El Coco review

I’ve played the Rogue-like genre to death. Accordingly, I’m desperate to experience something fresh and unusual. Sadly, El Coco failed to deliver on these fronts. Instead, you enjoy a pretty rudimentary and familiar affair. Special powers, temporary and permanent upgrades, and a handful of missions to complete. In short, it treads very well-trodden paths.

Developer Recotechnology SL has created a single-player fantasy game with a sinister edge. However, it is the core mechanics that will ring a bell to genre veterans. Sadly, they rarely move away from their safe location, and this was disappointing.

El Coco tells a tale of risk and reward.

Nightmares are awful. You lose your sense of being and are filled with dread and despair. Sadly, El Coco uses this idea of failure and hopelessness throughout. No matter how powerful you become, there is always a sense of dread and doom.

The Uncertain is a dark and cruel place. This pit of disaster is filled with horrid creatures and huge monsters. However, where there is danger, there is treasure. As you complete each goal, you’ll earn teeth. Yes, you read that correctly, teeth. This is the temporary currency for each playthrough. Your teeth can buy you a gateway to victory. Alternatively, maybe they’ll give you respite from inevitable failure.

Simple action.

Sadly, El Coco lacks any sort of challenge. Although I died repeatedly, this wasn’t down to tough action. Instead, it was minor errors or the sheer volume of monsters that prevented me from progressing.

Alongside this, there is a healthy dose of luck required to break through each level. If luck is on your side, you’ll get the best power-ups and the easiest missions. However, poor planning and harsh objectives will end your run in moments.

Once your run is over, you’ll earn seeds to spend with the guide. This is the path to permanent character progression. Unfortunately, this element of El Coco is painfully slow and will annoy even the biggest fan of the genre.

El Coco mixes light with sinister darkness.

The developer has a small roster of creatures at its disposal. Moreover, there are a few bosses and demi-bosses to overcome. The stage designs lack flair, and the limited obstacles or use of height were lacklustre. Despite these issues, it looks great. The oppressive colour palette and surreal edge match the theme. This idea continues with the daunting music and aggressive sound effects. Consequently, although it has its issues, it’s aesthetically pleasing.

The control system is remarkably easy to understand. The opening moments work as a tutorial, and some trial and error takes care of the rest. The action would have been better if the developer had spent more time explaining the core mechanics and the progression system. I love this genre, but I found this to be casual at best. Sadly, it is too repetitive, and this holds it back.

El Coco felt too familiar.

I like the creepy nature of El Coco. Additionally, using dreams and nightmares is always a good idea. However, it is far too repetitive, and everything feels a little flat. As such, it could have been better. Despite this complaint, I recommend playing it casually and getting your copy from the Xbox store!