Accept this God of War clone's tongue-in-cheek approach and you'll have a good time.
But Marlow's story isn't over. A wise-cracking Tiki mask reawakens him as a spiritual warrior, tasking him to cut down the madman's army with a number of makeshift weapons, while also taking part in challenging stages where he must dodge objects, whether he's jumping across perfectly aligned mine carts (yeah, that makes sense) or dangling upside down from a helicopter with perfect physical form. Again, cheesy and ridiculous – but with its sense of likability.
The combat in Marlow Briggs is definitely God of War-ish, with different weapons to choose from, a rolling dodge tactic, and the ability to hurl enemies off of the side of the structure, if you don't feel like putting up with them. There are also some QTE sequences for good measure, because, well, just because. However, the team at Zootfly managed to throw in some diverse sequences, including some entertaining turret battles, where you gun down an endless supply of helicopters and, as a result, mindless pilots who don't mind running into the way of a turret.
As for the production values, they're actually rather high for an Xbox Live release – and one as silly as this. The level design is significantly large, with plenty of areas to explore and power-up masks to find on each level. There are also plenty of explosive moments, including unbelievable ones where Marlow escapes mid-air collisions and fiery missile encounters by the seat of his pants. It also helps that the voice acting is on the right level, especially the Tiki mask, who provides wisecracks even after you meet your demise. (Don't worry, you get right back into the thick of the action.) The music is very good as well, with its sense of adventure packed into its orchestrations.
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death shouldn't be looked at as a game that will become an ultimate action favorite. You'll be done with it in approximately six hours time, and this guy wouldn't last a second against the real God of War. That said, it's better than expected, mainly due to Zootify's approach of "heck with it, let's make this happen" on nearly every turn of the game. Its ridiculously over-the-top approach, combined with a decent presentation and plenty of exciting gameplay moments, make this the perfect getaway for the weekend. Just don't expect to come back for repeat visits – unless, of course, you like this sort of thing. Or own that cherished DVD copy of Howard the Duck.
Score: 7.5 / 10
