Max: The Curse of Brotherhood Reviews
Overall, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a great game that feels like it's really found a home on Switch.
Released in 2013, Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood has been picking up rave reviews since it landed on the Xbox One all those years ago. So popular was it, in fact, that it was eventually developed for the PC and PS4. Now, this bright little puzzle-platform game has made its way to the Switch. But how does it stack up all these years later?
It's easy to overlook Max: The Curse of Brotherhood when searching for a good platformer, but don't. Some frustrating moments aside, it's a well-designed twist on the genre that's quite at home on the Nintendo Switch in terms of visuals and controls. Those who didn't complete it on other platforms will find the Switch's touchscreen eases much of the difficulty, and the $15 price tag ($30 for the physical copy) makes it a game that's easy to pick up between bigger releases. And if there's a lesson to be learned here, it's that you really shouldn't mess around with spells you find online. You never know which ones will actually work…even if they don't begin with “I wish…”
For every thrilling moment that you experience from the game’s cinematic aspirations and standout puzzle design, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood fumbles soon after. It’s an uneven adventure, but one that can still celebrate many successes – even if it fails to rival some already strong competition on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a solid puzzle game with some platforming elements, even if it isn't a particularly great platformer on its own. If you can look past the occasionally clunky controls and its inherent frustrations, you're in for a treat with the great level design.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood's presentation and creative use of puzzle-platforming are really well done. It has a difficulty curve that is accessible for all ages and remains fun. It looks beautiful despite running at a lower resolution and its appeal can be good for both parents and children to play together.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a triumph in design, both in terms of how stages are crafted and the way the smart puzzles contained within each world are put together. Held back by its control scheme in the past, the shackles have now been removed, making this the superlative edition thanks to the excellent touch screen system now employed on Nintendo Switch, leaving Cubed3 now hungry for an upgraded version of Max & the Magic Marker in the future.
While PlayStation players had to wait several years for it Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is definitely worth playing.
a pleasantly challenging platformer with adorable charm and an entertaining story.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood returns in a Nintendo Switch edition and for all those who never played it before, this is a game that is well worth the effort: a fun, entertaining and involving platformer with plenty of puzzles that will keep the players around their systems for a long time.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a fun action puzzle platformer that is sadly hampered by an awful port. The puzzles are brilliant, especially with the magic marker mechanic, with some great chase sequences to space them out. Brilliant pacing means you’ll move from through fantastical environments constantly in this six-hour campaign, which is brought down by the lower resolution and performance.
Platforming fun for all the family, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is one of the Switch's better takes on the genre. Its storytelling feels like a Disney Pixar movie, so if your youngster has had a Switch for Christmas, it shouldn't take much to get them on board.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a fun puzzle platformer that is worth a download. The graphics are very pretty, polished and colorful, and the game looks great when played docked on the TV or on the go in Tabletop or Portable mode. This is a quality Switch port of an entertaining release that is worth your time and money.
Max: Curse of the Brotherhood uses a wonderfully implemented drawing mechanic to solve puzzles that can often feel familiar, but are usually just about different enough to remain fun and fresh. The platforming, chase sequences, and even the final boss won't put up too much of a fight against you in the seven-or-so hour campaign, but you may find yourself occasionally stumped by the odd puzzle that strays from the norm.It isn't quite perfect, and there are several small areas where we feel the game could be improved, but ultimately we had a great time playing through the adventure and enjoyed the core mechanic. It can't quite compete with the true elites of its genres but it is definitely a welcome addition to the eShop - if you love the puzzle-platform genre and want to add another game to your collection, this wouldn't be a bad place to start.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a very enjoyable puzzle platformer. The game often surprises you with the solutions to different puzzles and overall is a very rewarding experience. Those seeking out an interesting twist on the platforming genre will find a lot to love in Max's latest adventure.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a game that has a lot of potential. The story is intriguing and rather well told, it has a beautiful art style, and the sound design is excellent. It has an interesting mechanic in the use of the magic marker, and the level and puzzle design is rather masterful. Unfortunately, the whole thing falls apart due to floaty, finicky and imprecise controls, and the performance issues are an immense hurdle. The game comes close to greatness, but its problems are too overwhelming for it to reach those heights and as a result you are left with a game that shines at times but offers poor overall value.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a great looking and fun puzzle/platformer you should definitely check out on Nintendo Switch. The game features a good challenge for players, and the hidden amulet pieces will require you to use all of your skills to reach them since they're usually hidden in out of reach spots or areas hidden by the camera until you're close enough to uncover the path that leads to them. I'd been looking forward to playing the game since the moment a port to Nintendo's hybrid console was announced, and I'm happy to report that the wait was worth it.
Overall I found that Max’s mix of play styles and moderate level of challenge made for an enjoyable romp. Puzzle-solving generally is of the kind that makes you feel pretty smart when you work out what you need to do and there generally seems to be a little room for variation on how you may approach things at times. Overall if you’re looking for a solid adventure with a blend of things to do it is easy to recommend.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a great indie platformer which I'm glad had the chance to come to other platformers. It may not be the best looking game out there but it does shine with its artistic style, complex and thought-provoking puzzles and constantly-changing Magic Marker.
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.