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Better Late Than Never Review: Mad Max


The first time I heard of the Mad Max series was a joke in the web series Red vs. Blue. From there a young James walked down the the video rental store and paid 99¢ to rent The Road Warrior. Instantly I was in love with the series. In the years before post-apocalyptic genre was mainstream, I was obsessed with Mad Max.

I tell you this to preface todays review. I knew I would like the Mad Max game before I played it because I like the series that much. So there's a bit of bias here, but I'm going to focus on the features and be as impartial as I can.

The Mad Max series is back in everyone's minds again after the blockbuster film Fury Road. Winning numerous awards and boasting over the top action a video game tie-in seemed natural. The game that came out, simply titled Mad Max, is kind of a tie in, and kind of not.

Some names from the latest movie appear and at times the plot does seem to suggest this is a prequel, but there are things to suggest the opposite as well.  The plot is that Max's iconic car has been wrecked and he teams up with a wasteland mechanic to build a new one from the frame up. Crafting the "Magnum Opus" drives the plot and as Max drives it he encounters a variety of enemies from multiple, unique factions.

One of the stand out features of the game is the locations you travel too. A good half of the sandbox is simply a dried out ocean floor with only wrecked ships and the occasional lighthouse to show you where you are. The game is filled with chilling locations like this that hint at the past. Though the cause of this apocalypse is never stated outright, the world you are presented with and the 'history relics' you find tell the, (bleak and depressing) story well enough.   For the series that defined many of the post-apocalyptic tropes, the game still manages to capture the unique world of the movies.

The game also does a great job of putting you into the classic leather jacket. Max is gruff, and his lines and reactions to other people in the wasteland seem natural for his character. The classic shotgun is the only weapon you can carry with you and can be used both on foot and when behind the wheel.

The game is sandbox style with  the standard lookouts to visit, bases to capture, bosses to beat, and unlocks find.  Gameplay is split between your time on foot and behind the wheel. In the Magnum Opus you have a variety of vehicle based weapons as well as your skills as a driver to fight off or attack other cars.  When your on foot Max has his fists, shotgun, and whatever he can find to fight off hordes of enemies in these bases.  The hand to hand fights are fun but it's easy to get in over your head. Upgrades are purchased with the game currency, but you'll find the level requirements being try real price in any upgrade.

Problems?  Yeah there's plenty. My game crashed several times and once glitched so that I couldn't access one of the lookouts.  Like I said before it's easy to wander into a enemy base your not ready for.  Finally the best upgrades either require a massive amount of scrap or a special item you need to find.

The good:
-car combat done right!
-the world is gorgeously bleak and visually stunning.

The bad:
-lots of bugs
-the sandbox is limited more by your upgrades than your skill.

I'm a sucker for this series but objectively this game has some really good car combat, something that there's not nearly enough of in video games. The hand to hand fights are fun and take a bit of skill to get through. The locations are great but they're really only for fans. In the end this is a good game anyone, but only a great game for fans.

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