Mad Max Reviews
Overall, Mad Max is a game that's solid but could've used just one more extra push to really reach its true potential. Folks who are burnt out from standard open world gameplay or don't like driving won't get as much bang for the buck from it. If you love great car combat and wandering around a large sandbox while checking off side missions, however, this is a game you'll get lots of extra mileage from.
There's one enemy that even Max can't overcome however, and it defines the entire Mad Max experience: repetition.
Mad Max is a serviceable and enjoyable beginning to what I hope will become a series of games set in this world. Every legend needs to start somewhere, and the basics of greatness are here. Max and his Magnum Opus just need a bit more tuning and the helping hand of a good Blackfinger to get into true fighting shape.
It has fun melee and vehicle combat mechanics, and it has an engaging upgrade and customization system in place. While things did begin to feel old after a while, players can still get many, many hours out of the game before that happens.
Fury Road was a big, expensive, risky film that paid off because of the irrepressible will and talent of its director, George Miller. In video game form, Mad Max lacks that same kind of originality and danger. It's familiar and formulaic, competent but rarely exceptional. This Max could have used a little more madness.
While the gameplay is solid and Avalanche Studios did a great job digitally creating the Wasteland, Mad Max starts off slow in the story department and may turn off potential players. However, if you stick with it, you'll finally get the Mad Max you were expecting.
Mad Max's fondness for never-ending upgrades and tedious open-world quests stymies the exceptional car combat and compelling characters.
With it's great visuals, film-like appeal, and incredibly fun and engaging car on car combat, there's a lot going for it. I give it a solid recommendation for any fan of the film series or of open-world, car-heavy games. Maybe it isn't everything it could have been, but it sure as hell isn't the typical film-to-game disasterpiece that many gamers might expect by now.
Mad Max has its ragged edges, relying too much on not-so-optional side activities, but it's a fast, thrilling open-world action game that captures the spirit of the George Miller films. Bad timing makes it unlikely that it will be this year's Shadows of Mordor, but if so it won't be for a lack of effort, quality or style.
It asks us to buy Max as a wasteland messiah whose life consists of spending his most sane years playing fetch.
Mad Max's inescapable, monotonous looting in a derivative open world can't justify seeking the sparse instances of break-neck fun behind the wheel. Though there are moments that reach the level of Mad Max: Fury Road, they're unfortunately too few and far between.
Mad Max catches the style of the template well, but relies too much on the proven and fails in the long-term motivation.
Review in German | Read full review
An almost equal number of significant pros and cons make Mad Max an interesting and polarizing title. Ultimately, it's a game I would recommend, but with some due caution as described in the article.
Mad Max is a solid, if slightly unremarkable open-world game that does a good job in replicating the atmosphere and tone of the movies, and the character's essence, but fails to provide any real excitement beyond its vehicle-based combat. Exploring the Wasteland can be a boring affair at times, but if exploring Max's relentlessly bleak world sounds like your cup of tea, you'll probably love Mad Max. Still, it's hard to shake the sense that this could have been better.
Mad Max is a solid game. There's a lot to do and barring looking through every piece of rubble like myself, the game's story is fun and keeps you entertained. Throw in some massive car carnage, excellent brawls with ten or more enemies, and beautiful graphics and it completes the package nicely. My only wish is there was more to do in the world than just driving to mission markers to look for scrap or other assorted items. Things like the warbosses were wonderful additions, but I felt like the bulk of my time was exploring old shacks and boats to find some scrap for upgrades.
Whilst it may not initially be obvious, open world games have dramatically evolved in the last 5 years. I was once happy with mindless collectatons, but I've grown to want more. The best open world games nowadays are an expansion of the form, but Mad Max is highly regressive in far too many areas to be meaningful. Everything I experienced during my time with the game felt like it came five years too late to the open world party. Those with any interest in the genre will have already trod similar ground long before. We've seen all these tricks done dozens of times – so much so that all the props that were once cleverly hidden away are now clear to see.
Max, in the game, could be anyone. There's no story. He's just a reason to drive around a desert, crashing into things, blowing things up, and fighting. Not that I've got anything against that. Mad Max provides plenty of enjoyable hours of crashing into things and fighting. But, for a desert wasteland there is an awful lot of gasoline, I never got close to running out.
While Mad Max avoids being the disaster that the development hell storylines surrounding it suggest that it could have been, it's an absolute testament to mediocrity. Its characters and the world itself provide a great deal of intrigue, and they will keep some players interested, but there are too many flaws to consider it a solid video game.
A solid sandbox adventure, lacking in the chaos and madness that the title and license would suggest.
It's not that Mad Max is bad. It's just the latest in a long line of Ubisoft-template open-world games.