More quality action platforming
Guacamelee 2 leaves off right where the first ended, so if you haven't played Guacamelee 1 go do that! Finished playing? Okay, good.
People that liked Guacamelee 1 will find it very easy to enjoy the sequel - the art and music are even better than before, and the combat still feels smooth but weighty. It's incredibly satisfying to punch enemies around as if they're light as pinatas, and ability power ups are noticeably stronger, letting you 1-hit enemies that used to take 2. The writing is still questionable and induces some eye rolls, but much less irritating than the first game (except for a tongue-in-cheek secret room than ends up reinforcing those irritations instead of defusing them).
It's worth noting that this game is HARD. The story-critical path is straightforward, but I got the impression that the developers assume you completed the first game and want the difficulty to keep ramping up - particularly in some of the later optional rooms. The combat isn't too bad, with new enemies keeping things interesting and the check points are forgiving. I didn't play with the (up to 4 person) multiplayer, I imagine they would make the combat more chaotic but perhaps easier to manage large groups of enemies? It uses the New Super Mario system of letting people put themselves in a bubble to float around during the more complicated platforming sections so one person can concentrate.
Unlike most games labeled as a "Metroidvania", Guacamelee just dabbles in the exploration side of the formula. There is really only a single path forward that you should follow through the entire game, with small optional rooms on the side for rewards. You'll see areas you can't access at the time as you progress, but either it's an optional room you can come back to with the right power up, a shortcut back to a previous area, or the critical path will eventually lead back there once you're supposed to progress.
Overall, I've enjoyed Guacamelee 2 but don't think I'll be coming back to it after completing all the side stuff. The setting and characters are fun, and the combat is unique and engaging, but the single path forward really hurts replay-ability.