A Critique of Overambition

In today’s image-driven world, there’s nothing worse than the offense of trying too hard. Any attempt to unmask one’s cleverness is often met with disdain, with audiences yearning for authenticity, not theatrics.

Hotel Barcelona, the new collaboration between game creators Swery and Suda51, leaves me feeling uneasy rather than entertained. Despite my fondness for their previous works—like Deadly Premonition and Flower, Sun, and Rain—this game felt exhausting.

In Hotel Barcelona, players take on the role of Justine, a US marshal possessed by the spirit of a killer facing off against assorted fiends after a botched car crash. This setup should ideally be thrilling, but instead, the mechanics and pacing create a sense of disconnection.

Throughout this roguelite, gameplay feels disjointed, resembling a chaotic carnival that fails to deliver solid action, with movements that blend into the sensory overload of colors and gore. As the game seeks to project its eccentricity through frantic dialogues and bizarre characters, it instead comes off as forced, attempting too hard to be cool while ultimately failing to engage the player.

While I admire Swery and Suda51 for their artistic visions, this title seemed too manufactured without the heart and creativity of their earlier endeavors. The strangeness that once felt authentic now appears exaggerated, resulting in a gaming experience that is more tiresome than enjoyable.