Maximo vs. Army of Zin
Maximo vs. Army of Zin (魔界英雄記 マキシモ ～マシンモンスターの野望, Makai Eiyūki Makishimo: Mashin Monsutā no Yabō) is an action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom in 2003 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. This title is a sequel to the first episode, Maximo: Ghosts to Glory.
Plot
The story of the game follows on from Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, with Maximo still searching for his lost love, Sophia. He is again accompanied by Grim (a Grim Reaper). However, their search is interrupted as a series of mechanical creatures start to attack villages and slaughter the village folk. These creatures are the 500-year-old Army of Zin, an ancient army powered by lost souls, who were supposedly locked in the vault of Castle Hawkmoor after the last battle with them 500 years ago. However, they are now free, due to the actions of the mysterious warlord, Lord Bane.
Gameplay
Maximo's gameplay is characterized by "hack and slash" and platforming, as well as an armour system that appears to be borrowed from Ghouls 'n Ghosts, where damage is reflected by loss of armour. Maximo begins the game with two levels of armour (full armour sans helmet), and can upgrade to three and four (with helmet and golden armour, respectively). Level one has Maximo reduced to boxer shorts.
Another element of gameplay is the Grim transformation, allowing the player to turn into a Grim Reaper for short periods of time, with the souls gathered from the Army of Zin. Grim is invulnerable, powerful, and a touch faster than Maximo. However, the time spent in this form is limited but can be extended through upgrades.
Maximo also receives bonuses from villagers that he saves from enemies in the game, and these rewards are anything from new armour to a word of advice.
Sequel: Maximo 3
Leaked artworks confirm Maximo 3 began in production but was canceled due to Army of Zin low sales. The Studio 8 that created Maximo was also closed by Capcom in 2006.