POSTED 12/1/14


MAX: THE CURSE OF BROTHERHOOD

Microsoft Game Studios

Siblings. Can’t live with them, can’t banish them to some icky monster-stuffed netherworld with a dodgy moustachioed bloke.

Well, until now.

Arriving home to find his little brother nerding it up in his room, young Max takes to the interweb, gets his search on and finds an incantation which spirits his mini-kin into a vortex doobrie via a bloody big furry hand. Realising instantly that his parents will bring down hitherto undiscovered worlds of hurt upon him, Max leaps through said vortex doobrie before it goes ‘PIP!’. He lands in a rather peculiar place, where a granny renders his magic marker’s titular false advertising void.

A 2D puzzly-platformer that loves zoominess – one moment the camera will be in Max’s face, the next he’ll be but a handful of HD pixels in the distance - we must shamefully don prettiness slut bonnets and comment upon what this looks like, which is gorgeous – nowadays computer-animated movie gorgeous. Of course, all the gorgeousness in the world doesn’t help a game if it sucks sticky cactus pointies though, does it?

Luckily Max: The Curse of Brotherhood doesn’t suck sticky cactus pointies, but that isn’t to say it’s the amazing platformy experience that it could’ve been. Rayman needn’t plop his dacks in fear of usurpination yet.

The main issue’s actually that which sets Max apart from other games of its ilk. That magic marker starts off with the scribbling of earthy platforms at predetermined spots to allow progress. Later, it draws branches. Then vines. Then watery stuff, fire and more. All in the name of puzzliness. This uses the right stick, but often – especially later, when juggling several marker markings - requires more accuracy than can be sanely managed via this input method. Oh for a controller-based touchpad, hey Microsoft?

It isn’t a game killer, but gee it gives Max a seriously ouchy nipple cripple.

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