Although I don’t believe in guilty pleasures when it comes to video games, if I was to put that label on one of my favourites it would be Deadly Premonition. With iconic and batshit characters and a story I couldn’t forget if I tried, this cult classic meant I’d always keep my eye on anything SWERY was involved in. For many others SUDA51 is a name with similar impact in the bizarre game space, thanks to games like Killer 7 and No More Heroes. The idea of these two great and slightly unhinged minds working together on a video game will be a dream for many, and that dream is coming true with Hotel Barcelona.
Our leading lady in Hotel Barcelona is Justine, a federal agent hunting for a villain known as The Witch. You aren’t alone in this quest though, as sharing your mind is a blood thirsty murderer known as Doctor Carnival. When you arrive at the titular hotel you discover it’s surrounded by various serial killers, and like a good little agent you decide to take them all down. Hotel Barcelona isn’t quite as story focused as the duo’s previous titles, but it still manages to feature plenty of deranged characters like the bartender who collects disembodied ears and the monster living in your closet.
As much as I’d prefer to be chatting to these weirdos, with serial killers on the loose there just isn’t time to waste. Justine is well equipped to deal with all the monsters lurking in the hotel grounds, with melee weapons and guns at her disposal. Especially early on combat feels fairly rigid and deliberately slow paced, and you’ll need to plan your attacks carefully to avoid getting mauled between your slashes. Using your dodge and guard abilities is key to surviving against tougher foes and bosses, so don’t get too slash happy.
I must admit I was a little worried about how the combat felt when I started playing Hotel Barcelona, but by purchasing some upgrades this improved dramatically. Suddenly instead of standing still and slowly unleashing a heavy attack I could use a swift combo that ended with an almost instant strong hit instead, and alongside attacks like this the skill tree also contains health upgrades and even the ability to unlock new weapons. The amount you can boost your strength by investing in these skills between Roguelike runs is impressive, and ensures even a failed attempt at killing a serial killer doesn’t feel like a waste of time.
Now before you get excited or upset about Hotel Barcelona being a Roguelike, I should explain that it isn’t really like other Roguelikes. Instead of featuring a full game to take on in a single life, the game is split into individual stages that only take around fifteen to twenty minutes to complete (or fail at). There are random elements to these stages that change with each attempt though, like the type of enemies you’ll fight, weather changes (which apply different passive effects) and different buffs you’ll be given when going through doors to new areas. It’s enough to keep you on your toes when replaying a stage over and over again, which you’ll almost always have to do to beat the game’s brutal bosses.
Each serial killer you face is totally unique, in both theming and offensive capabilities. From the baseball bat wielding menace to the cannibal with a restaurant, they will all happily beat you to a bloody pulp if you’re not prepared to take them on. You don’t have to take these monsters on alone though, because every time you die you leave behind a slasher phantom. These are basically ghosts of previous runs, who attack just like they did when you were controlling them. Admittedly this means they quite often just sort of stab repeatedly at the air, but once you’ve got a few of them at once they’ll start becoming more of an issue for the enemy. It’s a really cool mechanic that you can manipulate to your benefit, by teasing enemies into your past combos and laughing as they are torn to pieces.
Hotel Barcelona is a gloriously bloody game, and all those splashes aren’t just for show. Doctor Carnival is made stronger by drenching himself in the red stuff, and because he’s a part of you that means you’ll be buffed by blood too. Your blood meter drains very quickly, which means there’s a real sense of urgency as you rush to fill it by slicing through enemies as fast as possible. Filling the meter will let you unleash the doctor for a super attack, so hacking off as many limbs as possible is incredibly worthwhile.
I had a bloody good time with Hotel Barcelona, but it’s not without faults. The combat does take a while to get to grips with, and there were certain weapons I just never enjoyed using. The way slasher phantoms work is a little annoying too, as you have to follow the same route to keep them. This means going through the same doors into the same rooms on each run, meaning you won’t see other branching paths and will be forced into taking the same buffs. It just feels unnecessary that the game pushes you into the same routes, as it takes away some of the Roguelike joy of the experience.
Hotel Barcelona is a grizzly Roguelike unlike anything else the genre has to offer, with creative ideas, ghastly characters and a whole lot of blood. The combat’s pace might take a bit of getting used to, but once you do you’ll not want to put the game down until all the serial killers have been stopped.
