Maize Reviews
Growing up on films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Signs has left me with a deep distrust for farms and cornfields.
Maize is a weird little game that blends a bunch of genres together while defying their individual norms. It’s an adventure game, but it either hints at or blatantly tells you what items will later be used for. It’s a walking simulator, but you actually do stuff other than walking (including a bizarre dancing minigame at one point). It’s a comedy game, but there’s also an underlying sense of mystery in the early parts of the game. It’s character-driven, but you never actually meet several of the more important characters beyond reading their passive-aggressive post-it exchanges littered throughout levels. Really, it’s all of these things and none of them.
There's more to Maize than it's concept initially suggests. A funny game that manages to balance silly humour with a genuine sense of mystery and some worthwhile gameplay. Unfortunately let down by some technical issues, but ultimately a well crafted parody.
Maize does plenty of things right. The puzzles in the game will have you scratching your head on where to go next, leaving you to decipher what your items are for. Great graphics hold this game up while dull back tracking and hit or miss humor keep it just below a higher threshold.
Overall, Maize was a satisfying showcase of cheesy corny goodness, but it’s a ride best experienced only once. For now, it’s best to wait for a Steam sale to pick up on this game. And please, just stop pressing Q.