A wild adventure that looks promising and is enjoyable if you're willing to overcome its flaws in its gameplay.
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The scene concerning truly different creatives from what we know is something that doesn’t stand out as strikingly as we would like. Yes, there are names like Hideo Kojima, who have really gained a lot of popularity with their works, but we’re talking about one of the greats in this field.
However, there are others who, on a smaller scale and with great force, have been able to stand out, such as the case of two very original minds: Suda 51 or Goichi Suda, father of the acclaimed No More Heroes series. On the other hand, we have SWERY or Hidetaka Suehiro, author of the Deadly Premonition series.
Both are prominent exponents of a carefree style in their games, with a predominant way of taking risks and trying new and crazy things, as only they can offer us. On this occasion, they have joined forces to give us Hotel Barcelona.
Technical Section
If something can grab our attention when looking at HOTEL BARCELONA, it’s its technical section, one that not only comes with a 2D style in its gameplay and more detailed environments in 3D. You know, it’s the always welcome 2.5D style that adorns it.
Something we must take into account is that, at an artistic level, the game’s characters are very well drawn and represented, with a very artisanal touch that denotes a style that mixes the oriental and the western. Since, although we are in a mixed representation, the cut of the characters preserves those oriental signs.
It’s a mix that looks attractive from any angle. This denotes that both creatives know what they were doing. Our sheriff in her Dr. Carnival form is a delight for the eyes, with her sensual walk and set of lethal weapons, too appropriate for what the game wants to show us.
Hotel Barcelona looks elegant, full of details, although some of these feel a bit empty, like lifeless. This also happens in the scenarios we achieve, despite being full of enemies and situations. It’s more, a perception I received from the game and feels strange, although this is a sign of the style of B-series tapes they wanted to reflect.
Additionally, regarding enemies and levels, they are very varied and crazy; on many occasions, they are striking and strident. There are colossal creatures and enemies galore. At no point did I feel frame rate drops or errors in the game; on the contrary, everything flows very well.
There are options that allow you to have better quality or performance, and although I changed them on several occasions, I really didn’t feel the change: the title always goes well. Another important detail is that the game has the Xbox Play Anywhere seal and both on PC and Xbox, HOTEL BARCELONA works wonders.
Regarding dubbing and localization, we can only choose between English and Japanese voices. In my case, I opted for the latter, and it feels spectacular. As for the Spanish texts, they are well done, without anything strange or out of tune, everything very consistent and well adapted.
The soundtrack is crazy, with mixes that remind us of bygone eras and that make us go through moments of tension in each combat and situation. I have no complaints in this regard, it’s very well done. In summary, it’s a game that has its visual charm and deserves an opportunity.
Gameplay
A dream collaboration, I’m referring to SWERY and Suda 51, two creatives who have left their mark through their works that have stood out notably and have fascinated more than one. They are not precisely titles that mark a before and after, but they offer a variety that not every game can offer you.
In this way, they have allied to create a new experience, this time with a county sheriff, Justine, who will have to solve a mysterious case that leads her to leave her comfort zone and enter a world plagued by assassins and criminals.
Our heroine will suffer an accident and arrive at HOTEL BARCELONA, entering a kind of time loop and, at the same time, revealing that she has an entity inside her: Dr. Carnival, a powerful being who will help her overcome what’s to come.
Since the game was announced, it was clear that we were facing a roguelike, and that means you’ll have to repeat certain situations more than once, but far from being something tedious, it’s a necessary element to improve our character. It’s here that we realize we’ll have to overcome certain areas in a determined time; each zone will consist of rooms that will pose a challenge, having a limited number of attempts to change rooms until reaching a final boss.
The above sounds simple, but the reality is that we lack skills and improvements to advance, so dying will be a necessary element to progress with our character. This is common in this type of game.
Everything looks promising at the start, only that unfortunately the execution is not correct. Our steps with Justine are somewhat accident-prone: the control is imprecise and not very fluid, making the experience tedious. Also, the above only makes us commit many errors due to our character performing actions in a clumsy way, causing us to receive enemy damage due to this scheme and not due to our lack of skill.
You can adapt to this clumsy handling of our heroine, although it’s not what any player expects. As for the enemies, they are easy, but this ineptitude at the helm leads to involuntary mistakes and falling to their attacks.
The bosses are impressive, but, as I’ve been sharing, we’ll be victims of the character’s control and will fall before them more than once. There’s a detail with the camera in these confrontations: it has disastrous movement and can leave you without a field of vision for charges or attacks. This happens both in scenarios and with enemies and bosses.
Something that helped me a lot is that, when losing and trying again, a shadow of yours will appear and will go through the scenario, attacking in the same places as the previous game. This is positive, since you can accumulate several (obviously you have to die several times) and, if you follow the same course, it will help you sweep everything: enemies and even bosses.
The game has a difficulty system that you can choose, and believe me, you have to be very good to go to higher levels of it. Between control and challenge, the adventure becomes a real challenge.
Although you have a skill tree that you can unlock as you obtain objects in each run and spend them to increase life, improve attacks, and everything necessary. This is very useful to continue. There’s also the option to buy and improve weapons; there’s a good variety of them, from projectiles to those for hand-to-hand combat.
In this sense, the game has variety and is very interesting, I have no complaints about that, I loved it. Unfortunately, the game’s biggest enemy is its terrible control and those details that harshly punish your mistakes. So, I would only recommend the game if you’re a fan of Suda 51 and SWERY, or of this crazy style in their works.
Duration
We’re facing a roguelike, and as such, be sure that you’ll die countless times, all while adapting and acquiring the necessary weapons and skills to face enemies. In short, we’re not facing a game that you’ll finish in a few hours.
It’s an experience that gives a lot and I say that due to the trial and error in its early stages. This means you’ll improve, and you’ll only be able to do so as you progress. Its duration is not something that can be taken lightly: it requires dedication and at least a good portion of time to master it.
In this sense, there are skills to unlock that can only be achieved under certain conditions. You have secret costumes and weapons to obtain, so the replay value is high. Additionally, falling to the loop of trying and trying to improve, added to a multiplayer mode, will only prolong your stay in the game.
Conclusion
HOTEL BARCELONA is a game that offers something already known, although I must highlight that it’s original in the way it presents its characters and that marked style that mixes the talent of SWERY and Suda 51. Gore won’t be missing, and crazy and unrestrained moments will be around the corner.
It fails to have precise and stable control; it also happens with the camera in some important confrontations, leaving a bittersweet taste. However, not everything is negative: it’s demanding and has good doses of action and enemies.
To conclude, we’re facing a game that’s not for everyone. It can frustrate some players or provide them with the necessary fun. Without a doubt, it’s a title that I would recommend if you want to experience something different and crazy, an experience that benefits from Xbox Play Anywhere and reinforces the Xbox catalog.
Video game, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch enthusiast. Frank is one of the most active video game news writers on the web. He covers absolutely every topic. In terms of games reviewed, as of 2024 he has already passed the 60 mark and his average score, according to Open Critic is 80.
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