Another good game from Capcom
Story:
Maximo is on his way to find his true love, Sophia; then suddenly he’s attacked by a bunch of robots powered by ‘trapped’ souls. These robots were supposed to be locked and sealed in a Great Vault of Hawkmoor. They are attacking the villagers nearby, so it’s up to Maximo to protect the people and investigate where these robots are coming from.
Graphics:
The graphics is good, certainly not the best ever seen on PS2. The FMV is very good actually, but the cut scenes are just okay (average). All enemies are drawn quite nicely. My personal favorite is the scarecrow with pumpkin head that can be found in a haunted forest. The final Boss fight is very good, you are surrounded by hundreds of enemies. It’s just a great atmosphere there, fighting the ‘last’ Boss in front of his army.
Sound/Music:
Nothing memorable, but it doesn’t make you want to turn off the music though. It’s just okay. Some of the people/villagers that you say ‘Thank You’ or ‘Help Me’ depending on the situation, but most of them have the same voice.
Gameplay
This is an area where this game does extremely well. The control is very responsive, you will do a lot of jumping from one place to another, you will need to solve the puzzles. Most of the puzzles can be easily solved, a few others are more challenging; but shouldn’t frustrate you.
You can attack the enemies with your sword or hammer, and you also have a shield to protect you. Oh, almost forgot, you can actually throw your shield to hit your enemies as well. There are several different techniques that you can choose to attack your enemies. I prefer to use sword instead of hammer because it’s faster albeit less powerful. You can build a combo also while attacking your enemies. The more combo-hit you can connect, the more treasure you will get.
You can upgrade your underwear (yeah, that’s right), armors, weapons, and shields in this game. Depending on your underwear you are wearing, you can get golden armor, or find treasures. If you wear a green underwear, the controller will vibrate if you are close to a buried treasure. Then you just need to jump over and the buried treasure will appear. Some of the treasures are locked, so you need to find the key first.
You will collect coins/diamonds throughout your journey that you can use to buy weapons, heal potions, attack techniques, and few more. You need to save villagers/merchants that you find, and they will give you back something (coins, keys, or even heal potions) in return.
The Bosses in this game are huge. You will have to keep running and learn the pattern they use to attack you. You can transform yourself into your pal, Grim. When you are controlling Grim, you will take no damage and can slash the enemy with powerful attack. Of course you can only do this for a limited time which is based on Grim meter. Then you need to refill the Grim meter by killing your enemies. Later in the game, you can even purchase the Grim meter container so that you can play as Grim for a several more seconds.
Final Score
I recommend anyone to at least rent this game. Experienced gamers will be able to finish this game quite fast. If you love Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, then you will love this game also. It’s a bit short and easy, but fun.
I hope Capcom will continue with this series and bring it over to PS3.Read full review
