Thanks to a beautifully crafted wasteland, violent combat, both in vehicles and on foot and a bevy of vehicles to test your skills in, “Mad Max” is one of the most fun open world games I have spent my time with this console generation.A post-apocalyptic playground chock full of brutal vehicular and melee combat alikeBy: Ryan RamakrishnanReviewed on Xbox One
Thanks to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the George Miller-directed action film brought the franchise back to relevance. Just a few months after, the developers behind the “Just Cause” series brought another glorious action game to the table. “Mad Max” is an open world game as well. Like their previous work, Avalanche Studios provides many instances of high-octane action and excitement. The combat is brutally satisfying, particularly whilst driving. “Mad Max’s” story is nothing short of interesting, on paper, but it does often take a backseat to the rest of the game’s offerings.
Story
You are Max Rockatansky, once a highway patrol officer but now living in new world, a wasteland where you can trust nobody, a world where resources are scarce. Max has to tread across the post-apocalyptic Australia to get back what's his, a V8 interceptor, stolen by a group of warboys. Their leader is Scrotus, far too powerful for Max at first. This leads him and his doh on an adventure through the wasteland in search of new parts and resources to evolve and survive with the hand they’re dealt.
Long story short, Max, with the help of a mechanic he meets, Chumbucket, fights his way through plenty of ruthless factions in hopes of their own survival, all to get back what’s his and prove his worth.
Max himself lacks the intrigue at times but by the end, I sort of felt for him. He went through hell and ultimately was thrown both into a world where everything is out to get him but also into a story where he wants some sort of vengeance for a close death. I found Max’s personal journey to be interesting as a whole but every time we got a lot of story, I couldn’t help but want to get right back to gameplay.
“Mad Max” does a fairly good job at world-building. We get to see people walking around, dying for water, camps being run by only a select few tough enough to take over and the pure sense of survival in a world where that is anything but easy.
I ultimately just wish the plot was better crafted overall to keep me engaged with the interesting and emotional moments few and far between.
Long story short, Max, with the help of a mechanic he meets, Chumbucket, fights his way through plenty of ruthless factions in hopes of their own survival, all to get back what’s his and prove his worth.
Max himself lacks the intrigue at times but by the end, I sort of felt for him. He went through hell and ultimately was thrown both into a world where everything is out to get him but also into a story where he wants some sort of vengeance for a close death. I found Max’s personal journey to be interesting as a whole but every time we got a lot of story, I couldn’t help but want to get right back to gameplay.
“Mad Max” does a fairly good job at world-building. We get to see people walking around, dying for water, camps being run by only a select few tough enough to take over and the pure sense of survival in a world where that is anything but easy.
I ultimately just wish the plot was better crafted overall to keep me engaged with the interesting and emotional moments few and far between.
Gameplay
The Magnum Opus is your main vehicle, upgradable and customizable to your liking. Personally, the use of the Magnum Opus is what made my time with “Mad Max” stand out the most, for the better that is. Whether you wish to invest in better armor for defense or you desire an offensive vehicle, “Mad Max’” vehicle customization has you covered; however, it isn’t overly deep. With time, your Magnum Opus does in fact become quite the beast and will leave you feeling more than a little overpowered, easily my favorite part of the game.
Like his vehicle, Max himself can be customized to your liking. This is more or less limited to the choice of a beard, bandanna or goggles in any combination. Some non-cosmetic aspects of Max do get upgraded though; these upgrades don’t have much of a variety for choice, as they are simply just improving upon the last with no stat declines.
The main draw for “Mad Max” is its vehicular combat. Fast and intense, this combat is done with your Magnum Opus but other vehicles aren’t out of reach either. You can hop into any enemy vehicles. Unfortunately the vehicles that aren’t your own Magnum Opus are limited to offensive attacks.
Actions like a shotgun, the Thunderpoon, a rocket launcher-like weapon, a harpoon and side-burners are available to use at any time when driving for taking enemies out. This makes for a great time; I personally found launching the Thunderpoon at oncoming or escaping vehicles an instant kill loaded with instant satisfaction. Vehicular combat also includes the likes of ramming, whether straight into or on the side. After picking up speed, you can do some solid damage to less defensive enemy vehicles with a simple press of a button.
Healing in “Mad Max” isn’t natural; you will have to pick up food or drink from your canteen to regain health. Resources are few and far between so if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself doing everything in your power to avoid taking a hit.
When on foot, Max partakes in hand to hand combat, borrowing heavily from the likes of other Warner Bros. titles like that of the “Batman Arkham” series. “Mad Max” plays it out slower but each heavy punch is nothing short of satisfying. The combat lets you get light hits or a heavier hit by holding the melee button. You will also roll around and parry hits with a perfectly timed button press. Enemies of course come in different variations; some have shields in need of breaking, while others will sprint towards you in an unparryable rage. Fortunately, you can also pick up these melee weapons and allow them to be even more violent in execution. There are also melee weapons that you can pick up from enemies to use against them, as well as shivs, perfect for a quick execution.
