"Why is the demonic spirit of a serial killer possessing a timid US Marshal? Why is the promising-looking combat so bland? Why is the storytelling so half-baked? Why does the game look as though it emerged from a time capsule from the mid-2000s? I don't have the answers to most of these questions, but I know one thing: This collaboration between White Owls, the studio led by Deadly Premonition mastermind Swery, and Suda51 of Grasshopper fame, is a bad time."
"Hotel Barcelona is a 2D action roguelike that sees players fighting across the grounds of the eponymous cursed hotel. As Justine, you're a government agent looking to avenge your father's murder by taking down a powerful witch with the supernatural assistance of Dr. Carnival, a murderous spirit inhabiting Justine's body. This intriguing setup, and the dynamic between the shy Justine and ruthless Carnival, can lead to mildly amusing moments, but the payoff is neither interesting nor entirely coherent. Unfortunately, the action isn't much better."
"The game's roguelike runs consist of time-limited romps through four stages of a level, which is assigned a random weather effect and time of day. You have upwards of two or three minutes to explore a stage before exiting one of several doors to the next area, granting bonuses like increased attack speed or health regeneration. I like that runs are mercifully short, because the mediocre combat lacks enough punch or finesse to make Justine's revenge quest satisfying."
Hotel Barcelona is a 2D action roguelike where players fight across the grounds of a cursed hotel. Players control Justine, a government agent avenging her father's murder with the supernatural presence of Dr. Carnival, a murderous spirit inhabiting her body. The dynamic between shy Justine and ruthless Carnival produces mildly amusing moments but lacks coherent payoff. Runs are short, consisting of time-limited romps through four-stage levels with random weather and time-of-day effects and brief exploration windows before doors grant bonuses. Combat with melee and ranged weapons feels underpowered despite upgrades, leaving the experience unpolished and unsatisfying.
Read at Game Informer
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