The Maw

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 366 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
The Maw Game Cover
The Maw is a brief, yet engrossing, journey that leans more on its charm than its gameplay.
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In "The Maw," players control Frank, a tiny creature navigating through various levels in an intergalactic franchise prison. The primary goal is to feed and protect The Maw, a monstrous creature that follows Frank, and avoid getting captured by the prison's guards. The game is a quirky and humorous action-adventure puzzle-solver, featuring vibrant graphics, unique mechanics, and satisfying progression.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 366 reviews
gameplay14 positive mentions
story5 negative mentions
  • The Maw features adorable characters and charming graphics that appeal to both children and adults.
  • The gameplay is simple and forgiving, making it accessible for younger players and those looking for a light-hearted experience.
  • The game offers a fun and unique premise of feeding a growing creature, providing a satisfying sense of progression.
  • The camera controls are frustrating and can detract from the overall gameplay experience.
  • The game is quite short, with many players feeling it lacks depth and variety in its levels.
  • The PC port has several bugs and issues, making it less enjoyable compared to its original console version.
  • story43 mentions

    The game's story is minimal and largely non-existent, consisting mainly of a simple premise where players control a boy and his alien companion escaping from captivity. While the lack of dialogue makes the narrative accessible, many players find it more enjoyable to create their own interpretations of the story. Overall, the charming character designs and lighthearted tone contribute to a fun experience, even if the plot lacks depth.

    • “The maw is a cute little story about a boy and his alien stomach monster escaping from intergalactic police.”
    • “The story is cute, and the characters are adorable.”
    • “Despite these issues, the game is great as a time killer and has a pretty neat story.”
    • “There is no real story past the intro and outro cutscenes, but that doesn't really matter too much for this game.”
    • “The puzzles are relatively simple and the story is..... nonexistent really, but as something to mindlessly play and quickly 100% for the satisfaction, it's a worthwhile experience with incredibly fun music and neat creature designs.”
    • “There is no noticeable story; it appears you are captured by some evil guys, you see some blob (aka 'maw') in your prison, suddenly the prison ship crashes, and you end up with your new little friend traveling through the landscape, trying to go somewhere other than where you've been.”
  • gameplay43 mentions

    The gameplay of "The Maw" is characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, making it an excellent choice for younger players. While the mechanics involve straightforward tasks like feeding the maw and exploring vibrant environments, some players note that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks complexity, with a few puzzles providing mild challenges. Overall, the game is praised for its charming visuals and engaging core mechanics, though it could benefit from more variety and refinement in its gameplay elements.

    • “A perfect blend of adorable main characters, buttery-smooth gameplay, Pixar visuals and audio; even the soundtrack is excellent and fits the feel of the game perfectly.”
    • “The gameplay is really fun, introducing new enemy types and abilities at a pretty frequent clip, such as Frank learning to use his arm tether to sling enemies, hijack ships, and grappling-hook his way around the beautiful alien landscapes.”
    • “This is a short and entertaining game; the mechanics are very simple but the pace of exploration and puzzles works most of the time.”
    • “When I played it, it seemed cheaply made and had overall bad puzzles and combat mechanics that get old very quickly.”
    • “The game's visuals are decent; however, the gameplay starts to get pretty repetitive as the levels increase in size.”
    • “How to destroy a funny and well-designed game with a nice soundtrack and good idea within the first 5 minutes in-game by implementing an awful camera setting paired with annoying and frustrating game mechanics at the start.”
  • graphics43 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming, cartoonish style that has aged well, providing a visually appealing experience reminiscent of Pixar animations. While some players note repetitive use of assets and occasional glitches, the overall aesthetic is considered cute and suitable for a younger audience, contributing positively to the game's light-hearted atmosphere. Despite being nearly 15 years old, the graphics still hold up, making it a delightful choice for casual gaming.

