What a coincidence, I finished it just 10 minutes ago, too! :)
I wanted to feel how painful the difficulty in a game like this can be, so I have already started a new game on the hardest mode (not Ironman, though. That is a bit too much, even for me): the difference is already massive after the first three screens.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood (Platformer-Puzzle)

We have some basic options: Vibration (if you're using a controller), Sound Effects, Music, Subtitles (NOT on unless you turn them on), and Use Arrow keys (if you prefer not to use or don't have a controller), and then there are settings for the grapics, low, medium, and high. There are also six languages to choose from. The game automatically adjusted for my widescreen, but it can be played Windowed by hitting Alt-Enter, if you wish.

The game begins in a very Labyrinth-esque way, and it's up to you to save your brother from the trouble you caused for him. ;p Gameplay starts out as a very basic platformer, but it's not long until you start gaining some powers, and that's where the true charm of the game starts shining through. The puzzle mechanics are brilliantly realized, ranging anywhere from easy to perplexing, but not to the point of frustration.

I was enjoying the puzzle aspect of the game so much that I was actually a bit disappointed when, in latter levels, we started needing to depend on quick decision-making, and at times, good reflexes! It wasn't until the final sequence of the game that I remembered -- Oh yeah, this is what platformers used to be all about! (ie. Donkey Kong Country, etc.) The beauty of these sections is that, while they may be difficult, they are still doable! It may take a dozen tries, but it CAN be done, AND you don't have to keep starting the level over again to achieve it, as the automatic save-points are well-spaced.

Something I truly love about the game is the graphics. Sure, they're pretty, but the devs did an amazing job making a side-scrolling platformer *feel* like a 3D game by periodically changing up the perspective. Beautifully done, devs, I'm very impressed! :D

The music was nicely-chosen, and I enjoyed the voices, as well -- especially some of Max's "YEEES!" moments. lol~

Points to remember:
- You can attach vines to a myraid of objects, ranging from branches to boulders and more.
- Items can be cut at the base OR the tip!
- Be creative and don't give up! The devs give us a lot of freedom with our powers, and sometimes it's going to be trial-and-error figuring things out.

There are a couple of things to be on the lookout for whilst you're running around. They are beholders (plants with eyeballs at the end of a stalk that allow the user to spy on the world) and pieces of an amulet. These collectibles are not *needed* to complete the game, but they sure do add an extra bit of fun. XD You can replay a chapter at any time (even after you've completed the game) from via the menu, and looking at the menu during gameplay will show you how many you have left to find on your current level. In addition, there are 27 Achievements for you to earn, another plus in my books.

Overall, I found Max: The Curse of Brotherhood to be a delightful game, full of beauty, danger, excitement... and tempered with just a splash of frustration. I would say that it's OK to play with older kids, but perhaps not little ones. There's a big scary monster in there (whom I find to be absolutely fabulous!), but it might upset younger children.

Highly recommended!

Full list of finished, reviewed games

Fallout 3 (main quest). Well that was quick. Guesstimating isn't my strong suit but I don't believe I spent more than three or four hours on the main quest, if that much. My save file says 15 and a half hours and I'm sure ten of that was just wandering around exploring, getting from point A to point B, dialogue, and side quests.

First off, the writing is awful, even worse than the typical Bethesda fare, if you can believe that. The game really wants you to care about one particular person but you spend fifteen minutes max with them. Most other characters are passable at best and outright annoying at worst. The plot itself and world building is full of gaping holes and the vaunted Fallout lore is thoroughly abused.

The gameplay itself is decent enough, although New Vegas makes appreciable improvements on the foundation set in Fallout 3. Gunplay acts like it should more or less, and melee is simple but fun. At least on Normal difficulty there is a lack of challenge and the few times you face anything with a hint of toughness VATS removes the challenge anyway.

Exploring isn't very fulfilling, it's a rather bland world and there isn't anything really "cool" to discover. Still, wandering around looking for things to hit with sledgehammers is fun, and it gives plenty of places to finding willing participants.

