Mad Max Reviews
It's not that Mad Max is bad. It's just the latest in a long line of Ubisoft-template open-world games.
Mad Max is obviously a licence close to my heart, and The Road Warrior is my favourite tale in the franchise, so it could be considered unfair to have judged the game how I have, but there are definitely some glaring issues here that make the product schizophrenic in its licence representation. When applying played-out tropes, however, it actually works through the game's size and goals, and is easy to enjoy -- just as long as you forget the past and embrace the present.
'Mad Max' is a decent open world experience. It checks all the boxes for what is expected with a game in this genre, but doesn't bring much new to the table. Max's ride and sidekick are important high points, and a love for the film series helps. The game does have heart and some great vehicular combat; it's just missing some body work.
There's nothing inherently wrong with Mad Max, it just doesn't excel in enough areas to really stand out from the crowd. The cost-per-hour brigade will find plenty to love I'm sure; Avalanche have created a game where there's tons to do, but Mad Max is open-world by numbers, following the Ubisoft template too rigidly for comfort. Shadow of Mordor has already filled the hole Mad Max is trying to occupy, and for Mad Max to really succeed it had to bring something new to the table, which it emphatically hasn't. If you're still not tired of the collect-em-all open-world formula then you'll definitely get a kick out of Mad Max, but for the rest of us it feels like an opportunity wasted beyond the first few, sweet, hours.
Mad Max isn't going to be a game I call a must buy on release date or even something you must play. It's definitely worth giving a try because it can be quite fun to play at times. I liked the customization features for both Max and the cars, and I thought the game managed to be familiar but have a unique take on different things like combat for example. Although my thoughts of the game started strong, they dropped more and more as I advanced through the game. I'd say for now to hold off on your purchase until it drops in price.
Mad Max offers great car combat and some gorgeous scenery, but with simplistic fighting mechanics and tedious activities, it quickly loses its luster.
Avalanche's take on George Miller's post-apocalyptic wasteland is replete with striking visuals, basically enjoyable busywork, and not much else.
The road warrior provides a thrilling adventure, but the rust-ridden story can't keep up with the chase
As you wander the desert on the lookout for pieces of scrap, your enjoyment will feel like it's on a downward trajectory the longer that you play. As a result, you'll try to spend as much time as you can racing across its beautifully realised wasteland, while avoiding anything that pulls you from behind the wheel.
If the non-vehicular segments were on par, we'd have had a classic on our hands. But sadly they aren't, and we don't. Mad Max is at its best when you're hurling through the desert with a pack of murderous bandits on your tail, but the on-foot portion of the game feels derivative and largely uninspired.
If there weren't balances to these rather significant downers, the game would suffer greatly, but with the story picking up near the end, the driving being fun and the drive to customize both Max and the Magnum Opus being truly motivating, the game ends up being a fun, but not great experience.
Mad Max has the basics right and looks great, but beyond the first few hours it's a monotonous grind.
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.
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.
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.
Mad Max seemingly had it all but ultimately stumbles in the worst way possible - by not presenting enough interesting things to in its open world. Side mission and story quest design aside, there's a whole of repetition and not a lot of substance to the game's madness. Good for the odd casual playthrough but imminently forgettable.
Mad Max is a decent if, uninspiring time waster. You have a vast laundry list of tasks to chew through, but hardly any of them are particularly challenging or interesting. The excellent road combat and meaty progression system make it worth your time once you've beaten the significantly better open world games available at the moment.
Mad Max's greatest strength is in many ways the title's most significant weakness as well. It is immediately familiar, reminding of the Batman titles and Shadow of Mordor - games that I am very much a fan of. Unfortunately on the whole, Mad Max is not as good as those titles either, coming up short in its narrative, controls and combat to create a less engaging overall experience than those titles.
Mad Max feels like a polished title, one that tries to be a comprehensive sandbox game that, like its titular character, is able to hold its own. However, as fans of the films will know, in such a crowded world, not all can survive.
By granting me what I thought I wanted—free reign to explore—Mad Max pushes its source material out of the fast and tantalizing drive of action movies and into the slow, repetitive plod of open-world action games. It delivers a vast, meticulously rendered desert with nothing special to see.