Maki's Adventure - PS5 Review

Featured image for the game "Maki's Adventure." The title is displayed prominently in a stylized banner at the top. The central character, Maki wearing red horns, wielding a scythe stands forward. To his right is a menacing shark with glowing eyes. Background elements include a burning castle, shadowy figures, and tentacles, creating a dark fantasy atmosphere.

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Developed by ZoroArts and published by EastAsiaSoft, Maki’s Adventure is a bite-sized platformer that blends classic side-scrolling action with clever mechanics and heartfelt design. It’s a short but engaging adventure that encourages exploration and experimentation, whether you’re dashing across islands or slicing through shadowy demons. With some ideas polished to perfection and others rough around the edges, you can’t help but root for the developer even more. Here at Thumb Culture we reviewed the PC Release; and now we return with a review for the PlayStation release.

Maki’s Adventure – Maki a big splash

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love the idea of shapeshifting into a shark mid-jump? We’re all in for that, and we’d love to hear about your favourite shapeshifting characters in the comments below!

Screenshot of the mode select screen for Maki's Adventure. The title "MAKI'S ADVENTURE" is displayed in a stylised pixel font above a scroll, that acts as the background for the buttons. The background presents itself as a castle wall, and below are two torches on either side. The buttons read "Story game", "Boss Rush", and "Racing Mode" in that order, evenly spaced down the scroll. — To run, hear a story or fight some bosses!

Gameplay

What stands out most about Maki’s Adventure is how it welcomes all types of players from the get-go. There’s no need to complete the story before unlocking extra content: Boss Rush Mode and Speedrun/race are available right from the start, meaning challenge-seekers can dive straight in, while explorers and story fans can take their time soaking up the scenery. It’s an unusually player-friendly design choice for an indie platformer, and one that sets the tone for the game’s entire approach.

The main story follows Maki, a young warrior who fought against the demon Octavvio before being captured. Shadowy creatures and eerie environments create a foreboding backdrop as you make your way across several themed islands, each offering unique mini-games, treasures, and characters to meet. Exploration isn’t just an optional extra; it’s essential. Side quests aren’t always obvious, and skipping them can dramatically change your experience. One important side quest rewards you with a double jump, and if you miss it, your journey becomes much harder.

This is a pixel art screenshot from the video game "Maki's Adventure". The scene depicts Maki, a small, dark-haired character, navigating a dark, dilapidated castle. In the foreground, on the left, is a large, black, tentacled monster with glowing red eyes. Above Maki, suspended from the ceiling, is Octavio's health bar. Maki is near the bottom right corner of the image, near waist-high pillars. In the background, centralised on a slightly raised platform, is a red and gold throne, lit by a golden chandelier. The player's health bar, depicted as red hearts, sits at the top of the screen, along with the player's coin count, showing "114" coins. The castle's walls are made of grey brick and include arched windows. The overall atmosphere is dimly lit and slightly eerie. — Those 8 arms aren’t for hugs are they?

This design decision adds a Metroidvania-inspired layer of backtracking, encouraging players to revisit earlier areas with new abilities. Respite zones scattered across the map provide much-needed breathers, often introducing quirky characters like Pelipe and others that flesh out the world in a way that feels personal despite the short runtime.

Platforming is tight and satisfying, though there are some frustrating bugs. On occasion, transitioning between areas left me invisible and immobile, with only the sound of my jumps to prove I still existed. Thankfully, restarting usually fixed it quickly, but it’s a hiccup worth mentioning. The shark race mini-game suffered similar issues, which is a shame because it’s otherwise a fun diversion.

Illustration from Maki's Adventure depicting a story point where 3 sharks with sharp tooth and red eyes evicted a demon figure from the area. In the background, there are palm trees on a sandy island. Some text reads "The 3 sacred sharks ruled over this area and evicted the evil demons" — Hammerhead = Destruction, Great White= Attacking, and the Mako Shark= Speed

Shark gameplay deserves special praise. When Maki hits the water, he seamlessly transforms into a shark, using momentum to rocket through underwater sections. Each shark form has its own abilities of speed, destruction or attacking power. It’s this variety, plus darts mini-games, fishing, and ring challenges in the 3D hub, that keeps the two-hour campaign feeling surprisingly rich.

