The village is under attack, and it’s up to you and your merry band of warriors and adventurers to save the townsfolk from the invaders. Using your weapons, equipment, and formidable fighting skills, you must clear each level of enemies and save the people from those who seek to oppress them. Maximus is a game that will definitely bring you back to the good old days of button mashing beat ‘em up action, and some players would not like it any other way.
Gameplay
Maximus is a side scrolling beat ‘em up game with some RPG elements thrown in. Players must scroll from left to right and defeat enemies along the way until they ultimately meet the end level boss. There are various characters to control and a lot of items to acquire that can help players in their journey. There are also special attacks that players may utilize in order to gain the upper hand against increasingly difficult enemies and tough bosses.
There are several stages to complete, with each having different backgrounds and enemy types. Each succeeding level will only be unlocked once the previous mission has been completed, although players can repeat previous levels an infinite number of times in order to level up characters and acquire more gold. Additional content are also available, but these can only be accessed via in-app purchase.
Characters
Players can select from one of the four characters within the game. Each has distinct strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics, as well as range. At first, only two characters are available with the others being unlockable once players reach the fourth stage. Each character can be equipped and managed individually, and they can be leveled up one by one. As players level up, which is done by defeating enemies, new abilities will be unlocked and characters will become stronger.
Statistics
Each character has different statistics, namely strength, defense, speed, and luck. Strength defines offensive capabilities while defense relates to how well a character can resist damage. Speed determines how fast a player can move and attack, while luck defines how frequent players can score critical hits. As players level up, these stats can rise, and players can also boost these attributes by equipping weapon and armor.
Special Moves
All characters have a basic attack that can be used to execute combos by simply holding the button assigned to it. As players level up, they will also be able to unlock the stronger but slower strong attack as well as the special attack that is triggered by either pressing both light and heavy attacks simultaneously or by pressing the plus symbol. The special attack, however, has a cooldown period so players must use this action wisely, preferably against bosses or when there are a lot of enemies in front or around you. Some characters can also trigger magic and other special attacks aside from the aforementioned moves.
Currency
Coins are the main currency within Maximus. Players can earn coins by collecting them from enemy drops or from treasure chests in game. Coins can also be acquired by selling unused equipment, via in-app purchases or by completing actions such as downloading other games or watching ads.
Coins are used to upgrade statistics which will make characters better in battle. In addition, players can also spend coins to spin a slot machine that can provide players with special items that they can equip their characters with.
Gear
Players can also collect gear from fallen enemies and treasure chests. Different items can affect a character’s statistics either positively or negatively, so it is up to the player how they would like to strengthen their character. Unused equipment be sold for extra coins.
Tips and Tricks
As with most beat ‘em up games, gaining an advantageous position is absolutely essential. Always keep enemies in front of you and avoid getting surrounded by them. Attacks can pierce through several opponents, and some attacks may also knock them down. Once an enemy is knocked down, try to gain a better position by moving around. Your character is much faster than enemies so this should not be too much of a problem.
Always look out for drops as well as for barrels and other objects that can be destroyed. These objects can include coins, equipment, and even animals that can be ridden and can deal a lot of damage. Move away from the battle if it is allowed especially if the items are worth getting. Also, keep an eye out for food drops as these would replenish your health. Players have limited continues, so get health items whenever they appear.
When dealing with bosses, make sure to defeat minor enemies first, as they would prove as a distraction during these end level fights. On the flip side, it is not important to kill all minions once the boss has been defeated, so you may concentrate all your efforts towards vanquishing the boss even if there are a lot of other enemies present especially if the boss has almost no health left. Also, most bosses have attack patterns, so spend a few seconds knowing how they attack, and strike when they are at their most vulnerable. It is recommended that players use their character’s light attack combos and finishing off with special attacks when these opportunities present themselves.
There will be stages where players will have allies helping them out. Most of the time, these allies will be killed off fairly early, but it would be helpful to have some survive at least until the boss battles as these can also serve as fodder and additional defenses when you are surrounded by enemies or if you are still learning the enemy’s attack patterns.
It is also recommended that players stick with one character at least until they are stuck at a certain level. Using newly unlocked characters at latter levels will only get you killed, so level them up first at earlier levels so that they can be upgraded enough to be used at the more challenging levels. Also, don’t forget to equip gear for them, and don’t hesitate to spend a few coins for stat upgrades whenever you find yourself repeatedly losing battles.
Ledges and pits are very advantageous for players, as they can knock off enemies from them, resulting in instant kills regardless of enemy strength. However, players should take note that this could also happen to them, so make sure that you are not between enemies and a pit as falling would cause you to incur quite a bit of damage as well.
Aside from leveling up weaker characters, previously conquered levels will also allow you to earn additional coins, and even some gear that you might not have yet. This is the best way to farm for extra coins that you can use for those ever precious upgrades. If you only have a handful of coins, however, opt to prioritize stat upgrades over the slot machine, which might just earn you a duplicate or weaker item.
Lastly, make it a point to take advantage of the special deals that the game offers in order to get free coins. These are the easiest ways to get extra currency for upgrades, and it only takes a little time to accomplish.