Max. You little pleasing title you. Sometimes, during a steam sale, I grab something that looks interesting and just hope it pans out. This game looked nice. Puzzley platformifisizing and all that. Figured, why not it's only $3.75. What a fantastic surprise.

If you are like me and tend to gravitate to action platforming a la Prince of Persia and Tomb Raider as well some some puzzling going on then this very well might fit in your library quite snuggly.

Max's brother is abducted by an evil villain named Mustachio - WARNING: This title is very anti-mustache and any facial hair aficionados might be offended. His lil bro is then sucked into a netherworld from which only Max can save him. I don't know why. If it was *my* little brother I would be turning his room into a new play room and stealing all his legos. But I suppose brotherly love must overcome and all that.

Off the bat you'll encounter some tutorials on drawing with your mouse or controller. Yep, I know it sounds bad, right? But it's actually pretty easy. I even did it entirely with my controller. You solve puzzles by drawing vines, branches, water spouts, exploding fire, earth columns, and probably some other stuff I have totally forgotten by now. These things you draw not only to solve puzzles but also to make up the framework for the platforming. The puzzles are good, some even causing me to say "what the..". While being somewhat casual a few will actually stump you for awhile. Now, the platforming is on the medium level until level 6 where is bumps up to a bit-more-than-medium, the majority of the tougher bits towards levels 5 and 6. And it's done well, usually with a giant monster chasing you. Very action oriented and guess what?...you have to solve puzzles on the fly while being chased by an evil monster and timing the platforming. YES. It's that type of game.

Is it hard? Before level 5 it is fairly casual gamer friendly. Level 5 requires more brain activity and Level 6 requires some quick maneuvering. The final boss is hardish, but once you figure out what to do it's a piece of cake. Hardness...7/10. For an extra challenge there are some artifacts and eyeball spy camera plants to uproot. I got some of those, but frankly my steam library is too damn big to try to 100% a lot of games. Time management yo.

Graphics are sorta kinda Pixar looking. They look great and run well. I would not say it was stunning, but definitely pretty. Had zero crashes using a few PC's and ran pretty well overall at 60 FPS with a mediorce system. Sounds are well done and the menus are easy to navigate. Save spots are set in good places, and I have to say it was a wonderful produced game all in all.

If you like action puzzle platformers, then give this a go. Wonderful title and quite enjoyable.

Having grown up with two younger brothers, I can empathize to Max’s annoyance at his younger brother Felix fiddling with his stuff, making a mess of his room, and seeming to exist only to get on his nerves. I might not have gone so far as to enact an occult rite and banish my brothers to an unknown fantasy world (though I might have wanted to at times), but at least Max realizes the gravity of what he unintentionally did pretty fast and sets off to save his brother from a creepy old man who intends to steal his youth, Gruntilda the Witch style.

A sequel mostly in name and lead character only to Max and the Magic Marker, The Curse of Brotherhood almost entirely ditches the free form drawing that made up the core of its predecessor, opting instead to streamline its mechanics and add a significant amount of cinematic flair, coming together in a far more focused, inspired, and varied experience.

Though it is still referred to as a marker, Max’s tool of choice has been reworked into a powerful instrument with which you can now control various elements in order to help Max traverse through levels. The implementation of this still bares a resemblance to Max’s marker of old, allowing you a small amount of freedom to direct elements into specific shapes and paths, but it’s far more natural and embedded in the experience than before and works well within the constraints of a controllers precision, rarely requiring a great deal of precision and only occasionally imposing any sort of time limit.

The Curse of Brotherhood has rather obviously been designed so as to rarely frustrate the player, or tax them with tricky platforming segments or puzzles, and this simplicity and hand holding is in some ways a bit tedious when the answer is almost always immediately apparent, but overall I actually found the breezy pace rather refreshing. It allowed me to appreciate the gorgeous environments and enjoyably cliched story without many threats or pauses as I got stuck. It provides just enough stimulation to remain engaging, but is accessible enough that it’s a game I could feel confident recommending to a younger player or a parent wanting to play with their child (which is a disappointingly low number of games).

At around 4-5 hours it’s a fairly brisk adventure, but I never felt as if something was cut or missing, nor did any moment feel like needless filler. Every segment is interesting and important to the game, and this consistency and constant variety makes it easy to wind up playing through the entire thing in but a few sittings. That’s not a slight against the game by any means, but a complement to its excellent pacing and inspired level design.

