Maximo: Ghosts to Glory

"Good game, but it could have been a lot better."

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory is an interesting, grappling adventure. The different aspects of the game blend together nicely and provide for a pleasant gaming experience. The game is not without its flaws, though; some things just have the tendency to annoy the heck out of you. Overall, however, the flaws don't detract from the experience all that much.

Gameplay: 8

Maximo's controls are very simple: one button to jump, one to slash your sword horizontally, one vertically, and one to use your shield as a projectile. Other controls include a camera center control, a first-person view, and stationary rotation (push the button so you turn but you don't move from your position when you move the directional analog stick) controls. It doesn't take too much to get used to them, but they can be a bit clumsy and slow at times. When you're in a group of a lot of enemies, it can be hard to hit them and they have a tendency to hurt you quite a bit if you aren't careful. Also, when opening chests, you need to position yourself rather close and push the action button, otherwise you end up slashing the chest. Like I said, not big flaws, but noticeable.

Story: 5

The story is a rather generic one: you're a hero who needs to restore peace to the land after your advisor takes over and begins to wreak havoc. He just happens to kidnap your girlfriend as well and forces her to marry him, so you have to be a valiant night and save her while beating the evils that plague the kingdom. Not much variety, really, but then again you don't really need a spectacular, fresh story for a good game, do you?

Graphics: 8

Maximo's graphics are rather nice. Environments are full of detail and expansive, and the path you need to take tends to be clearly laid out in front of you. Cutscenes are very good looking, crisp, and fluid. One of the things that bothers me, though, is when your health is reduced to one bar: your armor falls off and you run around in your boxers. Is it just me, or is that a little odd? I didn't think proper attire for a knight was running around in your boxers with your sword in one hand and your shield in the other. Besides, isn't it a little cold? And dangerous?

Sound/Music: 6

The sound is very good. Clangs and bangs and smashes are nice and smooth. The music is also good, but some of the tracks, mainly while you're out fighting monsters, are rather short and therefore tend to be repetitive and become boring after just a little bit. Voice acting is good, and it helps move the game along; it makes the cutscenes a little more realistic and adds emotion to the game that don't always come through in other games.

Replay Value: Good

Like any good game, Maximo includes a plethora of secrets and hidden things to search for throughout the game. As you complete the game, you are shown your level of completion, how much of the game you've finished up to that point, and game mastery, the amount of the game you've completely explored and discovered. This helps you when you're someone who likes to go through and find everything in the game that isn't accessible by just following the main path. It also adds to the replay value, which would be a lot lower if they weren't there. For a numerical value, I would give replay value about a 7.

Recommendation: Good

If you're into classic feeling action games, Maximo is perfect for you. The graphics and gameplay bring back a nostalgic feeling common in older days, but with a 3D perspective. It's like taking a 2D game and bringing it into the 3D realm, holding on to much of the old magic while adding on things not possible in a 2D environment. It's also good for people who just like to beat things up, even if they are only skeletons and zombies.

Rent or Buy: Buy

Since the game has been out for more than 2 years and the price has dropped so much, I would definitely encourage buying it; also, since it is so old, it might be hard to find a place to rent it from. The game itself and the replay don't warrant renting anyway, as it might take a while to play through and find everything, longer than the 5 or so days you get to play it when you rent.

Overall: 7
Conclusion

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory is a rather typical action game, but it does have some interesting elements. The great gameplay and graphics make up for some of the flaws that the game has, but they still detract from the overall value of the game. It's still worth a look, though, if you like the action genre.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/27/04