I’m a bit of a Four Fats fanatic. If that sentence makes no sense to you, let me explain. Four Fats is the name of a developer who also used to go by the name Mooff Games, and they very much make games that are up my alley. Their games are often elaborate homages to classic video games from the ’80s and ’90s, with an emphasis on arcade genres like beat ’em ups, fighting games, and scrolling shooters. They also got their start making super adorable teddy bear-themed puzzle games, but that’s a story for another time. Mostly they do arcade action games with loads of video game references and I love it.
Way back in 2013, as Mooff Games, they released Maximus, an homage mainly to Golden Axe but many other side-scrolling beat ’em ups too. It was great fun and one of my favorite brawlers on mobile. Now, close to a decade later, its sequel Maximus 2 is now available. What does it offer? Well it’s a beat ’em up with non-stop homages to many of the most beloved entries in the genre. I mean, this is what these guys do, you know? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Of course, this is a big step up from the first Maximus. Over the years Four Fats has dabbled in full 3D polygonal games as opposed to their cartoony 2D hand-drawn style they’re known for. Nowadays it seems like they’ve kind of settled somewhere in the middle, where most of their characters are still hand drawn but environments and occasionally other elements of the game will be in the 3D engine, and it’s a really cool effect. Basically that means that Maximus 2 is a really sharp looking game with a lot of surprisingly cool visual effects while still being retaining that trademark Four Fats style.
Gameplay-wise, well, this is a beat ’em up through and through. You have multiple character types to play as that each have unique abilities, and one long, continuous campaign to play through either solo or with up to 4 players both locally with multiple MFi controllers or online. There’s some very light RPG elements in terms of upgrades and gear, too, and there’s a whole mess of new moves you’ll learn for your character through playing. It’s still a pretty pure arcade beat ’em up at its core, but there’s a bit more meat on its bones than your average button-masher.
Like I said, I’m a Four Fats fanatic. Their games very much align with my own tastes. If you have been enjoying Mooff or Four Fats games for the past decade-plus already like me, then you likely don’t need to be sold on Maximus 2. If you’re new to these guys though or a bit hesitant, Maximus 2 can be downloaded and played through in its entirety for free. As a free player you’ll deal with ads, and quite a bit of grinding for in-game currency if you want to unlock all characters and skins.
If you like that free taste and want more, you can drop $5 on a premium upgrade IAP which gives you all the characters and skins up front, adds improved cloud saving, removes forced ads, gives you additional continues, and gives you the ability to host private online games. It basically becomes a premium game with that IAP. Alternately you can continue to play for free and buy in-app packs of coins or continues, and any of those purchases will also disable ads. Lots of options for how you choose to pay for this one, but the bottom line is that Maximus 2 is extremely awesome and free to check out so there’s no reason not to give it a look.