Developer: Press Play
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood – Review
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a 2.5D side-scrolling adventure platformer that servers as a remake and a sequel to Press Play’s previous title from 2010, Max & the Magic Marker. Armed with the Magic Marker, you are going on an adventure in a dangerous land, solving puzzles as you go.
Story
When Max comes home and finds his little brother Felix playing with his toys once again, he feels frustrated. In annoyance, he goes online to find a way to make his brother disappear. Not once did he think that the spell would actually work until it opens up a portal and a beast grabs his brother. Shocked from what just happened, Max decides to go after his little brother and bring him back home. However, the world he entered is filled with traps and servants of the almighty Mustacho. Armed with his Magic Marker, Max travels through the lands to rescue his dearest brother.
Graphics
The graphics in Max The Curse of Brotherhood are simply stunning. While some bits and pieces of the game may look rather childish, the majority of the scenery is outstanding and downright impressive. The cutscenes might as well have come from an animated movie, that is how well they are done. Whether it is in dark caves with bottomless pits or moisty waterfalls, the atmosphere is impeccable time and time again.
Sound
Just like the visuals, the sound is superb. The voice-acting of every character is well done and the tones seem to fit the characters perfectly. While you are dangling on vines or running away from lava, the protagonist will often let out screams of fear, pulling you in even more. Since there are numerous ways to die, there are also numerous sounds of death. Each sounding more painful than the previous ones.
Gameplay
The overall gameplay is quite relaxed as a platformer should be, with enough puzzles to hurt your brains with. The levels are never boring and will never feel the same way twice. They flow decently into each other and due to this, it feels like you are playing one large movie rather than various levels. Even while the landscapes are constantly changing, from forests to underground caves to the wetlands, they all seem to blend in perfectly. There is a nice variation of enemies, each with their own ways of murdering you. These henchmen and beasts are not the only danger to worry about as the scenery is often more deadly than these vicious creatures. During these moments, where the landscape will drop you down a few feet, you will need to act quick. There is a slow-motion but if you are not fast enough with using your magic marker, you will be falling down to your death. Keep in mind that these moments mostly come when you least expect it and it all happens so fast that you will barely be ready. As the game can only be completed through many trials and errors, having enough checkpoints is a nifty feature and there are plenty in the game.
The Magic Marker is your best friend from the start. Throughout the game, it will gain more and more powers for you to use. In the end you will be able to create earth pillars, tree branches, vines that will act as ropes, water streams and flames to destroy obstructions and henchmen that are in your way. At the start, this seems fairly easy but the more powers your marker has, the faster the difficulty of the puzzles increases. The xbox controller works like a charm but the button to active your magic marker reacts slower than when you would be using the mouse. In certain situations, where you need to act fast, this can be a problem and this mechanic will frustrate you at times.
You can replay levels you have visited already. This comes in handy in case you missed out on some evil eyes or pieces of the medallion for achievements but other than this, there is not much replayability in the game. If this won’t get you to replay the game, nothing else will.
Conclusion
At its core, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a platform game that uses several mechanics to complete various puzzles that seem impossible at first. However, some of the puzzles need to be executed so precisely that it will leave you frustrated. The storyline is fine but not something to get excited about. What will leave you stunned are the visuals in the game. Many of the cutscenes can come straight from an animated movie and the sceneries of every level are so incredibly detailed, from the foliage to the light rays. All in all, a must have for any fan of the puzzle platform genre that wants to have a family-friendly game for all ages.
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