Max: The Curse of Brotherhood

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 3 out of 10
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  1. PS-Online
    Nov 17, 2017
    8
    Lets cut to the chase right from the off! Max is a clever game that wants the player to be just as clever.
    Many a time I would face a situation of, you need to get over to the other side but in your path are monsters or a watery grave or hell fire or just a drop to your instant death! So what to do?
    This is where Max excels. The developer Flashbulb have done there homework on many of the    Lets cut to the chase right from the off! Max is a clever game that wants the player to be just as clever.
    Many a time I would face a situation of, you need to get over to the other side but in your path are monsters or a watery grave or hell fire or just a drop to your instant death! So what to do?
    This is where Max excels. The developer Flashbulb have done there homework on many of the games of the past generation and taken some of the best puzzle elements and gelled them together in there own special way to form one of the best 2.5D side scrolers I've played since Sonic back in the day.

    Max "The Curse Of Brotherhood" as you may have guessed is a story about you, Max trying to find his annoying brother who Max actually 'wished' him to be banished but didn't expect to see him gobbled up by his TV.

    And so your quest over 7 chapters start. You are not armed with guns, no knives, no fists. No you are armed with a.............Pen. This is one hell of a magic marker pen. As you progress you will unlock it's powers, the powers of progression. Your pen can grow branches, shape branches, cut branches, attach vines to branches, rock formations that you can rise from the ground. It's, what seems endless combinations will help you navigate the world and get to the end and hopefully rescue your little brother or find the many secrets littered throughout your journey. (You can go back to each stage to unlock secrets that were unreachable without full power of the pen)

    I found myself many times scratching my head looking at the TV trying to figure out a way forward. The way forward was only masked by my own imagination. As soon as you click with the way the developers 'think' you'll be on your way, I'd pause, think, then giving a smile and knowing nod towards the TV, then progress and mutter, "very clever" under my breath. Some games these days are just by numbers and treat you like an idiot, reminding you what to press to jump over a log even after playing for over 7 hours, Max will have you using your brain right up until the last.

    Max is a breath of fresh air and a wonder to play. The colours pop on the 4K screen in 50" glory. The graphics themselves have a very Pixar look to them, the world kinda reminded me of Sony's Monster House. Sound is done very well with perfect surround sound booming from my wireless woofer.

    Where Max excels is from imagination and I urge you to give it a go and if puzzle solving is your thing, you'll come away feeling you've well and truly had your monies worth.    … Expand
  2. Kyler
    Jan 6, 2019
    3
    One of the most broken and frustrating games I ever played. This game has a ton of bugs and glitches. I reloaded checkpoints almost every 5-10 minutes. Stay away from this game.
  3. davidthesloth
    Jul 22, 2021
    8
    A fun, smart 2.5D side scroller with complex puzzles with beautiful art styles. Very innovative with the "create your own design" mechanic with the Magic Pen that you're equipped with. Gameplay is fun and slick and never gets boring. Whenever I found myself in a tricky brain teaser, it was so rewarding to figure the solution that is revealed to you through trial and error. The game isA fun, smart 2.5D side scroller with complex puzzles with beautiful art styles. Very innovative with the "create your own design" mechanic with the Magic Pen that you're equipped with. Gameplay is fun and slick and never gets boring. Whenever I found myself in a tricky brain teaser, it was so rewarding to figure the solution that is revealed to you through trial and error. The game is quite cleverly designed in such a way that it doesn't come across as too pretentious or difficult that makes the player resort to a walkthrough guide. The game is a joy to play with fluid gameplay, fun levels and never outstays its welcome.

    The only negative thing I can say about this game is that the few cutscenes that are in the game run like absolute trash, running at about single digit frames and I was playing this on a PS5. Regardless, it doesn't take too much for this great game.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
67

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 2 out of 9
  1. Cubed3
    Dec 11, 2017
    40
    Max: The Curse of Brotherhood has great level design that squanders its puzzles, beautiful artwork that wastes its characters, and gameplay that ranges from boring to being a bit broken. Truth be told, though, it does manage to pull you back in just as you were getting ready to leave. Sadly, it's unlikely anyone will have the patience to see it all the way through, as so much of the game is spent fighting the bad puzzle design and the atrocious platforming.
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  2. GameGrin
    Nov 29, 2017
    45
    While Max: The Curse Of Brotherhood does have a good story, it has too many downfalls to forgive. The platforming just isn't up to par, and the checkpoints will have you throwing your controller at a wall in no time.
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  3. PlaySense
    Nov 28, 2017
    75
    The world reminded us of Pixar, which is always a compliment, and there's a satisfying amount of enjoyable puzzles. However, the degree of frustration should not be underestimated and the story ultimately feels like a missed opportunity.
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