Guacamelee is a platforming game that specializes in skill for action, agility, and maneuverability of a luchador... or a chicken.
The platforming is mostly what you would expect regarding timing, wall jumping, and precision. The biggest difference is that this game also has a heavy amount of combat. There are frequent brawls involving a squad of minions that are all a threat and can shake things up with how they are deployed against you. What kept this formula entertaining is that every minion, even the early-game guys, manage to still be a threat in the late-game. The minion roster is also very diverse, eventually adding a new guy with new weapons and abilities that forces you to adapt constantly. This is never a blind hack and slash; skill, tactics, and precision are always necessary.
Costumes exist in the game to give you an aesthetic change, but there are also special costumes with unique stats to give your character new strengths at the cost of having a weakness. The only complaint I have about this is that the chicken-guy (El Muneco) is automatically who you would pick when doing a chicken mission since he is the only costume in the early game who has an obvious bonus for the chicken missions. The costumes feel less diverse when some are objectively more useful than others.
The story has a lot of comedy, which is something that I did not expect. There are unexpected jokes, kooky characters, jokes mocking the story and gameplay itself (the house of powerups was quite a rare experience). The game also has a lot of cultural references, although I don't know if this would be a good or bad thing overall.
The game has multiple Olmec Heads to act as checkpoints for the massive game map. Initially, the game has a linear story and path that makes these checkpoints less relevant. But after getting all the powerups, or if you have to backtrack for any story reason, these checkpoints are essential for moving long distances without wasting an absurd amount of time. There are also several savepoints where your game automatically saves and you get rejuvenated; these are great since the game can be so energetic that you might need to take a break to get your breath, or your luchador could be so bruised from the past fights that they need to get that health back. This game wants you to get back into the action or take a break within a reasonable timeframe to not overwhelm or force the player.
The music is great overall in regards to having a Mexican action theme. However, I was hearing a lot of donkey and goat noises on some levels that really annoyed me. I do think that some sound effects end up getting repetitive, but not to a point where they were bad. The WACK, PUNCH, and SLAM noises still get the blood flowing.
Coaches provide a skill tree that is simple to learn and well organized. Farming money for these skills is not necessary, in fact, I honestly think that a no-skill run can be done somewhat easily. Proving Grounds is a challenge mode that is hardcore. It provides unique missions that can be very creative, like trying to keep a special minion alive while simultaneously fighting a horde. I personally don't want to pull out my hair to pursue something this extreme, but I know that many fans of this game would attempt this. The game also has a co-op mode, but I never tried it. So sad.
A great brawling game that doesn't get dull and still offers excellent platforming.