The handful of moments that stand out as poor in my mind are actually those near the end which begin to ask more of the player than before, and the slightly awkward controls have a bit of trouble keeping up. The end boss fight also proved the most disappointing part of the game, with an uninspired encounter that ups the difficulty just enough to be frustrating and would have ended the game on a rather lackluster note had it not been for the charming cutscene immediately following.

It’s probably an understatement to say I was rather taken aback by how much I ended up enjoying The Curse of Brotherhood. Its beautiful scenery pulled me in, and the leisurely platforming and puzzle solving kept me there throughout an experience that continued to surprise me the further I got in. Some may scoff at the low difficulty, but in terms of simple fun and creativity I haven’t played something quite as nice for too long.

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Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (Platformer-Puzzle)

We have some basic options: Vibration (if you're using a controller), Sound Effects, Music, Subtitles (NOT on unless you turn them on), and Use Arrow keys (if you prefer not to use or don't have a controller), and then there are settings for the grapics, low, medium, and high. There are also six languages to choose from. The game automatically adjusted for my widescreen, but it can be played Windowed by hitting Alt-Enter, if you wish.

The game begins in a very Labyrinth[www.imdb.com]-esque way, and it's up to you to save your brother from the trouble you caused for him. ;p Gameplay starts out as a very basic platformer, but it's not long until you start gaining some powers, and that's where the true charm of the game starts shining through. The puzzle mechanics are brilliantly realized, ranging anywhere from easy to perplexing, but not to the point of frustration.

I was enjoying the puzzle aspect of the game so much that I was actually a bit disappointed when, in latter levels, we started needing to depend on quick decision-making, and at times, good reflexes! It wasn't until the final sequence of the game that I remembered -- Oh yeah, this is what platformers used to be all about! (ie. Donkey Kong Country, etc.) The beauty of these sections is that, while they may be difficult, they are still doable! It may take a dozen tries, but it CAN be done, AND you don't have to keep starting the level over again to achieve it, as the automatic save-points are well-spaced.

Something I truly love about the game is the graphics. Sure, they're pretty, but the devs did an amazing job making a side-scrolling platformer *feel* like a 3D game by periodically changing up the perspective. Beautifully done, devs, I'm very impressed! :D

The music was nicely-chosen, and I enjoyed the voices, as well -- especially some of Max's "YEEES!" moments. lol~

Points to remember:
- You can attach vines to a myraid of objects, ranging from branches to boulders and more.
- Items can be cut at the base OR the tip!
- Be creative and don't give up! The devs give us a lot of freedom with our powers, and sometimes it's going to be trial-and-error figuring things out.

There are a couple of things to be on the lookout for whilst you're running around. They are beholders (plants with eyeballs at the end of a stalk that allow the user to spy on the world) and pieces of an amulet. These collectibles are not *needed* to complete the game, but they sure do add an extra bit of fun. XD You can replay a chapter at any time (even after you've completed the game) from via the menu, and looking at the menu during gameplay will show you how many you have left to find on your current level. In addition, there are 27 Achievements for you to earn, another plus in my books.

Overall, I found Max: The Curse of Brotherhood to be a delightful game, full of beauty, danger, excitement... and tempered with just a splash of good old fashioned platformer-frustration. I would say that it's OK to play with older kids, but perhaps not little ones. There's a big scary monster in there -- whom I find to be absolutely fabulous! -- but it might upset younger children.

Highly recommended!

SO. MUCH. FUN!

One of the reviews here said that if one enjoyed Tomb Raider, one would enjoy this title as well. I bought this game based on that review and I have to say, this has got to be one of the my favourite platformer games.

The gameplay is fun, unique and exciting. You have a magic pen that you can use to transform your environment into a platform for you to interact with and to help you on your journey to find your brother. I thought it would be awkward to try and draw things on screen with the controller, but I was wrong. It was easy and intuitive, one element that I enjoyed about the game.

+ Fun little puzzle-platformer.
+ Pretty graphics (like watching a cartoon).
+ Predictable but still enjoyable story.
+ Puzzles are mostly not too easy (though this could be a con for a kid).
+ Great voice acting.
+ Very forgiving checkpoints.
+ Tight controls.
+ Very well paced.

- Final boss fight is too short and too easy.
- Linear (though for this type of game, it is sort of expected).

I seriously hope there's a sequel. Would buy it in a heartbeat.

