Maximo vs. The Army Of Zin review

Maximo vs. The Army of Zin is a sequel to a remake, this in itself should be enough to set alarm bells ringing. For many, there will seem to be no point to yet another game of this type.

You jump from place to place while performing a variety of simple combo attacks against increasing numbers of enemies. If you earn enough gold coins, you get to upgrade your weapons and attacks. Nothing you haven’t heard before. At first glance this game can seem distinctly average in a lot of respects.

The Unknown Soldier

And it’s true, Army of Zin does have its painfully rough edges. Despite their robust design, the level graphics can sometimes look crude. In contrast to the armies of evil automatons that you battle, the set-upon villagers often seem quite mechanical in their scripted animations and dialogue.

But let us not forget the dubious pedigree Maximo carries, from arcade games with a history of immediate thrills and death through trial and error. Maximo manages to tread the line between pattern learning and fast reactions well enough so that you feel as if you are deciding the fate of the hero, rather than simply following the one set route to success.

For a start, the combat is free flowing and has enough variety to keep things interesting, especially given the fast pace of the game. At no point do you feel as if you have to remember your set combos, even though they are there for you to use. Play it as a button-masher or play it as a calculated brawler, just make sure you play it fast. Which you have ample opportunity to, given the speed and fluidity of the game.

Leaps of faith

The same goes for the platform elements, which for once don’t feel laboured or tacked on. The unifying element between the combat and the platforming sections in Maximo vs. The Army of Zin, is that they are difficult. In comparison to recent, slickly produced titles like Prince of Persia, jumping from platform to platform doesn’t give you the satisfaction of performing a visually impressive move onscreen; it gives you the satisfaction of success.

Which is what gives Army of Zin its charm, despite its age-old gameplay format. The game never overcomplicates things; it simply gives you a straightforward challenge that is satisfying to overcome. You could argue that its prequel did exactly the same thing, but this time the challenge is balanced slightly better. The deaths are less frustrating and a sense of progress is more apparent.

The scenic route

There’s a good variety of challenges throughout the levels as well. Although most of them, particularly the earlier levels, don’t immediately impress visually, no single situation or setting repeats itself long enough to get dull. And there are little graphical flourishes to each level that make them worth visiting. The swirling leaves in the forest, or the jaunty, cartoon-like villages. Nothing spectacular, but a distinct sense of character is definitely there.

In fact this is even more the case with the characters, which, as a rule are cleverly animated. No technical wizardry here, just style. The sense of comic desperation the first time you end up fighting hordes of evil robots in your boxer shorts, the sinister mannerisms of your adversaries. There is little to fault in the character design.

There is nothing new under the sun

But if none of this sounds particularly thrilling, then Army of Zin won’t be of much interest to you. Charming as it is, the game offers nothing new. Even more so when you consider that it’s a sequel. It ends up filling a certain niche very well but does little to draw in new players, although it does entertain. If all you want is a well-executed platform action game, with no innovations, you can have a really good time with Maximo vs. The Army of Zin, but otherwise steer clear. You’ve seen it all before.