook a number of other indie titles by coming to the Nintendo Switch at launch but otherwise, it was a great game in every aspect regardless of the platform.

Mechanically, the platforming and variety in level design was compelling, fresh and organically challenging at every turn. The music and visuals were suitably retro but embodied a surrealistic flavour that felt unmistakably contemporary. I would give the most credit to composer Lena Raine for the sheer perfection that her soundtrack serves in setting the mood but everyone who worked on the game, from the artists and programmers to Thorson as designer and director, deserves the highest praise.

Even as Monster Hunter World was setting records and stealing many players’ hearts, Celeste was already my personal Game of the Year.

"Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach."

Surprisingly, February felt uneventful in comparison. Aegis Defenders from GUTS Department had a certain appeal to its gameplay with the mix of tower defense and 2D platforming but ultimately remained a niche title. February was mostly the month that numerous titles like SteamWorld Dig, Owlboy, Night in the Woods, Layers of Fear: Legacy, Outlast and much more released on the Nintendo Switch. The Nindies program was starting to pick up momentum.

Meanwhile, EA’s Fe was probably the biggest new indie release of the month simply based on the EA Originals label. Was it really exceptional? Did it push any boundaries, especially after January’s cavalcade of great releases? Not really but it was a solid title from the studio behind Stick It To The Man and the upcoming Ghost Giant. Moss was the other big title, simply due to the pedigree of its developer Polyarc (whose team had worked on titles like Guild Wars 2, Halo: Reach, Red Dead Redemption and Dragon Age).

Whether it was the instantly recognizable protagonist Quill or simply being one of the best VR titles ever made, Moss ably established its presence. There was also Where The Water Tastes Like Wine that sadly was proclaimed as a commercial disaster by the developer. Nevertheless, its gorgeous art-direction and strong cast, intermixed with interactive stories, was a welcome offering. An offering that will hopefully receive more appreciation down the line.

Even though there wasn’t a ton of competition, the best new indie game of February was undoubtedly Into The Breach. FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games took a semi-rogue-like approach into the turn-based strategy genre, evoking an aesthetic similar to Advance Wars with intriguing gameplay and squad possibilities. The procedurally generated nature of maps, scaling difficulty and challenge completion required for new units ensured multiple playthroughs. But it was the deceptively simple yet complex gameplay that cemented it as one of the year’s best. There was just something so sweet about knocking an enemy unit into another while their attack kills a third. The ripple effect that this would have on surrounding buildings and other enemies was also worth watching out for at all times.

"Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well."

The scene started picking up again with all kinds of releases in March. Evoland developer Shiro Games returned with a completely different offering in Northgard. The strategy title focused on settlement building and exploration, as players managed resources and set out to conquer the immense campaign. Despite the strong critical acclaim, Northgard didn’t get too much appreciation but saw a number of updates to extend its life.

Other standout releases that didn’t get too much attention include Ghost of A Tale, a stealth fantasy game focused on a mouse named Tilo as he explores the history of a strange, anthropomorphic inhabitated kingdom; Q.U.B.E. 2, a puzzler in first person that involves the manipulation of cubes while one navigates an immense maze to survive; and of course, Hazelight Games’ A Way Out. Published under the EA Originals label and hyped up thanks to the antics of creator Josef Fares, A Way Out imbibed the couch co-op experience with a compelling story and gameplay situations. Though ultimately falling back on the “one big twist” style of story-telling and having no single-player option, A Way Out’s characterization and strong mechanics allowed it to sell exceptionally well. It crossed 1 million units sold in just two weeks.

April started earnestly enough with Minit. The game focuses on a mystery but much like Half-Minute Hero, a limited time period is provided to accomplish solve it. In between these sixty-second lives, players gather items that are shared across different lifetimes and advance forward (ideally). Though Minit handled its concept well, it was ultimately overshadowed by Harebrained Schemes’ BattleTech and 11 bit Studios’ Frostpunk, not to mention Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice finally coming to Xbox One.

