Mad Max – Game Review

The future is mad.

There are many games sat on my Steam games list, but non compare to the open worldy-ness of Avalanche’s sandiest sandbox.

Mad Max is set in a post-apocalyptic future, where the world is nothing but sand and heat. Where cars and great works of steel are worshipped as gods, and you play as Max, wanting to get beyond the wastes. But to do this, you will need a car.

But not just a car. A machine that has no rival. That can steam-roll convoys, conquer the wastes, and blast you into the world of the mad… and that’s about it for the story. So how does it play?

With a solid 60FPS with ultra settings on PC, the game plays perfectly, with no issues whatsoever. The game looks gorgeous: there are a lot of shades of brown, but as far as brown goes, it’s very pleasing to the eye. Lighting effects are realistic and make you really feel as though you’re fighting to survive in a sun-baked land. The most impressive thing, to this reviewer, is the amount of decoration and customisation when it comes to your car.

Your car is your home. It’s where you’ll spend 75% of the game. Driving from point A to B, smashing, and blowing things up in between. The cars are customisable to the point of body mods, and colour schemes, and you can really personalise your vehicle to suit your needs.

Here’s mine:

As well as modifications, you are given a selection of weaponry to have your faithful mechanic use when driving. These include: the harpoon, used for ripping into cars and weak structures, and the thunderpoon, like the harpoon, but it explodes. You also have Max’s trusty sawn-off shotgun, which you can use both inside the car and out. Everything listed has stages of upgrades, giving you the extra edge in combat.

While the car combat and the driving is solid, there are a few things that could have been done better. One of which is ground combat. Now, while the combat might be very firm in that it does the job, there is no real innovation in the ground combat. Many will notice it is essentially a clone of the Arkham style of combat.

The game is enjoyable, and after 21 hours of playtime, I am still satisfied with the purchase. If you’re a fan of busy work and open world stuff, you’ll love this title. Otherwise, look elsewhere.