Max has access to a shotgun at all times. It is able to be shot with a quick button press that will aim automatically but is also able to manually aimed, both while driving and on foot.
I found the general movement in “Mad Max” to be a little clunky at times. While Max could run, it never felt very fast and the ability to jump didn’t mean much, as it is a very small jump, rarely even able to scale the environment.
Mad Max's mission structure will turn people away if they’ve been drained of open world games like Ubisoft’s. Personally, I didn’t at launch, and still do not today have that open world fatigue so the world of “Mad Max” was one I was all for exploring and wasting time in. The wasteland is full of snipers, minefields and more to take care of in between story missions. Activities like burning fuel depots, taking down convoys and killing top dogs of camps all make for a good time, both on foot and behind the wheel, thanks to the engaging combat and ugly beauty of the world.
Graphics
The wasteland of “Mad Max” is surprisingly beautiful. I found the environments and locales of the desolate world to look very good. Avalanche Studios certainly put a lot of work into making an open world full of nothing into one of great appeal. Some locations and moments I had in “Mad Max” left me wanting nothing more than to take a picture. Fortunately for gamers like myself, there is a photo mode. Altering things like basic filters to exposure and contrast allow you to craft stunning pictures of what the savage world of “Mad Max” has to offer.
Of course, I can’t ignore the fact that this game comes with a few glitches. I ended up having to close the game a few times thanks to myself getting stuck in a room, unable to move, as the room’s textures weren’t even there. The game also chugged during some instances of combat with a lot of enemies on screen coupled with explosions and more.
Sound
With a great deal of yelling and the sounds of vehicle engines, combat and more taking center stage, the music of “Mad Max,” while certainly not bad, never stood out all that much, getting lost in the background.
Overall, the voice acting was quite good in “Mad Max.” The game has many characters here and there in addition to the main cast of Max and Chumbucket. The voice acting was delivered well enough to really establish the personalities of each character.
In terms of sound in this game, it was the aforementioned vehicle engines and what not that made an impact. The melee combat was made more brutal with every punch or kick thanks to the sounds of it all coming off as very raw. The same can be said for the explosions you cause and shots you fire from the shotgun, sniper rifle or Thunderpoon. Revving my Magnum Opus engine and taking off at high speeds with continuous boosts made for some of the most satisfying sounds of my “Mad Max” experience, some of which may top that of even supercars in traditional driving games.
Content
What personally kept me playing Mad Max was the open world's checklist of things to conquer, collect and destroy. Many people today will argue this is a flaw due to the repetition in what must be done being admittedly generic at times. A complaint “Assassins Creed” has come to get, I don’t per se find this to be a problem with “Mad Max.” There are multiple regions in the world and each comes with a multitude of things to take care of, most of which allow you to get the most out of the entertaining gameplay. I'm the type of person who won't leave an area until I have all the collectibles gotten and can see 100% on each location. There is a good feeling of satisfaction that comes with each 100% completion.
Conclusion
I wanted the story of a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of despair and the struggle to survive among the rest to be my motivation for completing “Mad Max.” While the story had some powerful moments and interesting character along the way, it was the gameplay that kept me along for the ride. “Mad Max” doesn’t execute it’s plot and character development nearly enough to stand out among the plot heavy games of today. Fortunately, what does succeed, at least for me, was the violent combat. Both on the road and against other vehicles and on foot in hand to hand combat, “Mad Max” has a brutal and satisfying combat system. Top that with a visually appealing wasteland and “Mad Max” is a joyous open world game worth your time.
Did you enjoy the vehicular or melee combat more? Did you complete everything the wasteland had to offer? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
The Magnum Opus is your main vehicle, upgradable and customizable to your liking. Personally, the use of the Magnum Opus is what made my time with “Mad Max” stand out the most, for the better that is. Whether you wish to invest in better armor for defense or you desire an offensive vehicle, “Mad Max’” vehicle customization has you covered; however, it isn’t overly deep. With time, your Magnum Opus does in fact become quite the beast and will leave you feeling more than a little overpowered, easily my favorite part of the game.
Like his vehicle, Max himself can be customized to your liking. This is more or less limited to the choice of a beard, bandanna or goggles in any combination. Some non-cosmetic aspects of Max do get upgraded though; these upgrades don’t have much of a variety for choice, as they are simply just improving upon the last with no stat declines.
The main draw for “Mad Max” is its vehicular combat. Fast and intense, this combat is done with your Magnum Opus but other vehicles aren’t out of reach either. You can hop into any enemy vehicles. Unfortunately the vehicles that aren’t your own Magnum Opus are limited to offensive attacks.
