5. Max: The Curse Of Brotherhood
Side-scrolling platformers can be some of the most easily-accessible and instantly-enjoyable in gaming; just look at Mario's library, the fantastic newer Rayman titles or the retro-throwback joys of Shovel Knight. However, for the genre to really soar, it has to have both in-world physics, characters and a controls that combine to make sure you feel in control at all times. You can't make pixel-perfect jumps or avoid obstacles if you can't rely on the character to animate appropriately, and that's where Max completely falls down. The whole game is reliant on manipulating the world through a series of physics-based puzzles, making you combine certain elements to do things like raise columns from the ground or swing on vines to get to the next checkpoint. It's then in the limitations of where and how you implement these things that hints at so much potential, but when it comes to actually putting up with Max's lacklustre feel - especially in contrast to the three heavyweights mentioned earlier - that's what ends up hampering everything.