My Rating: 9/10

Note: verdict, pro/con list and practical info can be found at the bottom of this review


With Max: The curse of brotherhood, the developers from Press Play bring us a new 2d puzzle-platformer, which seems to be an all-around improvement of their previous game named Max and the magic marker. In this title, we play as Max once again - on a mission to save our annoying little brother Felix, whom we 'accidently' sent away through a portal. Said portal leads to a magical and dangerous place ruled by the fearsome Lord Mustacho; an old, bitter man who wishes to revitalise himself with a young spirit. Armed with a (magical) marker only, the grand adventure to save Felix from Mustacho begins!

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1099528235

Upon arriving the magical lands that we sent our brother to, we receive strange powers for our - at first - seemingly useless marker. Those powers are granted by the wise old lady, who is portrayed as Mustacho's opponent. This new improved marker allows for the creation and destruction of various objects, such as dirt pillars, branches, vines ... which play an essential role in the game's puzzle-platforming sequences. Want to reach the top of a hill? How about you draw a dirt pillar to raise yourself all the way up. How to reach the other side of the tree? Why, just draw yourself a vine and swing across!

Max stays relatively fresh throughout as new mechanics are regularly introduced and each new chapter grants your marker with new powers, depending on the environment you find yourself in - or so it seemed. It must not have been a coincidence that within the forest, I reveived the power to draw branches and vines, whereas in the wetlands, I was able to create water streams to help me navigate through the levels.


I found the gameplay to be overall fun and exciting. It starts out pretty simple and basic, but in the later chapters you'll have to actively combine certain objects to complete the various puzzles that the game has in store. There are also certain 'escape' scenes to deal with, as in: run away from different threats against time. Most of the puzzles never get really challenging, but that didn't seem to bother me as they were always fun to do and solve. Some of them are quite creative too, which made for an enjoyable experience. Who says games need to be difficult in order to be fun?

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1101412967
The real 'difficulty' comes in another form than puzzle solving, and that is dealing with the somewhat ... clunky controls. More often than not - when I entered a new level -, I could figure out what to do pretty quickly. When I actually wanted to execute my solution, I would regularly fail because of how weird the controls can be from time to time. Jumping/climbing is not always as accurate, and let's not even talk about the amount of times I fell to my death whilst swinging on vines - missing my destination by mere millimeters.

Onto the game's length and replay ability: The game consists of 7 chapters in total and lasts for about 6 to 7 hours, which I found to be just about right. Some additional hours could be acquired by hunting down all of the game's collectibles, which consist of destroying evil eyes and collecting secrets. The great thing is that you don't have to replay the whole game while looking for all achievements, as seperate chapters can easily be accessed in the main menu. Sadly, collecting all eyes & secrets doesn't really hold any significance within the story - it is merely a reason to catch 'em all. However, what good is a platformer without any sort of secrets to track down, right?


If one thing became clear whilst playing Max, it is how child friendly this game truly is. From the story to the gameplay to the cutscenes, this game strikes me as something that could easily be enjoyed by the whole family. Right from the start - when I loaded up the game for the first time - until the end, I was filled with a somewhat nostalgic feeling, probably because of the charming music, the entertaining cinematics and the loveable cartoony look of the game. In a certain way, it kind of resembles games and cartoons I used to play/watch as a kid. If you're still not convinced, well, the game's antagonist is called Lord Mustacho ... LORD MUSTACHO!

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1099527974
I do recommend this game, but please keep in mind that it is not a perfect game by any means. While the music is very charming and cute, it is rather simplistic and not all that memorable. Secondly, the game's got a sweet look, but don't expect AAA visuals. And lastly (and I mentioned this in the section above), the controls can be a bit odd/stubborn sometimes and can therefore make the game a little bit tedious/irritating at times. In the end, the game feels like an avarage title. Not amazingly good, but not bad either. Just good, but still definitely worth playing in my book.


Verdict: - yes, if: you can look past its flaws | Definitely recommended on sale (=$2.50)

• Genre (tags): 2d puzzle-platformer
  
• Average length: 6 hrs
  
• Developer: Press Play
  
• Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
  
• Release date: 21st May 2014
  
• Platform: pc, Xbox 360, Xbox One

A quick-paced, simple sidescrolling puzzle game. The graphics are great and so is the art style, all the landscapes are beautiful and vibrant and the characters are distinctive and interesting to look at.
The puzzles aren't particularly difficult, at least at the beginning, but they're satisfying and fun to do so it preserves replay value and, since you respawn pretty close to where you die, they don't get frustrating.