In terms of heavyweights, that’s a pretty solid list. BattleTech became quite successful and Harebrained was acquired by Paradox Interactive. The developer announced future updates and more content (the recently revealed Flashpoint is the first paid expansion). Frostpunk, meanwhile, has been releasing free updates and quality of life changes besides prepping a new scenario for release later this year. Whether it was a tactical turn-based strategy with mech-building and customization or city-management with survival elements and an aspect of humanity, PC players weren’t wanting for unique experiences in April.

"Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale."

Of course, there was also Pizza Titan Ultra, an action platformer which featured giant mechs rampaging through cities to deliver pizzas. Why? Because of course, the mech owners ran a pizzeria! It’s crazy and bizarre but combines the over-top style of Crazy Taxi with the destructible landscape of Blast Corps. It’s nuts and yet extremely endearing.

In May, the flow of indies picked up. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, despite having a budget that could dwarf other indie titles, presented an old-school approach to computer role-playing games in the vein of Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale. The addition of piracy, ship combat and exploration made it a fun romp even if, like the first game, the writing could be less than quaint. Titles like Omensight and Wizard of Legend also rose to prominence. The former was developed by Spearhead Games of Stories: The Path of Destinies fame. It saw players reliving the same day in Urralia, attempting to solve a murder to reverse the land’s destruction. Time manipulation, hack and slash combat and the ability to influence key characters all created a unique experience (plus the art-style was pretty good looking).

Wizard of Legend took a more straightforward rogue-like approach. Players explored a fixed number of dungeons with procedurally generated elements but the real hook was developing and combining magical spells together. Combat was fast, and the number of spells and items helped provide enough variety for a few repeat playthroughs.

Then there was Moonlighter, a much-anticipated pixel-art dungeon crawler that combined the combat of Zelda with the item shop management of Recettear. While its shopkeeping elements didn’t feel as dynamic, Moonlighter still had an enjoyable loop of combat, upgrading, dungeon looting and selling that was insanely addictive. Did we also mention the art looks simply gorgeous? It’s since been updated with over a hundred new rooms, various quality of life improvements and more interesting twists to the item store.

"July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT."

Other titles that stood out in May include City of Brass, a first person rogue-like themed on Arabian Nights where players must venture into a dangerous city for the promise of treasure; FAR: Lone Sails, a linear adventure game where players embark on a sea-faring adventure of mystery, braving hazards and attempting to keep their ship going; and Yoku’s Island Express, a charming side-scrolling platformer that incorporates pinball into its core gameplay. Seriously though, if nothing else, try out Yoku’s Island Express. It’s a ball (I know, I’m sorry).

June and July were relatively quiet, though E3 2018 saw a number of titles either announced or outright released. Unravel Two debuted at EA Play 2018 and while it wasn’t as intriguing as Sea of Solitude (which is out in 2019), the sheer charm of the first game was unique. Plus, there was co-op this time. EA further surprised us by releasing the game as soon as it was announced because…well, why not? Nintendo followed suit. It released the Switch port of Team Cherry’s acclaimed Hollow Knight during its Direct presentation. Hollow Knight has since gone on to fame and fortune, selling over 1 million copies since first launching for PC last year.

Dontnod’s Vampyr was the other big indie release for June. While it seemingly flew under the radar, only slightly buoyed by reviews that praised the story but criticized for its combat, it managed to sell 450,000 units in a manner of weeks. July’s releases were pretty straightforward – This is the Police 2 released and alienated a few fans, though its shift towards a more XCOM-style tactical game wasn’t terrible. Chasm finally released after years in development and while it wasn’t bad, it did average slightly higher than “okay”. At least its 2D art maintained its appeal after so many years.

Honestly, though, July belonged to two major releases – The Banner Saga 3, the climactic conclusion to Stoic’s excellent trilogy, and No Man’s Sky NEXT. The latter technically wasn’t a new game but a large update, overhauling a number of features, adding new ones like co-op multiplayer (and PvP for the more violent-minded folk), and significantly improving the visuals. It did mark the game’s debut for Xbox One but perhaps the most significant development was Hello Games co-founder Sean Murray finally speaking out and admitting to the numerous problems at launch. The commitment to keep improving the game, especially with weekly events, continues.

"Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences."

We hence come to August which saw the incredible Dead Cells finally leave Steam Early Access and become a fairly big hit with critics. I’ve waxed eloquent about how brilliant the game is, nailing its core gameplay loop thanks to a striking yet organic aesthetic. And really, it’s tons of fun to kill stuff in that game. No joke.

Guacamelee! 2 wasn’t a revolutionary leap over the sequel but it’s still an excellent follow-up, celebrating Mexican culture and folklore while embodying the very best of Metroidvania gameplay. Death’s Gambit, a 2D Souls-like, also released after numerous years in development. While I personally had a few qualms with it, the combat is fun and challenging to engage with as are the boss battles. Overcooked! 2 brought a whole new meaning to hating your friends with its cooking-based missions (and that odd design choice of only the hosting player receiving progress should be fixed by now). Even Donut County, a game where you control a whole that’s swallowing things up and increasing in size, looks bizarrely fun.

Perhaps what impresses me most about this year thus far is how many indie titles seemingly came out of left field and proved to be compelling experiences. For as much hype as there was for Iconoclasts, Celeste simply came out of nowhere and became known as one of the very best games ever made. Likewise, with August coming to an end (as of this time of writing), Sabotage Studio’s The Messenger has released and proven itself to be an excellent homage to the old-school Ninja Gaiden.

Even without the direct comparison, it’s still proven to be a fantastic 2D action platformer. For The King, IronOak Games’ tabletop roguelike RPG, was also pretty good and despite leaving Early Access with very little fanfare, it’s been well-received by both critics and regular fans. The same goes for Event Horizon’s Tower of Time, a more story-centric RPG dungeon crawler with some compelling combat and decent story-telling.

"Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number."

Though the Fall and Holiday seasons are known for their triple-A releases, there are a few awesome indie games to look forward to. InExile’s The Bard’s Tale 4: Barrows Deep will arrive on September 18th, introducing a new generation to the dungeon crawling, RPG excitement that permeated old-school titles. Secret of Mana-style action RPG CrossCode will also finally release, exiting Steam Early Access on September 20th, and I couldn’t be more excited about finally playing the game through from start to finish. A number of titles like This War of Mine, Hyper Light Drifter, Everspace, Beat Cop, Moonlighter and much more will also be making their way to the Nintendo Switch, which has proven to be a premier destination for indie titles. Just ask anyone still addicted to Dead Cells on the go.

Frozen Synapse 2 is also probably still coming this year. It’s really hard to say at this point.

The industry has seen its ups and downs throughout the years. Whether it’s last year’s hefty push for loot boxes and reinforcing essential gameplay elements with loot boxes, or the constant nagging about the Battle Royale genre this year, there will always be some kind of pervasive cynicism. That doesn’t mean that some great games – even those seemingly “ruined” by microtransactions – aren’t available to indulge in but that’s beside the point. Through all the twists we’ve seen the industry take, the indie development scene continues to push forward. It may not always be easy or lead to returns as exemplified by Zeboyd Games (Cosmic Star Heroine) or Infinite Fall (Night in the Woods). Some developers like Hello Games may be forever marred by their past failures. Others may be defined more by their explosive personalities than their actual work like Josef Fares.

At the end of the day, the market has proven receptive to indie games and fresh experiences in general. Not everyone may find success but each title has earned its place in the hearts and minds of its fans, no matter their number.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

If you enjoyed the original Guacamelee!, then it’s quite likely that you will enjoy its sequel. In this game, you travel the Mexiverse with all of its lovable weirdness and fun. The game brings more of everything you loved in the original and a lot more as well! The game looks much better all around while still retaining the visual style of the original game.

In this game, you will have to earn Juan’s powers  all over again who is a after a luchador known as Salvador. It’s up to you as the player to lead Juan to victory in the Darkest Timeline. While the game’s story is very light-hearted in nature, it’s still very engaging and fun to play through. The combat in the game is also deep enough and also provides plenty of challenge for players who want that. If you’ve been looking for any help in how to get past any particular section in the game, the following video walkthrough will help you out.