Graphics & Audio

Maki’s Adventure leans heavily into a retro-inspired aesthetic, somewhere between 8-bit and 16-bit, and it nails the look. Environments are vibrant, animations are fluid, and little details—like smoke curling from Maki’s scythe attacks give the game a polished feel. The 3D hub sections are less striking, feeling slightly clunky, but they effectively break up the 2D platforming.

A third person perspective from Maki's Adventure, showing the character swimming in water over a pixelated texture. There are small waves gently breaking over the surface and white foam rising from the surface behind the character. In the distance, there is the edge of a rocky coast, with a volcano in the middle that has lava flowing down its sides. The sky is dark red, giving the impression of an evil place. In the top left of the screen are the game's Heads Up Display, which includes Maki's remaining health (indicated by red hearts) and a numeric value of coins — Just keep swimming

Audio is one of the game’s strongest assets. Each island’s theme sets a distinct mood, with Naroxia’s classical tracks carrying a haunting quality, while Plantaia’s sweeping, almost cinematic music feels like it belongs in a much larger production. This makes the lacklustre boss encounters feel even more disappointing; the epic music sets the stage for something dramatic, but most bosses fall flat. Some vanish on defeat, while others awkwardly slump into the scenery, robbing those encounters of the spectacle they deserve. Even the sort of underwater Y2K music as you traverse the overworld is fantastic. Shame you can’t go underwater in the 3D mode though.

Safe zones all share the same jazzy track, which, while pleasant, becomes repetitive over time. Some variations here would have added depth, especially as these spaces are where you meet memorable characters. The lack of voice acting is noticeable but not a dealbreaker. Grunts and shouts when jumping or attacking give enough life to Maki without clashing with the retro vibe.

Longevity

Clocking in at around two hours, Maki’s Adventure is undeniably brief. However, there’s replay value for those keen to explore every nook and cranny. Optional side quests, hidden collectables, and the various mini-games offer incentive to revisit levels. Boss Rush and Speedrun modes provide challenge hunters with additional goals, while permadeath difficulty offers a real test of skill.

This is a screenshot from the video game "Maki's Adventure." The scene shows a pixel art side-scrolling environment. In the foreground, a silhouetted character stands on a green platform with a warning triangle. There's a bear lying down on the grass. In the centre, there are 2 big leafy trees and a spruce tree sitting next to a body of water, which is sitting in front of a beautiful horizon. The main focus is a large, winged demon boss with a ram skull head and purple attire floating in the air amidst a glowing purple light. The game's HUD displays health hearts, a coin count of 303, and a health bar for the demon boss. The backdrop features a reddish-purple gradient sky and distant, silhouetted hills. — Boars, demons and trees, oh my

Despite its short runtime, the game doesn’t feel hollow. ZoroArts clearly poured love into crafting a world that feels cohesive and alive, even with its small scale. That said, a few quality-of-life improvements—such as better guidance on how to access the map and inventory, or more consistent platforming mechanics would help make this a smoother experience for less experienced players.

Final Thoughts

Maki’s Adventure isn’t perfect, but it’s brimming with charm and ambition. From its inventive shark mechanics to its side-quest-driven exploration, it offers more depth than many games twice its size. Technical hiccups and underwhelming boss design hold it back slightly, but these are forgivable in light of its creativity and heart.

For those seeking a short, satisfying indie title that blends nostalgia with originality. Take your time to explore, and don’t forget those side quests; you might discover that it makes all the difference.

Maki’s Adventure gets another Thumb Culture Gold Award

Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.

If you enjoyed this review, why not check out Kyle’s take on cleaning up after monsters in his review of Monster Mop Up

About Author

Tyler Denyer

Tyler Denyer/ Tyluild is a passionate journalist, whose love of video games runs deep. With a focus on crafting captivating video game reviews, they immerse themselves in the worlds of gaming, especially ones with deep and rich lore. Beyond games Tyler is a lover of cats, travelling and finding a tasty treat to eat. Eager to stay on top of the latest trends, they regularly attend video game events, and keep on top of news in the gaming world. Fuelled by an insatiable curiosity, our journalist is equally enthralled by not just games themselves, but also new accessories. Their favorite style of game? Without a doubt, RPGs, allowing Tyler to fully explore his imagination, the grind in game is less tedious than in life.

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Maki’s Adventure – PS5 Review