Looks like a great game. For those wondering if the 360 has any good platformers, the reviewers are saying it's a pretty decent title.
| 8.0 | Presentation An unlockable free theme and gamerpics are a nice touch. The whole package has a good sense of style. |
| 9.0 | Graphics This is easily one of the most attractive XBLA games thanks to the vibrant colors and great animations. |
| 9.0 | Sound A wonderful soundtrack. I love Frank's voice. |
| 8.0 | Gameplay It's pretty easy and there isn't a lot of depth here, but its always fun which is what's most important. |
| 6.5 | Lasting Appeal The game can easily be beaten in a weekend of light playing. Some might play again to find everything, but most will call it a day. |
| 8.0 |
OVERALL (out of 10 / not an average) |
Closing comment from IGN:
The Maw is a fine little romp for people who feel the platformer genre doesn't get enough respect these days. It's also a great game for parents searching for something to hand off to a young child. The Maw is fairly linear and there isn't a great amount of depth to it, but its two main characters are adorable and the pacing is spot on. The Maw is a well-crafted little game and the first of 2009 that is worth a look.
TeamXbox:
There’s a sizable amount of gameplay fun to be had in The Maw for sure (especially when Maw mimics the characteristics of the enemies that he consumes), but it’s not without its flaws. Characters don’t always interact with the environments as well as they should. This not only affects the overall look of The Maw (objects floating in air), but also the gameplay, especially when these situations arise around context-sensitive objects. There are also some hit detection issues which arise that make The Maw a bit more frustrating than a game so lighthearted and whimsical should technically be. The detection issue isn’t a deal-breaker—it just means that you’ll spend slightly more time fiddling around with the controls rather than enjoying the character team-ups or comedic value of this game’s presentation.
The aforementioned gripes of The Maw’s quickly disappear once you factor in how solid the preponderance of the action is. But more impressive is how Twisted Pixel has given this XBLA title high-end production values in nearly ever facet of the code. The Maw is damn pretty, directed with an artistic eye and has been built off of a sizable amount of enchanting concept art. Even the audio—a boon for many casual devs trying to get by on the cheap—is spectacular in The Maw. Roll The Maw’s gameplay, visuals and audio together and you have one very tasty yumyum, not to mention one of the better original IP’s to hit Xbox Live Arcade in awhile.
TeamXbox Score: 8.5
It's also had a positive 7.0 review from Edge, and they praised the game. It looks like the reviewers don't have many gripes with the game, other than the fact that it's a $10 game....But a top-end $10 game.
The official Maw thread at NeoGAF is praising the game. It looks like a nice, competent puzzle/platformer for X360 owners wanting a 'true' Banjo & Kazooie sequel, or a new Kameo.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
