The new Capcom knight jumps out with a few dents in his armor.
Maximo drew huge praise at the last E3 for bringing back classic 2D gameplay in a fresh 3D landscape. The final product is a solid platformer, but is rusted by a few flaws that tarnish the experience.
Susumu Matsushita’s character designs bring big personality to the world of Maximo. The strapping Maximo is a stout and determined knight ready to take on Achilles, a king who drilled into the Underworld to seize supernatural power. In the process, Princess Sophia is forced to marry King Achilles, and four sorceresses – the ruling council - have been captured. Maximo must rescue all and fix the now cursed and undead land.
Maximo is full of classic 2D gameplay similar to old NES titles. It’s fun to hack and slash like the good old days in a next-gen environment – heart boxers and all. Maximo has to attack and jump with pinpoint precision to succeed. The default sword he carries is short so you’ll have to get up-close to the undead to do damage. Each enemy is feisty and animated in a comical manner. Skeleton heads spin, zombies moan, and ghosts smile as they pummel you. They all have quick attacks and some enemies block attacks to add a bit more strategy to fights.
To fight back, Maximo has several power-ups. Maximo can upgrade his sword to earn a flame charge, ice charge, fire bolts of power, or draw a heftier sword. Maximo will earn new abilities that can be locked in or disappear after time. They include a double sword strike, a shield throw, and a mightier down thrust. Maximo will need to protect himself from the undead and can do so at “Wheel-o-Prizes” terminals in each level. Players must collect coins in each level to purchase additional armor, health, and to save the game. The save feature is so precious that its even offered as a prize when you save a sorceress. If that wasn’t enough, players even need coins to continue.
The level design is good in Maximo. Each level has a different theme ranging from graveyards to pirate ships. There are variations in landscape that happen on the fly, and enemies that pop out of every location. The levels are large and wide enough for explorers to tread through every sector. To access new areas players have to find iron and gold keys. Iron keys open chests and gates, while gold keys open special areas. Players can even find new areas below coffins, behind glass paintings, and other environmental objects. To keep your progress Maximo can jam his sword into level checkpoints. There are plenty in each level and Maximo needs every one. After Maximo passes the first level of each world (5 in all), he’s transported to a stage that houses transports to other levels, and the magic pool save point.
Players will have no problem getting into the catchy tunes in Maximo. The organ filled beats are fun and creepy, and the original Ghouls and Ghosts theme is integrated into several soundtracks. Maximo’s visuals are crisp and move at 60fps. The nifty lighting effects on the fire, lightning, and glowing skulls are the best seen on the PS2. What isn’t pretty is the voice quality - Maximo and cast sound like they’re talking in a muffled microphone.
A challenge is good. But there are cheap deaths-a-plenty in Maximo. If players miss a platform jump in lava or sludge, Maximo dies, rather than lose a piece of armor. The camera in Maximo isn’t the best and can obstruct the view to the next jump-able area, particularly cliff jumps. Even if players use the first-person camera to judge, it’s impossible to know where to land from the main camera. A high spray of lava can cover the camera and block your view to the next jump. The spontaneous ground shake-ups and some split second chasms can be too fast for players to react in time. Coffins that pop out of the ground can do so right under your feet and cause damage. Off-camera enemies can even score surprise hits off Maximo. The instant deaths and cheap hits are annoying - more so if you don’t have control over them.
Capcom Digital Studios should be commended for combining classic 2D gameplay with present day visuals. The cheap deaths and coin save feature make the solid gameplay tough to enjoy. But the package is attractive enough to fight through.
