With any unexpected box office hit comes a not so unexpected video game tie in to milk off the success. In the case of
Mad Max however, you might be pleasantly surprised with what you get. The wonderful people at
Warner Bros. and
AVALANCHE Studios (the same folks behind the
Just Cause series) have brought us this open world RPG style wasteland with a new welcomed twist. Lets take a look shall we?
In the opening cut-scenes of the game we are given a glimpse of Max's life before the blast through live action footage. Max has thoughts on the past as he races through the sand being followed close behind by three pursuers. We look on as he skillfully removes each of his followers with his excellent driving and marksmanship. He is then blindsided by more foes, and their apparent leader
Scrotus, a large beast of a man, who proceeds to beat Max with his own gun.
But our badass hero won't go down so easy. He leaps on Scrotus' truck and strikes him with his own chainsaw directly in the head. This results in Max being stranded with nothing, left to forage on whatever he can find. This is where we get to take control.
The first thing you'll notice about the game is its controls. I've never played a game with such odd button placements. For instance, the jump action is the left trigger instead of say A or X. Those layouts can easily be fixed just by going to the menu though, which I would strongly recommend doing.
Secondly you'll notice how gorgeous this game looks. I was shocked at how beautiful the colors and lighting effects were from the beginning. The trailers DO NOT do this game justice with its visuals. I played on PC and messed around with the display settings to really enhance the experience, but they are equally as impressive on XBOX and PS4.
And the third thing is that the game unfortunately doesn't come with a multiplayer mode. How amazing would it be to wreck havoc across the salt with your friends in your own custom vehicles?! I was disappointed to see that at first, but the single player experience really makes up for it.
Right off the bat you are introduced to some unique characters that you will see throughout the game. The most important being a hunchback by the name of
Chumbucket. Chum is a "blackfinger" who idolizes you as a saint and dedicates his life to you and his
Magnum Opus. The MO he's been working on for a long time is supposed to be his greatest achievement and will be shared with you. He will also create new equipment, repair your vehicle on the fly if it's been damaged, and will deliver your car whenever you ask.
Because of this you have the great opportunity to design and level up the vehicles how you see fit. Starting with the body, engine, exhaust, etc. While designing your ride, you can also design your Max too. You can equip new gear, change his hair style, and upgrade your weapons. This makes each experience have your own unique look and feel.
Now that you've made everything look the way you want, it's time to take them out on the open road. This is where the game really shines; its combat. The fighting and car demolitions are very fun and exciting. You can smash into nearby raiders, charge head long into a outpost and destroy it from the inside out, or you can tear down towers with your harpoon cable. All of which are entertaining and extremely funny to watch for those with a twisted sense of humor like me.
Aside from worrying about raiders and the occasional crazy, you'll also have to keep track of your
supplies. Food, water, ammo, and even gasoline all have a purpose and need monitoring while you explore the salt. Food and water restore your health and fitness, while gasoline powers your vehicles. Luckily, if your car runs out of fuel it won't come to a screeching stop. It will become sluggish and just drive very slowly.
The other most import collectible is
scrap. Scrap is used to upgrade your vehicle and gear. You'll find yourself literally scavenging like a mad man to find as much as possible to get all of the cool add ons.
After sinking a little over twelve hours into this game I still haven't made a dent in its vast open world. With a massive map, dozens of objectives, a compelling story, and a lot of action to put the cherry on top. I was very pleased with how this game turned out in the end. I would be lying if I said I didn't think it would be just another movie game flop like its many many predecessors. But after seeing it and playing it for myself, I can honestly say I would recommend this to anybody looking for something new and fun this year to get their hands on. Especially if you're as big a fan of the Mad Max franchise as I am. So head to your nearest store and take this game for a spin!
Thanks for reading everyone!
-
Otaku Anonymous
SCORE: 8.5 Out of
10!!!
PLATFORMS: PC, PS4, and XBOX ONE
