Mad Max
PS4
Creators: Avalanche Studios
2015 PS4/PSN
£44.99/£49.99
Disc or Download
The setting: post-apocalyptic Australia, you are a wandering vigilante that goes by the name of Max Rockatansky, seeking revenge on the waste landers and building your ultimate, gas-guzzling, bone-breaking, fortress-smashing car 'Magnum Opus'.
Set in the same world as the incredible 'Mad Max' series created by George Miller, yet not set in the film's storyline, the Mad Max video game flawlessly recreates the eerie atmosphere, the sweeping deserted landscape and the quirky characters and their strange dialogue.
The best way to describe this game is a mix between the Fallout series and the Batman Arkham games: the exploration style and expansive open world of Fallout, mixed with the mission system and combat style of the Batman games.
The punches that land on the enemies' skull are hyper-violent and wholly satisfying; crunches and cracks as the controller vibrates vigorously with each button press; a fantastic system that is completely fluid and works so well.
The story, however, is just really not gripping enough to make me want to replay this game over and over again.
It has a very interesting opening, introduction to main characters, and introduction to play mechanics, after that it drops the ball, loses it's momentum.
However, this should not detract any fan of the Mad Max universe from buying and falling in love with the huge map; finding all the nooks and crannies hiding under every rock.
From the time I've had playing this game, it is obvious that the most enjoyable aspect is the roaming; stumbling across outposts and gas stations to overthrow with your tactically planned entry points.
This aspect makes it a game that really draws you back in.
Words: Aaron Champion
