A brand-new game on Steam called Mariachi Legends has drawn comparisons to Metroidvania masterpieces like Dead Cells and Blasphemous, while putting its own Mexican spin on the genre. Interestingly, although Mariachi Legends clearly takes inspiration from both games, its developer hopes to surpass them and establish it as the next big Metroidvania on Steam.
In an interview with Wired, Mariachi Legends co-director Miguel Hasson said, “I want to be in the top five Metroidvanias. I know that sounds ridiculous. There’s Blasphemous, there’s Hollow Knight, there’s Dead Cells.” Mariachi Legends is already among the 120 most wishlisted games on Steam, according to SteamDB data, suggesting it has the potential to resonate with Metroidvania fans.
Mariachi Legends Is About a Mexican Detective with Superpowers
Mariachi Legends follows a Mexican detective called Pablo who makes a deal with Death to gain superhuman abilities and takes on the persona of La Sombra. In exchange, he must track down an immortal human who has been evading Death. While the premise is relatively simple, it establishes the foundation for the game’s setting, Santa Mascota, a fictional town inspired by Mexico. It also provides the reasoning behind the game’s roguelite elements and constant death-and-revival cycle.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
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Dead Cells’ Vibrant Brutality Returns in Mariachi Legends
One reason Mariachi Legends has been called “Dead Cells in Mexico” is its art style. Developer Halberd Studios combines bold colors with gloomy backgrounds while embracing brutality and gore. If the teaser trailers are any indication, Mariachi Legends could also become one of Steam’s best pixel-art games, thanks to its smooth animations and detailed character designs. Fans of Dead Cells might also be pleased to know that Mariachi Legends promises plenty of action, with fast-paced combat that looks incredibly fluid.
Mariachi Legends also has several interesting gimmicks that help maintain its replay value. For instance, developer Halberd Studios has teased that day-night and full-moon cycles affect maps and enemies, giving players new reasons to revisit previously cleared areas. The game also features tarot cards that grant new abilities, a mechanic common in modern Metroidvania games, though Mariachi Legends puts its own artistic spin on it. Perhaps the most intriguing gimmick, however, is cooking. While little has been revealed about this feature, it appears players will cook Mexican cuisine to gain buffs and “persuade NPCs.”
Developer Halberd Studios initially planned to release Mariachi Legends in Q4 2026 on Steam and as a day-one Xbox Game Pass title alongside another indie game, Corsair Cove. However, the studio has since postponed the release to April 27, 2027. It is also worth noting that Mariachi Legends is a Kickstarter project that raised roughly 12 times its original goal, bringing in more than $600,000 from backers. In the coming months, it will be interesting to see how the game performs and whether it can capture the attention of fans of combat-focused Metroidvanias, much like Dead Cells did in 2018.
Mariachi Legends will launch on most major platforms, including Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 1 and 2.
- Released
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April 27, 2027
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Use of Alcohol And Tobacco, Language
- Developer(s)
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Halberd Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Halberd Studios
- Number of Players
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Single-player