Sound is alright, there isn't any notable background music (I didn't listen to the radio). Voice acting is generally okay but nothing more, there are some blunders here such as a young man who has the voice of a 60 year old rancher. The sound effects are underwhelming (guns sound flimsy and melee gives the most boring "thunk" ever) but that's forgivable.

All in all I just don't understand why this game has attained a legendary status. Ignoring the obvious gameplay change between the first Fallouts and Fallout 3, Fallout 3 is shoddily written and its universe makes no sense when compared to previous lore (and common sense). The gameplay itself is passable and at times really enjoyable on its own, but not enough to raise the game above its poor writing.

I'll probably finish the other DLCs just to do them, but overall I'm going to rate Fallout 3 as mostly mediocre with a few ups and a lot of downs.

Just beat Red Faction 2. Didn't mean to, just playing a bit of an FPS before starting on my homework and I guess there was not as much left as I had anticipated. It was a good game, not as good as the first in many ways but a nice heavily actiony game to kill some time with.

Well, the game is really short, i remember finishing it in one afternoon after i got it (i think the game lasts... 3 to 4 hours).

More like five for me, my hard drive crashed last year when I got it so I only recently got back to where I left off and apparently there were only about 45 minutes to an hour left.

Thanks for the in-depth review! I never heard about this game before and it sure looks very attractive. How difficult is the platforming compared to other games? I've grown quite interested in the genre in recent times because I don't have time for 100+ hour RPGs and the like but I'm mainly in it for the puzzles, platforming easily stretches my patience too far. I don't enjoy the challenge of having to try the same thing again and again, even with generous save point spacing. There are a whole lot of games I'd like to try (e.g. Escape Goat) but sometimes I can tell just by looking at gameplay videos that the platforming is too difficult for my taste.
Just played Out There Somewhere the other day which is not considered a difficult game but I'm struggling with timing (I don't have a gamepad at the moment, just regular laptop keyboard). One game that I kinda enjoy is Toki Tori because it's much more heavy on the puzzle part than on reflexes, at least in the levels I've beaten so far.

Ground Control - Great tactical real-time strategy, with a heavy emphasis on making sure your troops are placed to take advantage on terrain. The campaign's story is okay, not as good as Massive's later game, World in Conflict, but serviceable. The artillery is this game is extremely powerful, which makes one good strategy is to continually creep forward under the cover of it. However, I did like the shift required for the Order of the New Dawn's campaign. Those first few missions required different tactics due to your limited resources.

So far:
Kingdom Rush: Frontiers
Kingdom Rush
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified
FEAR
FEAR: Extraction Point
FEAR: Perseus Mandate
Consortium: The Master Edition
The Cat Lady
Hitman GO
Ground Control

The timing isn't as difficult as Out There Somewhere, but you DO have to move quickly sometimes -- there's a bit more action than puzzle in Max, I think, but it may actually be easier with a keyboard and mouse than it is with the gamepad.

Thanks for the info, I'll put Max on my wishlist and wait for a steep sale, that way it won't be aggravating if I get stuck.
Just played the free version of Escape Goat which has 12 levels that weren't hard at all, if the whole game was like that then I think I can manage but some of the scenes from the trailer look crazy with no leeway whatsoever. Wish there were more platformers that focus on puzzles and go light on platforming.

Good call. It's a nice little game (much better than the predecessor Max & The Magic Marker), but it's been heavily discounted in the past already. I got it during a sale for 75% off (which was a steal though for a game of this quality). Btw, in case you haven't noticed, there's a free demo on Steam if you want try and see whether the game appeals to you at all.

Tell me that you've played The Swapper -- it's exactly what you're describing, and the game is incredible in general!

As for Max, I bought it for under $4 during the Winter Sale, and I'm sure it will be at least down to that during the Summer Sale ^__^

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Luminosity

A very nice Qix clone. Finished the campaign mode, will probably keep coming back to the arcade mode once in a while.

Legend of Kyrandia

Finally beat it.

First played it when I was 7

Beat it at 26.

Hell of a journey for my favorite adventure game of all time.