    • “The maw may be almost 15 years old now but it's still a great game with good graphics (the art style saved it no doubt) and gameplay.”
    • “A cute 3D platformer puzzle type deal with great character design, shockingly good graphics that hold up to the test of time, snazzy music, great sound effects, really the whole package!”
    • “If you like the colorful and cartoonish graphics, then you can get about 6 hours of relaxing amusement out of it.”
    • “After I played a few levels, I noticed that a lot of the levels use the same graphics and assets, which makes the experience feel repetitive.”
    • “I usually don't care about graphics, so something has to be very ugly to make me say this.”
    • “[Slightly sub-par graphics, leaves you wanting more, not much else, unless you're heartless.]”
  • humor26 mentions

    The game is praised for its genuinely funny and original humor, featuring cute characters and entertaining animations that enhance the experience. However, some players feel that the humor can be overly scripted and passive, making interactions feel more like watching a movie than engaging in gameplay. Overall, the combination of smart gameplay and humorous elements makes it enjoyable, though it may not offer a deep or lengthy experience.

    • “Genuinely funny and original game.”
    • “This is a very original game... full of fresh & funny ideas.”
    • “Smart gameplay, funny characters, and nice puzzles make it very fun to play.”
  • music12 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its upbeat and engaging qualities, enhancing the overall experience with a fitting soundtrack that complements the visuals and gameplay. While most levels feature enjoyable and unique music, some players noted that specific segments, particularly boss fights, lacked the same charm. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's appeal, making it a standout aspect despite some minor inconsistencies.

    • “A perfect blend of adorable main characters, buttery-smooth gameplay, Pixar visuals and audio; even the soundtrack is excellent and fits the feel of the game perfectly.”
    • “A cute 3D platformer puzzle type deal with great character design, shockingly good graphics that hold up to the test of time, snazzy music, great sound effects; really the whole package!”
    • “The puzzles are relatively simple and the story is... nonexistent really, but as something to mindlessly play and quickly 100% for the satisfaction, it's a worthwhile experience with incredibly fun music and neat creature designs.”
    • “The music in this level, especially during its 'boss fight', is not as pleasant and unique as the rest of the game. On top of that, the level adds very little enjoyable gameplay; it is mostly repetitive actions on a very repetitive map without the use of the maw creature.”
  • character development10 mentions

    Character development in the game is minimal, with the primary progression being the growth of the main character, which some players feel is insufficient. While the character designs are charming and visually appealing, the lack of dialogue and deeper narrative elements may leave players feeling disconnected from the gameplay experience. Overall, the game excels in graphics and audio, but character development does not significantly enhance player engagement.

    • “A cute 3D platformer puzzle type deal with great character design, shockingly good graphics that hold up to the test of time, snazzy music, great sound effects, really the whole package!”
    • “Falling into the puzzle/adventure category in my mind, some charming character designs and great animations help this to appeal to the young ones as well as us veterans.”
    • “Sure, your little friend gets bigger, but that's about it in terms of character development.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game experiences notable stability issues, including glitches that can lead to soft locks and require players to restart levels. Additionally, the movement speed can unnecessarily prolong gameplay, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these problems, the graphics are generally well-received.

    • “It has some issues, however, like the movement speed making levels way longer than they really should be, and glitches have forced me into a soft lock.”
    • “When the last two glitches happened, we were forced to restart the entire level from the beginning.”
    • “The game offers some nice graphics, although some ugly glitches here and there.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game is praised for its heartwarming narrative centered around the bond between two unlikely friends, fostering a strong emotional attachment to the alien character by the conclusion. Players find the adventure both fun and endearing, enhancing the overall emotional experience.

    • “It's a fun, cute little adventure with two unlikely friends that is really heartwarming by the end.”
    • “You will be emotionally attached to your alien by the end of the game!”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game successfully evokes the nostalgic joy and vibrant atmosphere reminiscent of the golden age of N64 platformers, creating an engaging experience for players.

    • “This game captures the joy and atmosphere of the golden age of N64 jump-and-runs.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, noting that it can take a significant amount of time—up to five hours—to achieve progress, such as growing the maw to a larger size. This linear progression can feel monotonous and may detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “The maw grows gradually to the size of a giraffe - it took me 5 hours of tedious eating to get to that size in a linear fashion.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

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