Actions like a shotgun, the Thunderpoon, a rocket launcher-like weapon, a harpoon and side-burners are available to use at any time when driving for taking enemies out. This makes for a great time; I personally found launching the Thunderpoon at oncoming or escaping vehicles an instant kill loaded with instant satisfaction. Vehicular combat also includes the likes of ramming, whether straight into or on the side. After picking up speed, you can do some solid damage to less defensive enemy vehicles with a simple press of a button.
Healing in “Mad Max” isn’t natural; you will have to pick up food or drink from your canteen to regain health. Resources are few and far between so if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself doing everything in your power to avoid taking a hit.
When on foot, Max partakes in hand to hand combat, borrowing heavily from the likes of other Warner Bros. titles like that of the “Batman Arkham” series. “Mad Max” plays it out slower but each heavy punch is nothing short of satisfying. The combat lets you get light hits or a heavier hit by holding the melee button. You will also roll around and parry hits with a perfectly timed button press. Enemies of course come in different variations; some have shields in need of breaking, while others will sprint towards you in an unparryable rage. Fortunately, you can also pick up these melee weapons and allow them to be even more violent in execution. There are also melee weapons that you can pick up from enemies to use against them, as well as shivs, perfect for a quick execution.
Max has access to a shotgun at all times. It is able to be shot with a quick button press that will aim automatically but is also able to manually aimed, both while driving and on foot.
I found the general movement in “Mad Max” to be a little clunky at times. While Max could run, it never felt very fast and the ability to jump didn’t mean much, as it is a very small jump, rarely even able to scale the environment.
Mad Max's mission structure will turn people away if they’ve been drained of open world games like Ubisoft’s. Personally, I didn’t at launch, and still do not today have that open world fatigue so the world of “Mad Max” was one I was all for exploring and wasting time in. The wasteland is full of snipers, minefields and more to take care of in between story missions. Activities like burning fuel depots, taking down convoys and killing top dogs of camps all make for a good time, both on foot and behind the wheel, thanks to the engaging combat and ugly beauty of the world.
Graphics
The wasteland of “Mad Max” is surprisingly beautiful. I found the environments and locales of the desolate world to look very good. Avalanche Studios certainly put a lot of work into making an open world full of nothing into one of great appeal. Some locations and moments I had in “Mad Max” left me wanting nothing more than to take a picture. Fortunately for gamers like myself, there is a photo mode. Altering things like basic filters to exposure and contrast allow you to craft stunning pictures of what the savage world of “Mad Max” has to offer.
Of course, I can’t ignore the fact that this game comes with a few glitches. I ended up having to close the game a few times thanks to myself getting stuck in a room, unable to move, as the room’s textures weren’t even there. The game also chugged during some instances of combat with a lot of enemies on screen coupled with explosions and more.
Sound
With a great deal of yelling and the sounds of vehicle engines, combat and more taking center stage, the music of “Mad Max,” while certainly not bad, never stood out all that much, getting lost in the background.
Overall, the voice acting was quite good in “Mad Max.” The game has many characters here and there in addition to the main cast of Max and Chumbucket. The voice acting was delivered well enough to really establish the personalities of each character.
In terms of sound in this game, it was the aforementioned vehicle engines and what not that made an impact. The melee combat was made more brutal with every punch or kick thanks to the sounds of it all coming off as very raw. The same can be said for the explosions you cause and shots you fire from the shotgun, sniper rifle or Thunderpoon. Revving my Magnum Opus engine and taking off at high speeds with continuous boosts made for some of the most satisfying sounds of my “Mad Max” experience, some of which may top that of even supercars in traditional driving games.
Content
What personally kept me playing Mad Max was the open world's checklist of things to conquer, collect and destroy. Many people today will argue this is a flaw due to the repetition in what must be done being admittedly generic at times. A complaint “Assassins Creed” has come to get, I don’t per se find this to be a problem with “Mad Max.” There are multiple regions in the world and each comes with a multitude of things to take care of, most of which allow you to get the most out of the entertaining gameplay. I'm the type of person who won't leave an area until I have all the collectibles gotten and can see 100% on each location. There is a good feeling of satisfaction that comes with each 100% completion.
Conclusion
I wanted the story of a post-apocalyptic wasteland full of despair and the struggle to survive among the rest to be my motivation for completing “Mad Max.” While the story had some powerful moments and interesting character along the way, it was the gameplay that kept me along for the ride. “Mad Max” doesn’t execute it’s plot and character development nearly enough to stand out among the plot heavy games of today. Fortunately, what does succeed, at least for me, was the violent combat. Both on the road and against other vehicles and on foot in hand to hand combat, “Mad Max” has a brutal and satisfying combat system. Top that with a visually appealing wasteland and “Mad Max” is a joyous open world game worth your time.
Did you enjoy the vehicular or melee combat more? Did you complete everything the wasteland had to offer? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
