Mad Max has made a comeback into pop-culture and how. First the sleeper hit in the form of Fury Road and now a full-fledged game which goes above and beyond of being just another licensed game. When you bring in Avalanche Studio to do the development duties, it gets even more intense. Does it live up to the hype and justify the tag of being a true blue open world unlike the ones we’ve seen in recent times? Let’s find out!
The moment you turn on the game, you realize this is far more than being a movie port and Avalanche signature and class is clearly visible. The game also doesn’t follow the movie’s storyline and has its own world and story while borrowing a few plot points from the recently released film.
Needless to say, our Hero Max is a person who’s long lost his way as he tries to reach the Plains of Silence in a last ditch attempt to redeem himself. It’s evident that Max’s only priority is survival but things go south as he is captured by wasteland’s lord Scrotum Scrotus. However, Max’s survival skills get him out of his clutches but he suffers heavily as he loses his vehicle in the battle that ensued.
The game follows Max’s quest of getting his gear back up, defeating Scrotum and eventually reaching the Plains of Silence (if it exists at all). He is aided in this quest by a hunchback known as Chumbucket, who sees Max as an angel who’s come down to this hell called Earth in order to aid him in making the ultimate battle machine – the one he calls – The Magnum Opus.
There’s a plethora of upgrades available for both the car and yourself and as you progress throughout the game more and more become available. You’re tasked with completing several side quests in order to improve both your car and your skills. The game also follows a main storyline which progresses as you meet certain criteria and fulfill quests.
These include taking down enemy camps, attacking Convoys, collecting parts for your car and several other things. The game also throws in a variety of side quests ranging from taking out particular people, collecting certain parts to assisting NPCs with their jobs. You’re also introduced to someone calling himself “Gaffa” who gives you abilities which’ll aid you in surviving the harsh conditions of the wasteland as well as reveal important plot details.
Combat-wise, Max uses his hands most of the time and the game has a simple yet effective punch-counter-kick mechanism, which draws inspiration from the recent Batman games but lacks its finesse. However, it gets the job done and the brutal animations and Max’s fury mode together make it an enjoyable experience. You can also use your car and several add-ons to inflict serious damage to unsuspecting enemies and indulge in some heavy-duty vehicle warfare which is by far the most enjoyable aspect of this open-world adventure.
The game also allows you to customize the Magnum Opus in detail and also add-in a plethora of upgrades, some of which are integral to the game’s main plot and you’re compelled to complete them in order to carry the main plot forward. Visually, Avalanche hits the nail in the head and manages to capture the barren-yet-dangerous wasteland in all its glory. Some high mountains to sand dunes, everything is spot on. Not to mention the storms which will have you hurrying to take shelter. This game is not short of being a graphical masterpiece and looks absolutely stunning on the PS4. However, the character models lack the depth of the otherwise detailed gameworld and the occasional bugs make it a less than perfect affair.
The game also features several strongholds which become available as you progress through the game, where in you can go in order to get help and unlock long and detailed side-quests which’ll aid you in completing the main storyline. The game’s tries to replicate the perils of the wasteland and both ammo and water are scarce which adds that bit of an extra challenge. However, this becomes void as you compete more side missions and unlock bigger and better upgrades, thereby reducing the value of gameplay.
The game also becomes a tad repetitive once you’ve spent a few hours as most of the side-quests are of the rinse and repeat types and soon the experience gets duller with nothing but the idea of exploring the vast open wasteland keeping you coming back for more.
Overall, Mad Max is the best movie-based game to have come out in a long long time and actually merits a playthrough even if you’re not a fan of the franchise as it offers a unique opportunity to play in a post-apocalyptic world unlike any other. The developers have also tried their best to make the experience worthwhile and the destruction-based fast-pace gameplay is simply outstanding and enjoyable. Mad Max is far from being a great game but there’s no stopping anyone who wants to have some fun from trying this out.