Xbox 360 Review: The Maw

Game Details

 

• Title: The Maw
• Developer: Twisted Pixel
• Released (UK): 21/01/2008
• Typical Current Price:  800 MS Points
• Age Rating: 7+
• Game Type: 3D Platformer
• Online Multiplayer: None

One Sentence Summary

 

Really nice looking XBLA game albeit a bit short

 

Game Overview

 

 

Gameplay

 

The Maw is a simple 3D platform game, where you have to solve simple puzzles and eat a certain number of creatures in order to complete the levels. The games plot if it can be called that is that you and the maw are escaped prisoners due to the ship you were on crashing and your aim is to eventually escape the planet.

 

Graphics

 

These are probably some of the best graphics that I have seen in an XBLA title

 

Sound

 

The sound is very good both in terms of music and sound effects

 

User Friendliness

 

Quite easy to pick up and play and there is an in game tutorial to teach you new tricks, though this was absent on one level which caused some issues until I worked out what to do. There were also a few glitches where I could get to areas you were not meant to be able to causing me to have to restart the level or doing a task wrong leading to the same thing. The game is also very easy as it is not possible to be killed.

 

Lifespan

 

If going for completion there is probably about 3-6 hours of game play.

 

Achievement Design

 

The achievements are fairly well designed for the nature of the game, and all but 1 are achievable in one play through. The last achievement seems to me to be designed simply to try to extend games lifespan as it requires you to play at 6 different times of the day if the description is accurate

 

Multiplayer

 

N/A

 

Overall

 

As with previous XBLA titles I have reviewed the main issue is not the quality of the game but the length as aside from 1 achievement the game can be completed within 6 hours and there is little to advocate replaying the game. On the more positive side the game looks really nice and is fun to play, and you also get some gamerpics and a dashboard theme if you complete the game. As normal I recommend downloading the trial version first.

 

 

Rating

 

 

3.5/5 – Enjoyable but too short