As far as console launch exclusives go, Microsoft’s Xbox One had a solid slate of titles. Missing among the violence of Ryse and Dead Rising 3, however, was an exclusive family title (like the PlayStation 4’s Knack, for instance) that younger gamers could enjoy.
Microsoft today filled in that gap with the release of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood. The game is out now for Xbox One consoles and costs only $15.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood follows Max, a boy who gets exactly what he wishes for and must then journey through evil lands to save his brother. Max carries no weapons but does have a marker that players can use to manipulate Max’s surroundings, spawning vines and trees into existence.
The game is a puzzle-platformer that emphasizes the puzzles, most often solved with market powers. The game’s developer, Press Play, describes the game as a reimagining of Max and the Magic Marker, a similar game that was released for Wii, Nintendo DS, PC, and mobile platforms back in 2010.
The game’s launch trailer shows off a few of the enemies and locations Max will encounter, as well as a preview of the marker play mechanic. It also shows that Max: The Curse of Brotherhood just might be the best Xbox One exclusive yet released: