Mad Max Review (Xbox One)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Mad Max
  • Platform: Xbox One
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Mad Max review on Xbox One

The Mad Max saga has been around for decades, thanks to the impressive movies. While the series got a video game release, I'm sure not many people remember the top-down driving game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that arrived in 1990.

Now, after the franchise managed to get back into the mainstream thanks to the stellar "Fury Road," the long-awaited video game adaptation of the series, titled simply Mad Max, has just been released by developer Avalanche Studios and publisher Warner Bros.

With the promises of a huge open world, great racing and car combat mechanics, not to mention polished hand-to-hand sequences, Mad Max looks to make a bold re-entry for the series into the video game industry.

Does Mad Max manage to delight fans or should we deem it mediocre? Let's find out.

Story

First and foremost, it's important to note that the Mad Max game wasn't developed as a tie-in for the debut of "Fury Road." While the story has some loose connections thanks to some characters or the importance of Gas Town, you won't find many common things, especially when it comes to Max.

The protagonist of the video game is a bit more talkative than Tom Hardy, especially since he's voiced by a different actor, but he still manages to portray the conflicted nature and mentality of a man who's lost so much yet still carries on.

The actual plot revolves around Max being defeated by Scrotus, a wasteland big boss that scraps his car. Fortunately for Max, he soon finds Chumbucket, a very interesting character that's delusional and physically scarred. However, he is a savant when it comes to car mechanics and he wants to help Max build the Magnum Opus, the greatest car the post-apocalyptic wasteland has ever seen.

The journey to building the vehicle is easier said than done, and throughout it, Max and players will get to see much more of its world, interacting with enemies, allies, and many other characters along the way.

Overall, Mad Max manages to deliver a pretty good plot, although some characters or portions look better than others.

Use your harpoon in Mad Max
Use your harpoon in Mad Max

Gameplay

In terms of gameplay, Mad Max has two big sides, in the form of the car and on-foot sequences. Driving around the wasteland is quite intense, and while the exact handling of the Magnum Opus is a bit erratic at first, the car improves as you add more and more elements to it.

The car combat is solid and also expands over time. While at first you can only side-swipe other vehicles, you'll soon unlock Nitrous boosts and ram attachments to make close-quarters encounters much deadlier to your opponents. As you add things like harpoons or even flamethrowers, things get even more fun.

Besides using your car as a weapon, you can also slow down time and aim your shotgun at the enemy vehicles. You can hit critical zones like tires or fuel tanks for massive damage, or even harpoon a driver from their seat.

Things get much trickier when you start to go up against massive fuel convoys that roll with many smaller cars, not to mention the main trucks. Seeing as how the world is open almost from the get-go, you might encounter these tougher situations earlier than expected. As such, remember that running (driving) away is also a valid strategy until your precious vehicle is better equipped.

You can upgrade the Magnum Opus in all sorts of ways, but most of them cost pieces of scrap metal, which acts as currency, not to mention special parts that can be obtained during missions or in certain zones.

Then there are the on-foot sequences. Here, Max becomes a much more violent version of Batman, as the hand-to-hand combat is similar to FreeFlow system seen in the Arkham games or, more recently, in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. The game does add a few more elements to it, such as powerful melee weapons that break over time or a Fury mode that makes Max's attacks even more powerful. You can also employ his shotgun, but bear in mind that shells for it are quite scarce.

While the combat is mostly fine, actually controlling Max is where the game takes a turn for the worse. His movement is finicky and he can't perform regular jumps. He can only go up using ladders or specially marked things, but actually trying to get him to use them isn't always that easy.

The camera is also a bit uncooperative on foot, and some enemy encampments are quite tricky to navigate, especially if you want to explore every nook and cranny in order to get pieces of scrap, water, or food.

Speaking of resources, surviving in the wasteland is realistic, as Max needs to always keep an eye on the fuel in the Magnum Opus as well as his health. You can replenish your health points by eating dog food or by drinking from your canteen. You can find sources of water in some areas but they're also pretty scarce.

Just like with the Magnum Opus, you can improve Max's skills in a variety of ways, and this also applies to his gear, so the game offers plenty of choices.

Enemies are relatively varied, ranging from regular War Boys to opponents that use shields, bigger weapons, or can move around using zip lines. The game also throws in snipers found in special towers, various flame-based traps, not to mention some opponents like the War Criers, who can buff their colleagues and make them tougher to take out.

Brutal combat in Mad Max
Brutal combat in Mad Max

Visuals and sound

Mad Max's world is huge, to say the least, and while the abundance of the desert environments does get tedious on the eyes, the overall visuals are very good. There are some lower-res textures in a few areas, but overall, things look quite good and Avalanche's own engine does a solid job. Unfortunately, the 30fps framerate keeps things from reaching their true potential on the Xbox One and even dips a bit when transitioning from the inside to the outside.

The soundtrack is pretty riveting, managing to keep the action going. What's more, it doesn’t try to override the great sound of the Magnum Opus' engine, especially once you upgrade it to a V8. The voice acting is quite good, and seeing as how Chumbucket is the most talkative, his actor does a great job of balancing out the serious, crazy, and fanatic sides of the character.


The Good

  • Great progression for both the car and Max
  • Compelling revenge story
  • Plenty of activities
  • Good visuals throughout the wasteland

The Bad

  • Some repetitive tasks and missions
  • Takes some time before the player is free to do anything
  • Some upgrades and mechanics aren't properly explained

Conclusion

While overall Mad Max borrows from past titles like Batman when it comes to combat, or Far Cry when it comes to the design of its open world and its activities, it still manages to stand out through its car combat. The story is also pretty compelling and manages to keep you invested even if some of the missions get repetitive after a while.
story 8
gameplay 7
concept 7
graphics 9
audio 9
multiplayer 0
final rating 8
Editor's review
very good
 

Mad Max screenshots (15 Images)

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