Hotel Barcelona: a Great Game Held Back by Slow Movement

The game stars Justine Bernstein, a federal marshal possessed by a serial killer. Justine hunts other serial killers in the titular hotel, so she can solve the mystery of why she’s possessed by a serial killer. 

Like Hades and other rougelike games, Justine is stuck in a death loop but gets stronger every time she dies. She earns skill points and retry tickets – if you’re dying constantly on Easy mode – but loses most of her loot upon death. There’s also a randomizer mechanic that changes the stage’s conditions, and it either makes the game easier or more difficult. 

The game has a ghost system where your past self helps you fight enemies, as long as you’re going on the same path. The ghost also helps you when you fight bosses. The game also has a blood frenzy mechanic, which summons the serial killer possessing Justine, taking out most of a boss’s HP.

My Thoughts: Why is the Movement Slow?

The PlayStation 5 subtitle for Hotel Barcelona said, “2.5D slasher parodic action.” The game’s humor, especially the opening cutscene, reminds me of the anime Black Lagoon. However, this game is based on 1980s horror movies, and Black Lagoon is set in the 1990s. 

Justine’s combat movements are slow, in the game’s beginning, and I had to prioritize improving the movement speed. I think this is the game’s biggest downside. I struggled on easy mode, and died at least five times at the first boss. 

A personal downside is I was so focused on trying not to die a bunch of times that I couldn’t really hear the soundtrack. Otherwise, the game is fine. It’s currently 10% off online on Steam and PSN, and I recommend getting the game while it’s on sale.

While I was disappointed by the movement speed in this game, it makes me want to see what the other SUDA51 games and SWERY games are like, in terms of gameplay. I hope that they work together for future titles. 

Overall, I’m impressed by Hotel Barcelona’s presentation. It does what it’s set out to do. Again, I wish the game had faster movement speed. I will continue to play the game, and I expect to improve as I’m further into the game.