Video Game Vintage Title: Max: The Curse Of Brotherhood

Max: The Curse Of Brotherhood

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a 2.5D side-scrolling platform video game developed by Press Play for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The game was announced during Microsoft's E3 2013 press event. It is a reimagining of Press Play's previous work, the 2010 Max & the Magic Marker.

Max: The Curse Of Brotherhood Gameplay

Max, the protagonist of Max & the Magic Marker, searches online for a way to rid himself of his younger brother, Felix. A portal appears in their room, from which a paw emerges to steal Felix. Max follows behind before the portal closes. The game has cartoon-style graphics and an upbeat soundtrack.

Max is a platforming game and Max has a floating jump. He also uses a marker with magic powers that creates platforms from the earth and environment for climbing and jumping. The marker's specific powers are associated with sparkling areas on the ground. The marker is used to solve environmental puzzles, like moving a crate.

Reception
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood received mixed reviews, with an aggregated score of 69/100 from Metacritic and 74.60% from GameRankings. Jeff Cork of Game Informer wrote that the game's central conceit was a "gimmick that simply doesn't work all that well", and that for that reason, he did not expect players to advance to the end of the game. He added that the Xbox One controller was not precise enough for the puzzles. Cork commended the final puzzle. Evan Narcisse of Kotaku did not recommend the game, which he compared to a larger version of the iPhone game. He praised the game's humor and background art, but complained that the game's drawing mechanics were needlessly difficult at times and extended the game's length in undesirable ways. Jeremy Peeples of Hardcore Gamer gave the game a 3.5/5, criticizing it for not breaking any new ground and failing to utilize the features of the Kinect for the drawing mechanics, while praising its voice acting, sound effects and soundtrack. GameZone's Mike Splechta gave the game a 5/10, stating "It's hard to recommend Max: The Curse of Brotherhood to fans of platformers, since the game presents such infuriating mechanics. That said, its gorgeous visuals and some fun, if occasional, level design might still be somewhat enticing."