Lots of fun and very cool!

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is essentially a puzzle platformer with some brief precision platforming sections.

It's got great cartoonish animated visuals, but don't let that make you think this is a children's game.

It starts off easy enough, but towards the end of world 2 I can feel it getting tougher. I've played the game for about 2 hours now and am about 25% in, with exploring the areas and getting most collectively. Can't speak about the overall length or difficulty for now as such.

The platforming is really slick though. Max is agile and moves quickly. This is something I really like about the game.

The puzzle element meanwhile is novel for me. Your magic marker gains new powers, and you can draw vines, branches, pull up earth from the ground etc. initially they may be very direct since there are visual cues but as you go on there is some thinking required.

So far, there is one notable performance issue. The game occasionally has it's frame rate set to 15 or 20fps and I need to Alt Tab out and back into the game to get 60fps. Nothing major and this usually happens only after loading screens, and that too not always.

Overall, I'm enjoying the game. Nothing out of the world extraordinary, but slow paced and well made.

Max is your basic side-scrolling platformer game with a bunch of great stuff in it. The controls are simple enough to learn, and much of the game is merely setting up your next move: figuring out how to get from point A to point B with as little dying as possible. While much is possible to go slow and steady, there are many points in the game that requrire precise timing and vine-laying and otherwise to ensure that your enemies die or are trapped, and that you don't fall down a sudden hole that opened up underneath you.
For those that are story oriented, Max has a nice storyline that progresses kinda predictably (ish), but its a great story that'll be relateable for anyone with siblings who have at times wished they would disappear. . . who weren't aware that they might actually be taken into another world.
For those not sure whether the game would be worth it or not, here's the basic premise: You play as a kid named Max trying to save his brother from an old magician named Mostacho, who like his name entails, boasts a moustache. You take him down using a magic marker, in both senses of the word (its a literal magic marker, who doesn't wanna play with that?), that has been imbibed with the soul of an old woman (the guide of the story, gotta have one of those).
So yeah, I'd recommend trying this game out and seeing what you think!

Max: and the Curse of Brotherhood is a platformer game from XBOX game studios and in my opinion it's really underrated.

I had fun with this game. I usually dislike platformers since i'm not 12 anymore and my reflexes and reaction are really bad, like REALLY bad. But i'm so happy someone made a platformer for people like me. I can't say it was easy for me to finish it, I died so many times and boss fights took some time but it was rewarding rather than frustrating. You are allowed some mistakes and your timing doesn't need to be 100% precise unlike in many other games. In general this was a challenging yet enjoyable journey. Although I can see this being too challenging for some people who are even slower than me. Some bosses could be annoying or section where you need to run and jump quickly because something tries to catch you.

But platforming isn't everything this game offers. It's kind of similar to Unravel (maybe same dev team? Too lazy to check it out, sorry, i'm a really lazy and tired person). You have magical marker and you can paint various objects using it to help the main character traverse through chasms and other dangerous obstacles. So you'll need to combine platforming and drawing at the same time. Which brings something fresh into the genre. At least at the time this game was released.

Main character is very charming along with beautiful character design, level modeling and their design. The game looks decent even today and some areas are really beautiful. Characters are nicely animated and it sometimes feels like a 3D movie, although don't expect Pixar quality.
It's all 3D graphics which look good so it's might not be potato friendly but you definitely don't need a beast PC to run this. All the levels are beautiful, again I will bring Unravel into this because in some ways they look similar.
Controls are pretty good and responsive although you will need to adapt to gameplay mechanics, but once you do it's all fine.

Sound design is of highest quality here. From wonderful voice acting to sounds and music which sometimes could make some sections harder because music kinda makes you feel like you need to rush things and makes running/platforming really intense. Well done.

A very good platforming game for people who want to play platformers but can't due to their lack of skill. Still challenging though but doable and doesn't become frustrating too often. If you enjoy cute games with that Pixar/Dysney vibe you definitely should play.

Pros

• Challenging but not too frustrating
  
• Great level design
  
• Beautiful sound design
  
• Great graphics
  
• Cute

Cons

• Some bosses or particular sections might get little frustrating at times

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This game is modern "Heart of Darkness" (1998) i'd say! I like it!