My Game Rating: 6.8 / 10
As a heads up, there will be no spoiler's in relation to story. The review will consist of gameplay, weapons, customisation opinions etc. These opinions are my own and I take full responsibility for them. I hope you've all had a great Halloween! Without further ado, here's the review to Mad Max...
Fans of Max Max: Fury Road or the series in general weren't surprised when they heard that a game based on the film franchise was to be released weeks after Fury Road's viewing. With acrobatic stunts taking place on moving cars via tricky terrain along with the general feel of the environment and people accompanying or attempting to kill the main character, the same aspects were expected in the upcoming video game.
First off, the look of the environments were visually stunning! The towering cliffs, the haze coming from makeshift roads, dunes and cars, colourful sky's and so on. An interesting feature I'd like to point out was the ability to capture 'photographs' or wallpapers using the in game system. This allows you to alter the contrast, scale, lighting and many other features. If your someone that likes to take photographs using the in game system, this might be of great interest to you. Admittedly, I have used this feature to look round corners, look for a ladder while climbing huge scale buildings and items or features that give me that extra bit of information about the area and the world of Mad Max in general.
Some of you will know by now of how much I love to buy/acquire strongholds in dire need of repair, fix them up and make the place my own. Though not a crucial feature for most games nowadays - this generally gives the player the feeling that they've left a permeant mark on the worlds and it's people. Making it your own not only adds more hours of gameplay but if you have an in game system to take photographs, this'll enable you to share online or even draw from what's in front of you. The upgrades and items necessary for the updates in my opinion made sense - the maggot farm, scrap metal for repairing, clean up screws etc. Personally, it would have been nice if Max had his own hideout that he can customise and upgrade - from there you would be able to display the history relics collected all around the map in either a metal box or framed on a wall, a mini armoury displaying previous and current armours with a list of what activities you accomplished while wearing a certain piece of armour, building your own upgradable exterior defences, a kitchen area or in this case a maggot farm or a storage area full of tinned food. Upgrading this would enable you to grow mushrooms or herbs to add further nutrition (boosting Max's perks and skills for a period of time.) A journal that featured Max's thoughts, previous exploits even artwork. From this hideout, you could have the option of owing a small bike collection to use for navigating difficult terrain and avoiding pursuing enemies.
The customisation options for Max and the car were excellent - engaging in encouraging the player to gather the necessary materials. I'm relived to find that guns don't play a major factor in this game- adding a breathe of fresh air. It's nice to get up and close to the enemy for once! The driving aspect was fun, though it would have been beneficial to add more ramps for the player to navigate and have more fun as well as acrobatic combat as featured in Fury Road.
My complaints for Mad Max revolve around:
- Not being able to customise weapons picked up to grant us that extra edge in combat.
- Pieces of scraps glitching into the environment, occasionally trapping the player.
- No personal hideout.
- Quest structure tends to be rather Ping Pong and repetitive after awhile.
- Lack of acrobatic combat between cars.
- No stealth system outside the car!
- Not much variation in quest structure.
- Not being able to use or own bikes or trucks.
- More items to collect!
Things I liked!
- The driving was brutal and fast!
- The customisation options
- Video game graphics
- Building/repairing strongholds
- Infiltrating enemy strongholds.
- A.I animations, dialogue and character.
- Using the sniper rifle on the back of the car while driving.
- Lore
- Varying environments.
- Collecting History relics.
- The open World.
- Max's character upgrades
All in all, I would recommend this game. If you enjoyed the movies, then you'll enjoy the game alternative. Despite aspects of the film not featuring in the game, if you have a spare 15 minutes or so then look no further. Personally, I'm more a fan of RPG's such as the Dragon Age franchise, Skyrim and that. I'm rather new to the lore of Mad Max. Despite this, I enjoyed ramming enemy cars, sniping and generally, exploring and experiencing a new feel of video game.
Thank you for reading my review for Mad Max, please leave a comment or like! Have a nice day and look at my page or blog for further reviews in the future!
