Metal Max Xeno Reviews
In a year filled to the brim with triple-A game releases, there's no doubt some of the smaller games will be lost in the fray. I hope that Metal Max Xeno isn't one of those games. While it may seem like I had a lot more to complain about than praise, I actually did really enjoy my time with the title, and it was a nice surprise considering how unfamiliar I am with the series. At $40, Metal Max Xeno is a worthy addition to any JRPG-lover's library, I hope you'll consider it.
Metal Max Xeno is just so thoroughly average when it comes to JRPGs. The basic world, familiar storyline, and characters serve an okay experience which embraces the grind a bit too much for a world that is generally void of much interest. The game feels like a throwback to older JRPGs which is great if that is what you're into, but there has been so much advancement in the genre that overall Metal Max Xeno feels a bit out of place.
That's about it, really! If you're looking for storytelling chops you won't find them here. Metal Max Xeno is all about angry and confused survivors screaming about dying, starving, or being horny, and how dope their tanks are, and how more bad guys need to die. It's refreshing in its earnest nature, and is actually more hopeful than nihilistic. But it is still on the simple and tropey side. Ultimately, this is a game about having a billion options dumped in front of you, and the joy of diving into that pile and making cool stuff out of it. There's lots of menu-fiddling, number-crunching, and ingredient-gathering, but at the end of that grind is comeuppance for evil, jerk murder-bots as your painstakingly-curated ordnance tears them to shreds, and it's hard to get more satisfying than that. Metal Max Xeno is a strange, janky, ugly mess of a game, but one I was glued to every minute of.
Metal Max Xeno is one of the most average RPG's I've played in a long while. It's almost a comfort food in a strange way: warm and familiar but without any spice.
Metal Max Xeno lacks just about all of the characteristics that made the series interesting to begin with.
While the combination of tank and foot combat offers some interesting wrinkles, it can't hold up an otherwise bland skeleton of a game.
Although METAL MAX Xeno offers an intriguing mix of tank-based and on-foot battles, its low-budget and adherence to JRPG traditions makes it feel like a relic of the bygone age. The characters are largely forgettable and sometimes embarrassing. Then there's the story, which is competently told and not much else. Still, for whatever it's worth, the journey is a pleasant one. The player's experience won't be bogged down by needlessly long load times or a mind-numbing user interface. This post-apocalyptic trek, much like any decent vacation, is designed to be relaxing and convenient.
Metal Max Xeno has no distinguishing features and there are better RPGs on the PS4 that deserve better attention.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Fans of JRPGs should definitely check this one out from Kadokawa Games. It doesn't have that compelling story as some other JRPGs have, but the simple yet deep combat system and accompanying customizations have more than what it takes to compensate and give you a fun game to spend a lot of hours on.
METAL MAX Xeno is a great RPG on PlayStation 4 that you should definitely check out. The game is quite big, and there are lots of locales to visit, each feeling very different from the next. This isn't a game you'll be playing over a weekend, especially if you want to grab the game's Platinum trophy! I had a lot of fun reviewing METAL MAX Xeno, especially thanks on how the combat is handled, so I highly recommend you get this one!
I'm glad to see the Metal Max series make a comeback in the west.
The greater focus on the development of vehicles and characters is a very welcome improvement, as it makes the exploration and overall gameplay more enjoyable, and helps consolidate this as the ultimate version of Metal Max Xeno. On the other hand, it's less clear why several plot elements were sacrificed, and the game's performance could use some work, but that doesn't stand in the way of Reborn's overall qualities.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
An opportunity that should have been exploited better that will only appeal to those who already knew this saga or to lovers of a classic futuristic RPG without too many pretensions.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The sum is a fun but rough RPG, far more akin to classic RPGs than other games. It’s quick pace means you could easily blast a couple of hours out with Netflix on, and I haven’t had a good game to do that with in quite a while. Think of this like an older house: The foundations are rock solid, just the paint is rough and the kitchen needs remodelling.
If Kadokawa Games was hoping to kindle interest in future Metal Max titles in western audiences, Metal Max Xeno is not the game to get that particular job done.
There have been some pretty big-named RPGs of late between games like Valkyria Chronicles 4, Dragon Warrior and even the re-release of Disgaea 1 this fall, which unfortunately overshadows METAL MAX Xeno quite a bit. That being said, there is something incredibly charming about this underdog title, with its complex progression systems, dystopian setting and colorful characters that should appeal to JRPG fans looking for something a bit different.