Maximo: Ghosts to Glory

"Ghosts and Goblins for the 21st century"

Meet Maximo. He seems to have it all - a loving Queen, a kingdom, and four wise Sorceresses to advise him on running it.

Unfortunately, when he went off to war, his advisor wizardly Achille took it all away from him. The usurper bored a hole into the underworld to give him an undead army to seize the kingdom. He imprisoned the Sorceresses. He even claimed Maximo's Queen as his own.

Then he killed Maximo.

In the Underworld, Maximo discovers he's not the only King with problems. Death himself has lost the souls of his Kingdom to Achillie's undead army. So, the two unhappy rulers make a deal - Death will keep Maximo alive, if he can deal with Achille.

And so begins a quest for one man to restore two kingdoms. Fortunately, Maximo's up to the job.

OK, it's Ghosts and Goblins updated for the 21st century. But what a game it is . . .

Graphics: 8/10
Maximo's got a solid look to it. Nothing over-spectacular, but the graphics work, there are nice looking effects, good animations and design, etc. It doesn't push the envelope, but it does what it does very well.

The graphics have a delightfully colorful and cartoony feel to them, with bright colors, monsters and characters with real ''character,'' and a general level of detail that gives you a feeling of being ''there.'' Most of the designs of the environments and characters are well-done, though a few get simplistic.

There are also some FMV sequences to move the story along that are decently done and add to the story.

Gameplay: 9/10
Let me be frank up front - this is an Old School game done as a 3D platform-jumper. No unlimited continues - you have to earn continues. No unlimited saves - they cost Koins (the coin of the realm). No unlimited lives - you have to salvage lost spirits in order to get Death to give you more continues. No mercy - deep water kills you, lava kills you, and everything wants you dead. What you have to do is kill everything, search everything, and never take anything for granted - and that takes strategy, not button-mashing or tossing away lives until you win.

The control system takes a bit of getting used to, but overall works pretty well. Mainly, the challenge is getting the exact hang of the camera and how to manipulate it - nothing unusual, but it helps to take a few minutes when the game starts to get it right. Most actions are achieved simply, and some more complex moves are achieved with simple button combinations or button-stick combinations. In addition to the usual hack-and-slash, you also get a shield for a little extra strategy in blocking, and some enemies that take a bit of strategy to defeat effectively.

In the game, one enters a realm through an entry level. After completing the entry level, you end up at a hub which connects to other levels. Complete these levels, and you can battle the boss of the hub - and one can replay the levels as they wish. One also has magic pools on each hub that will let one save the game or transport to previous levels - at a cost, however. So save your money, you're going to need it.

Every level has a variety of monsters, environmental hazards, treasure, and Wheels of Fortune, which let you purchase items. Many things are hidden, requiring searching and jumping around, or require keys to get to, so collect them carefully. You may have to smash objects or open chests to get at the goods (some chests are also canny mimics that'll attack you). One can also find Holy Ground, which, once tagged, will be where you'll come back if you loose a life.

A variety of items will help you. Koins let you purchase items and the services of the magic pools. You can find armor to protect yourself and potions to heal yourself. You can also find special power Icons that give Maximo different abilities - but only so many can be set to be preserved after death, so you have to decide what's important.

In short, yes, there's a lot to do and see.

The boss battles are decent, but most of them come down to ''dodge and figure out the vulnerability'' - just like the Old School games. They vary wildly in difficulty, though all are very colorful and, like the rest of the game, have real personality.

The game is of reasonable length - I got a good twenty hours or so out of it the first time I played. The levels are interesting and one has to pay attention, so those twenty hours are filled with adrenaline.

Oh, and just like the Ghosts and Goblins game and its spawn, if you take too many hits to your armor, Maximo ends up in his underwear. Tradition, after all.

Sound: 8/10
The sounds in Maximo are good - swords thunk into wood, skeletons rattle, gates creak, etc. Much like the graphics they may not be high art, but they work very well and they set the atmosphere for the game.

The music itself is also fun, a bit cartoony and whimsical, and helps maintain the ''feel'' of the game as well.

The voice acting in the FMV sections is also credible and rather fun. Death, especially, is a hoot, and its obvious the folks doing the voices enjoyed what they did.

Story: 7/10
OK, the story is not going to win an Academy Award for best Screenplay. However in contrast to the paper-thin stories of many arcade-style games, Maximo's story stands out.

The story advances as one clears out levels, and usually involve the interactions of Death and Maximo, who have an odd and enjoyable chemistry. I found myself wishing for more FMV so I could enjoy Death and Maximo playing off of each other. In a way, the game is a really twisted Buddy movie.

Also, refreshingly, many of the events and elements of the game are actually explained by the plot. Armies of skeletons? Achillie's undead army. Earthquakes and lava pits? That's because Achillie's drill into the underworld destabilized the land. Have to take a trip to the Underworld? It's because you have to retrieve a lost soul.

So it won't win any awards, but the story ties the elements together well and makes the game enjoyable.

Replay Value: 8/10
Maximo was a game that I immediately replayed and enjoyed just as much the second time as the first. The various Icons, the hidden treasures, the weird and atmospheric levels, all made it a lot of fun to tour again.

Best of all, you get a ''percent complete'' rating on every level, so you can push yourself to find every item in every level. Doing so unlocks a super-hard Mastery Level, which is the first level, in reverse, filled with monsters.

The replayability is important as the game isn't overly long. Fortunately its very fun, and the complexity of the levels, the hidden treasures, and the variety of abilities one can acquire mean one has a lot to do an explore.

Buy or Rent:
I always recommend renting first, but I bought Maximo based on what I'd seen and found it was worth every penny (about $40.00 US). If you loved Ghosts and Goblins and you want a good 3D platformer, then I'd say its worth buying straight. If you're not sure, give it a rent.

Conclusion:
Maximo is a very well-done game. Though there are criticisms, none of them defeat the enjoyability of the game, and the entire game feels very well-planned and tight - it is good consistently. I'd argue that it's one of the best Platformers for the PS2 I've seen, and its got a lot of personality. Just don't expect any mercy while having fun.

Overall: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/27/02, Updated 09/27/02