Hotel Barcelona Explores Our Humanity in Fascinating Ways

The world we live in now is daunting. We are constantly bombarded with headlines and advertisements that either grab your attention or make you want to look away in disgust. Video games help us by allowing us to escape into a worry-free environment where we can confront our problems head-on without any consequences or regret. However, sometimes we should be reminded of the impact of our emotions from playing video games, as I experienced with Hotel Barcelona. While the roguelike gameplay is formulaic through its design, I was intrigued by where the story takes themes like overcoming grief, how we deal with justice, and how we can accept ourselves for who we are.

In the game, you play as Justine, a rookie federal marshal looking for a witch who was responsible for the death of her father. She is teamed up with a demonic killer named Dr. Carnival, who just so happens to be possessing Justine to take down other supernatural killers around the surrounding hotel. What I witnessed was a relationship that was strained yet unwavering as the two of them tried to reach an understanding about the mission at hand.

Between missions, Justine and Dr. Carnival argue and bicker. Here, you get to see why they have to work with one another as their ideologies begin to bubble up to the surface. You also see their opposing viewpoints on certain things, like how Dr. Carnival discusses his personal belief on murder as to whether it is justified based on the circumstances. It's conversations like these that give this simple hack-and-slash roguelike some substance, even if the structure of the game is formulaic with repetitive combat.

Now, the bosses that you fight in Hotel Barcelona do have intriguing backstories that you learn once you defeat them in battle. Each one is influenced by recognizable horror genres like the baseball-wielding killer Jacob, whose backstory is that of Jason from Friday the 13th. Like the horror icon, Jacob seemingly fell into a lake near a campsite while trying to catch a flyball.

There is also the media influencer Eve, who happens to be an alien lifeform who arrived on Earth, disguising themselves as a global fashion model that others find desirable because of their outward appearance. This goes with the Witch wanting to use others by her side because of the obsessions that they have.

While Hotel Barcelona has an interesting concept - an undead killer and a capable federal marshal who wants to solve their father's death - I feel like the ideas and themes are much more compelling than the average player realizes. This is certainly something that both Swery65 and Suda51 have meant to tell in the game, even if the combat isn't exactly engaging for long stretches of time. Both creators are definitely game designers who are more concerned with wanting to convey style with imaginative flair than creating dynamic gameplay systems that will surprise and delight the masses.

While Hotel Barcelona has combat that can be described as "janky" by some, I feel like it doesn't really matter for a game like this, as long as you are engaged with the narrative. There have been plenty of games that don't have high-caliber performances or transformative gameplay, but will influence video games for years to come. Sometimes a video game just needs themes and ideas that will make you think after you finish it.

I would say that Hotel Barcelona is a game worth playing, with engrossing ideas that will make you feel attached to the characters and the story being told. You just need to ignore the repetitive combat, unexceptional enemy design, and shallow roguelike structure. Sometimes, games are at their best when they present their ideas in such gripping fashion that you think about them for several days, if not even for a few weeks afterwards. That's the power of an irresistible theme.