"I’d be remiss not to mention the gorgeous art-style though. Much like the first game, Guacamelee! 2‘s world is filled to the brim with detail."

What is Juan battling this time? Long story short, he’s after a powerful luchador Salvador who wants the Sacred Guacamole to gain ultimate power. This involves travelling through various timelines in the Mexiverse (yes, seriously) and wreaking havoc. It’s up to the last Juan standing to rise up and fight him in the Darkest Timeline. Thankfully, Tostada and a whole bunch of Uay Chivos, gathered across all the timelines, help Juan regain his mystical mask.

If it wasn’t obvious already, Guacamelee! 2‘s story is extremely light-hearted. Satirical references to other video game characters adorn billboards in towns (including one with Severed’s Sasha as a luchadora). There’s an Uay Chivo who’s essentially a hipster and doesn’t want you destroying his prize Choozo Statues (which are also a reference to Metroid). The game revels in this nonsense but grounds it in a compelling gameplay loop that will test your combat, exploration and platforming skills.

I’d be remiss not to mention the gorgeous art-style though. Much like the first game, Guacamelee! 2‘s world is filled to the brim with amazing detail. Various environmental objects like clouds, rocks and water may come across as simplistic but they’re elegantly combined and splashed with plentifully vibrant colour. Whether it’s shades of purple depicting a dark atmosphere or mood lighting that lends some levity to a council scene, Drinkbox’s sheer dedication and craft is on full display.

Heck, even the character designs, be it old faces like Flame Face and Jaguar Javier or new ones like El Muneco and his cavalcade of chickens, look great. The animation work is similarly stellar with a silky smooth frame rate. There are no qualms to be had with Guacamelee! 2‘s art-style, even if you’re not a fan of 2D platformers. The same could be said of the music which ably embodies the practice of Pasodoble while ensuring enough Spanish trumpets, Flamenco guitars and deep drums to keep you enthralled.

"The main strength of Guacamelee! 2 is how it ties all this together while remaining fresh and fun."

Much as I want to gush on about the art-style and music, the lovable characters and the bombastic yet comfortable humour, there is a strong Metroidvania-style core to Guacamelee! 2 as well. You know the drill – explore fantastical environments, beat up baddies, navigate some tricky rooms and unlock new abilities to open up new pathways. Drinkbox doesn’t deviate too far from this formula as much as implement neat little twists.

Many sections are seemingly lacking in enemies and instead places them in “Lucha” sections where the player is locked into a single screen. Enemies spawn in and the player must defeat them all. It kind of mimics the sensation of actually being in a wrestling ring, taking on all comers as you dodge and combo them into oblivion. Also, like the first game, Juan will battle enemies across two planes of existence. Only by crossing between them can certain enemies be defeated or obstacles bypassed. As Juan gains new abilities (and a few familiar ones like the Rooster Uppercut or Pollo Power, the latter also having unique skills), they all correspond to a different colour. Aside from destroying certain colour-coded obstacles and opening up new paths, they can also be used against enemies to build that combo meter.

The main strength of Guacamelee! 2 is how it ties all this together while remaining fresh and fun. Enemies with different coloured shields require special attacks to break them. Platforming segments can challenge you to move between the shifting Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. One section involves navigating through a lava-filled section, except the lava isn’t present in the Land of the Dead. Properly grappling through and not getting incinerated while following the ebb and flow of the two dimensions is paramount, yet it feels fluid and responsive thanks to the excellent control scheme. In the same way with regards to combat, there’s one section that challenges you to shift enemies between the different dimensions so they can climb up and meet their spiky demise. Some platforming segments that require precise timing through insta-kill spikes and other hazards to unlock Health and Stamina upgrades. Even if you fail, be it in a combat or jumping sequence, the game instantly reloads close by and gets you back into the action quickly.

"Whether you’re a Metroidvania fan or someone looking to dig deep into the genre after games like Hollow Knight and SteamWorld Dig 2, Guacamelee! 2 deserves your attention."

