Maximus 2

Maximus 2 is a hack and slash game, but a bit different from the others because it is 2.5D. It looks like a side view, yet you can always move your character towards or away from the camera. That makes the fights more dynamic and lets you dodge an attack. In some scenes you are not even moving sideways but up or down the screen, which gives a real feeling of space and depth.

The fighting is more complex than in most beat ’em ups, because there are lots of combos. I definitely have not remembered all of them, but some look really awesome. At first I thought the characters moved a bit clunky, but once I saw the combos unfold I changed my mind and actually quite enjoyed it.

The battlefield gets really messy. A good player can definitely make a difference, but you never have full control, because so much is happening at once. That is part of the fun, though. The fights with lots of enemies are explosive.

One downside: almost every time you open the inventory, an ad pops up. You can close it with one click, though, so it is not too invasive.

Joining as player two was very straightforward, and playing with two controllers was super fun. Even though this is not my genre at all, I give it a solid score.