Max: The Curse of Brotherhood: X Box One Review

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood: X Box One Review

Platform: XBox One

We've all done it - had a sibling we wished was somewhere else or not part of our lives.

Well, in this latest 2D side scrolling platformer, that becomes a reality for Max, in the follow up to Max and The Magic Marker.

Finding his brother Felix in his stuff when he gets home from school, Max uses the internet to find a way to get his brother wished away. However, Max actually gets his desire and his brother's torn from in front of him, screaming into another dimension. Immediately regretting it, Max leaps in after to try and save him.

But the world Max's jumped into contains all manner of monsters and problems, most of which can be solved by leaping and jumping, as well as using the Magic Marker to help defy the laws of gravity.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is an endearingly cute platformer which will tax your grey matter as much as it taxes your fingers. Bounding from one challenge to the next is enormously simple, yet occasionally, thanks to bad timing, frustratingly irritating.

As Max negotiates his way through a world which is best described as being like a wild west desert with critters and creatures, the visuals are truly gorgeous to behold. Holding the RT portion of the controller brings out the Magic Marker and your chance to build earthen heaps, vines and even shape water to help Max on his path.

But, it may take you more than a few moments to conquer the challenges within. Several times I had to walk away from the puzzler before I went mad trying to solve a puzzle and get Max on to his next challenge. Thinking laterally and with a calm head is what's needed for this game and it may take a little longer than you'd expect to come to the solution.

Graphically, this game soars - its simplicity is its biggest drawcard as it propels headlong in its story. Max is wonderfully animated and the monsters as they appear would seem to be plucked from a child's nightmares. They're not exactly challenging but are perfectly suited to the mood of the game and give this charming game an extra edge.

Overall, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a perfectly charming platformer which will appear to the kids within and keep you entertained for a good few hours during winter.

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