We Need More Maw: 3-D Video Game 'The Maw'

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (0)

WITH THE COST of developing the current generation of games skyrocketing, publishers are turning ever more frequently to sequels and licensed franchises in order to keep those critical profit margins high.

While these big-budget blockbuster titles can still be fun, it's rare for them to really break the mold. In order to get that, you have to look at the downloadable game market. Such is the case with "The Maw," a 3-D platform game developed by Twisted Pixel Games and available for download from the Xbox Live Arcade on the 360.

You play as Frank, a childlike blue alien who, at the start of the game, has been captured by galactic bounty hunters and tossed into a cell where he first meets the titular Maw, a gelatinous blob with sharp teeth and described by the developer as "Loyal, indestructible, hungry. If he weren't a threat to all life in the universe, he'd make the perfect pet." After crash-landing on an alien planet, it's up to you to guide Frank and Maw's escape.

The focus here is Maw's ability to eat, absorb and evolve. Throughout, you'll be solving puzzles to feed Maw, who will continue to grow and occasionally gain new abilities. Starting smaller than Frank and being led around like a puppy, he soon grows large enough to be ridden like an elephant, then ... well, then he gets really big.

Crisp graphics that wouldn't be out of place in a Pixar movie, and a entertainingly dynamic music score, round out a package that is hilariously fun. Aimed at young and casual gamers, the experience is short (we beat it in a little under three hours), Twisted Pixel has plans to release more levels in the near future. At 800 Microsoft points (about $10), "The Maw" is well worth a look.

Photo courtesy Twisted Pixel Games