Patreon button  Steam curated reviews  Discord button  Facebook button  Twitter button 
3DS | PC | PS4 | PS5 | SWITCH | VITA | XB1 | XSX | All

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory (PlayStation 2) artwork

Maximo: Ghosts to Glory (PlayStation 2) review


"Capcom’s latest may be just what you need if you are a platforming or nostalgia freak, but be wary; underneath the near-perfect graphics and pick up and play game mechanics lurks something much more sinister."

I’ll admit to pumping plenty of quarters into Ghosts ‘n Goblins when the old man at the stationary store around the corner put it in his gameroom. I even used to dream about it at night. When the game was resurrected on the NES and later on the Saturn, I was guilty of having spent way too much time in front of the TV. When I heard my PS2 was getting an all-new GNG my heart went all aflutter. The gold armor…the shield upgrades…ALL NEW ATTACKS?! I must’ve been dreaming. Unfortunately, I think I was-at least in part.

Maximo’s story, while trite, works well enough. As Maximo the player must slash their way through hoards of undead beasties, collecting treasures and upgrades, leaping from unstable stone to unstable stone, all in an effort to reach the end of 5 worlds to rescue his beloved princess, the hostage of an evil no-good-nik named Achilles. When you first fire up Maximo, prepare a place for your draw to drop to. The graphics are easy on the eyes, and by that I mean we haven’t seen much better on the PS2. Clean animation, detailed backgrounds, and incredible lighting effects prove that Capcom was pushing all the right buttons on the PS2 to make us stare in amazement.

The weapons and armor system is quite surprising, offering a bit of customization and a bevy of special moves to master. Whirlwind attacks, floor spikes, and the ability to shoot fiery projectiles are a welcome enhancement to the GNG formula. The game’s controls are split between super responsive and push “x” and get a sword slash next week. While you’ll have no problem traipsing around and double jumping all over the place, Maximo suffers in the same way that Jedi Power Battles suffered; you can’t just keep thwacking enemies no matter what. If you get knocked back, Maximo needs a nano-second to “collect” himself before he can strike again, and that just ain’t right. Some of the game’s frustration stems from this glitch, as you’ll no doubt be heard screaming from around the corner as you are mercilessly handed your butt-cheeks over and over again.

The other 90% of the game’s frustrations come from cheap shots and just plain difficulty. The hordes of undead you’ll do battle with just love to sucker punch you while you desperately try to reach a safe spot to unleash some much needed skull-crackin’, and sometimes a rather tricky camera can really interfere with your jumping skills. You’ll no doubt be stuck on one level for a long time, and this is where Maximo ever so slightly falls from grace. You have to complete each level in order to save, and you must collect Death Coins in order to continue. While innovative and kinda fun for a while, it’s not easy, and may just have you believing the antichrist works at Capcom.

The game’s sound effects are superb. From the clank of your sword to the scatter of bones, the game is strikingly realistic. It does suffer in the music department though, opting for more of a background feel to the soundtrack rather than real up-front, drivin’-the-action tunes that pull you into the game just that much more. Fans of GNG will notice some familiarities between this game and the older ones, but it really could’ve benefited from more music.

Amid all this frustration, gamers must remember where Maximo comes from. The original GNG was infamous for it’s difficulty. I broke two controllers trying to guide ol’ Arthur through this mess years ago. Is it fun? You bet. Is it insanely hard in some parts? Incredibly so. Still, Maximo is a fine example of a well-designed platformer and a great addition to a classic series. Although it stumbles in some places, it is solid, but may not be a game for everybody. Whatever you do, do not let the game’s tough exterior stop you from taking this ride. It’s well worth it.


matsuko's avatar
Community review by matsuko (Date unavailable)

A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.

More Reviews by matsuko [+]
Golden Sun (Game Boy Advance) artwork
Golden Sun (Game Boy Advance)

From its incredible graphics to its engrossing storyline, Golden Sun proves that huge surprises can come in small packages.
ICO (PlayStation 2) artwork
ICO (PlayStation 2)

Waif-like freaks who don't speak your language never looked so good...

Feedback

If you enjoyed this Maximo: Ghosts to Glory review, you're encouraged to discuss it with the author and with other members of the site's community. If you don't already have an HonestGamers account, you can sign up for one in a snap. Thank you for reading!

You must be signed into an HonestGamers user account to leave feedback on this review.

User Help | Contact | Ethics | Sponsor Guide | Links

eXTReMe Tracker
© 1998 - 2024 HonestGamers
None of the material contained within this site may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. Maximo: Ghosts to Glory is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors. Staff and freelance reviews are typically written based on time spent with a retail review copy or review key for the game that is provided by its publisher.