The story starts out with Max being fed up with his little brother and wishing he just disappear. Max searches on the internet and finds an evil incantation that he believes will solve all his problems, but he soon realizes having his little brother sucked into an alternate world isn't quite what he had in mind. Now Max must jump into the portal and embark on a long and tedious journey that involves complex puzzles and terrifying creatures.
Max: The Cruse of Brotherhood seems simple at first as you make your way across the vibrant and colorful landscape like a casual walk in the park. It isn't until a few minutes into the game that things get tough as you have to make an epic run through falling rocks and decaying bridges to swing yourself to safety just out of the reach of the hairy monster trying to gobble you up. You feel vulnerable after this life-altering moment with nothing to help defend yourself against the dangers ahead. Well it isn't soon after this moment of self-pity that you run into a sweet, old woman who speaks in riddles and blesses the magic marker in your bag with extraordinary powers.
The magic marker is about the only thing that makes Max special since he has average abilities for a boy his age. He can't run super fast or jump extra high which makes this 2.5D side-scrolling platformer even more difficult. The game focuses around the powers of the marker which help Max control the forces of nature to aid him in his quest to save Felix. The marker starts out with only being able to control rock columns to solve various puzzles. However, the powers of the marker advance over the course of the game, and Max is soon creating hula hoop vines and all sorts of fun creations. The marker basically allows Max to manipulate nature through earth, plant life, water and fire which alternatively offers up a great deal of variety in gameplay. Players will notice color coded connecting points to use their markers that correspond with the five different types of elements. If you end up having too much trouble, the sweet old woman will give hints on how to proceed to the next location.
The best part of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is its amazing graphics alongside exquisite animations that look like something out of a Pixar film. The game also features a great soundtrack that really sets the mood for the game and the voice acting is superb. It's easy to say that Max: The Curse of Brotherhooddelivers up a fully immersive experience, because it makes you feel like your are inside an interactive storybook adventure due to the intricate detail added to every inch of the game world from the great lighting and shading to the birds chirping in the trees.
The gameplay in Max: The Curse of Brotherhood gets more difficult over time with puzzles taking a little more thought to complete. There were many moments that I would completely get stuck on a puzzle and would require some input from others on possible solutions. It definitely helps to have a fresh set of eyes take a look at something after you have become completely frustrated by it. This is why Max: The Curse of Brotherhood may be a single player game, but it offers up enough fun that the whole family can set and play it. However, I wouldn't recommend the game to children under 10 due to the complexity of the puzzles. My children joined me in playing the game and we had a blast. We were able to think of silly, inventive ways to solve the puzzles and would laugh hysterically when they would fail. The game is definitely not only more entertaining with others, but easier as well, since you have several brains working at one time to analyze the puzzles as they are thrown at you.
While most of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is enjoyable it does have some downfalls. The controls in the game just aren't as precise as they should be which can lead to many frustrating deaths. The good thing is that you don't have lives, so at least if you do die then you just start back at the same spot, and there isn't any way to get game over. However, the lack of precision controls can lead to having to spend extra time on puzzles just trying to get the shapes you want. While this can add a whole new degree of challenge to the game, it can also make it a little more frustrating.
CLOSING COMMENTS
In the end, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a good game that gives players countless hours of entertainment for the low price of $14.99. The main campaign in Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is around ten hours depending on how fast you solve most of the game's puzzles with over 1000 gamerpoints worth of achievements adding in even more replayability. The game offers up enough variety among puzzles to keep gameplay fresh and exciting alongside the ability to draw your own customized adventure as well. While the game suffered from frustrating moments and imprecise controls―the game still was a magically beautiful adventure that our whole family enjoyed. Beware players, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood offers up a challenging experience that may test your wits and patience but in the end delivers an experience well worth every bit of it.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is now available for Xbox One and can be purchased for the MSRP of $14.99. Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is rated E by the ESRB for Fantasy Violence and Mild Language. For more information on the game, check out the official Max: The Curse of Brotherhood website.
Game Features:
- Single Player
- Creative Gameplay
- Trophy/Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer: Press Play
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Available for Xbox One (reviewed)
Release Date: December 20, 2013
Pros:
- Challenging gameplay
- Fun, immersive puzzles
- Beautiful graphics and animations
- Imprecise controls
- Some puzzles can get frustrating