Combat itself remains as compelling as ever. Juan can execute standard combos and launch enemies into the air before smashing them back down. Of course, he can also grapple foes after they’ve taken enough damage and send them into environmental hazards or other enemies. Throw in different abilities for extending combos and dodge-rolling to avoid attacks and certain enemies and Guacamelee! 2‘s combat is challenging while encouraging you towards the next encounter. Thanks to the various trainers you meet throughout the game, you gain new modifiers for your current abilities and combos. For instance, the standard three-hit combo dealing extra damage or various grappling moves like pile-drivers and suplexes can be unlocked. The standard suplex even has a “Supleeeeeeex” option which simply melted my heart. These are all unlocked by earning gold after defeating enemies but some require completing certain challenges. It offers yet another incentive to try different tactics during battle.

Guacamelee! 2‘s world does take some time to open up but even when navigating through the initial stages, it’s amazing just how large and jam-packed each location can be. I can sympathize with those who feel the sequel is overly familiar but even if it’s not significantly different from the first game or innovating the genre as a whole, Guacamelee! 2 is such a well-crafted experience. The difficulty of encounters, boss fights, combat variety, platforming sections and production values are simply irresistible.

Even if Guacamelee! 2 doesn’t revolutionize the Metroidvania genre or meld a multitude of genres seamlessly like Dead Cells, it is a stellar addition to gaming as a whole. Whether you’re a Metroidvania fan or someone looking to dig deep into the genre after games like Hollow Knight and SteamWorld Dig 2, Guacamelee! 2 deserves your attention.

This game was reviewed on PC.

Guacamelee! 2 will be launching for PlayStation 4 and PC tomorrow, and ahead of that launch, developers DrinkBox Studios have launched a new trailer to commemorate its release. The launch trailer for the game, which you can see for yourself below, shows us the kind of over the top, colorful, and zany Metroidvania action, with its wacky hijinks, that so many people loved in the first game.

That same burst of color also ends up giving the game the kind of personality and charm that made the first game stand apart so much, in a sea of similar games released by smaller developers almost all the time now. Of course, it also helped that underneath all that pizzaz, Guacamelee! was a great game to begin with- substance backing up the style.

Unlike the original game, which came out on Wii U and Xbox One in addition to PlayStation and PC, Guacamelee! 2 is launching just on the PS4 and PC for now. Who knows, though, much like the first game, it may make its way to other systems eventually.

The original Guacamelee! was a delightful surprise, a fresh Metroidvania game wrapped up in some whimsical Luchador imagery that managed to win hearts all over, and be successful across every single platform it was released on- PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and even Wii U. Now, developers Drinkbox Studios are back with a sequel to the original game- this isn’t just an updated re-release, which there were plenty of for the original game. It’s the full blown Guacamelee! 2.

As was announced last year, the game will be launching exclusively on PlayStation 4 and PC (sorry Guacamelee! fans on other platforms). Now we know when- in less than a month, on August 21, you can play Guacamelee! 2.

If you don’t have a PS4 or a PC that can run the game, or if you think this game would be perfect for Switch, or in glorious 4K on Xbox One X, don’t fret- the original Guacamelee! was initially PlayStation exclusive too, and it managed to make its way over to just about everything else. Presumably, that eventually happens with this one as well.

Guacamelee! 2 was originally announced exclusively for the PlayStation 4 last year, back during Paris Games Week. However, it looks like said exclusivity won’t be true exclusivity—at best, just console exclusivity (for now). As ResetEra has noted, DrinkBox Studios has put up a page for the game on Steam as well, which is pretty clear indication that the title will be launching on PC, too.

The original Guacamelee! launched on PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Wii U, and PC—so fans of that game on other platforms can probably rest assured knowing that the sequel, too, will eventually probably come to the other platforms (especially since very few indie games ever actually maintain true exclusivity for long).

Until that happens, you can either play the original (brilliant) game again, or you can grab the sequel for yourself when it comes out for PS4 and PC, presumably some time later this year.