Addicting action is what keeps you coming back for more in this challenging adventure.
Maximo: Ghosts To Glory is exactly the opposite. The game is tough, the save points cost you money that doesn't come easy, and this game won't appeal to most casual gamers. However, if you're the type that likes the rewarding feeling you get after accomplishing a tough task, then this game is right up your alley.
The story starts off pretty quick and simple, and it stays that way throughout the entire game, with just a slight twist at near the end. Maximo's girlfriend is kidnapped by an evil wizard. Of course, he has to rescue her. You'll start off in the first level of the game, and the controls seem simple at first, but after a while, you'll need to learn how to master all of the sword swinging actions, because you'll need to use your brains combined with certain sword techniques later on in the game.
You'll see that Maximo has a health bar that is broken into portions. Each portion represents his health level according to what armor he's wearing. The more armor he has, the better. When he gets hit enough times (and believe me, it only takes a few hits to knock your health down real quick), you'll see Maximo in his boxer-shorts. Certainly not the ideal armor to wear.
The rest of the controls beyond the sword swings are pretty simple and responsive such as moving and jumping. However, the camera controls are barely usable. In order to change the camera angle, you have to hit L1, and then you'll still have to wait a couple of seconds while the camera adjusts. This can be painfully annoying when you know you've got a bad guy headed your way, but you can't see him because you're waiting on the camera to adjust. The developers should have used the right analog stick to control the camera like most 3D games do.
Probably one of the best features that adds to the gameplay is the level design. There are so many twists, turns, jumps, drops, barriers, and other random obstacles that add so much depth to the adventure. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought these levels would have been a perfect design for the next Mario 3D adventure.
The bosses in the game are at the end of each of the 5 different worlds. These huge boss fights will seem intimidating at first, especially because of their massive size. However, you will soon find out that the bosses are easier to defeat than some of the regular enemies found in every level.
I'm not saying that the bosses are just really easy, it's just that the regular "skeleton crew" that you fight hordes and hordes of can be very difficult, especially if you have three or four of them jumping you all at once. Those types of situations are when you have to use your brains instead of just trying to slash at all of them. What makes some of them very tough is that they have shields and they know how to use them. You must carefully time your attacks, or else they will get the best of you. The constant difficulty these enemies provide can be very frustrating at times, which in turn takes a little fun out of the experience.
Thankfully this game does have a save feature, but you must use it wisely, as it costs you “koins”, which you collect through each level. Unless you want to try braving through a certain level over and over again in order to build up your koins (not to mention probably lose at least a couple of lives), you’ll have to use your save options sparingly. Also, your koins can be used to buy extra armor, special boxer-shorts, or even extra lives.
The visuals may look plain and simple at first, but you soon learn to admire the graphics, as they look very good considering this game kind of has a cartoon look to it. The character animations are very fluid. The environments, while very linear, still give a nice look to the overall worlds that you will have to travel through.
The music is mostly forgettable, but it still fits in perfectly with the game. The voices of all the characters are absolutely perfect and fit well to each of the characters. Even some of the regular foes have some dialogue, as you’ll hear certain guards pace back and forth saying, “Hup, Two, Three, Four…..Hup, Two, Three, Four,” as they count their paces. Many of the sound effects are perfect as well, such as when you slice your sword into wood (such as a tree), it will make a clunk-sound just like it should sound. Same goes for slicing at metal or cement, it make a perfect “CHING” sound.
The game can be beat in roughly 12 hours, but that’s only if you’ve already played through once and you know exactly what you’re doing. It should take most players at least 20 hours to finish. Unfortunately there isn’t much left to do once you’ve mastered the game, as it only opens up one secret level, which really isn’t a secret because it’s just the first level played backwards and with tougher opponents. However, there are plenty of bonus areas in each level to discover in order to completely master each level, and doing so will unlock the secret level at the end of the game, but only if you’ve mastered every single level.
Overall, Maximo: Ghosts To Glory is a tough game with a lot of reward. Every time you beat a level, you actually feel better about progressing in the game. The fact that it defies what most games do these days is a nice breath of fresh air from an era that existed over a decade ago, but is now on the verge of extinction in the modern video game era.