Mad Max (PlayStation 4)

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Series         : Mad Max
Developer      : Avalanche Studios
Genre          : 3D Brawler
Themes         : Post-apocalypse
Release Info   : Free with PlayStation Plus
Other Tags     : Open World

Trophies       : truetrophies.com

COMPLETED
screenshot
Image source: gamespot.com

Analysis

  • I've been thinking about why I enjoy this game so much. It's not without its issues. The combat is derived from the Arkham Asylum games, but in this game, your attacks are not guaranteed to hit if you're out of a certain range, and even though I'm halfway through the game, I have still only seen around 4 different enemy action types (normal attack, block, unblockable attack, dodge) and Max's own actions are similarly limited. The car combat is more ambitious, it has targeted harpoon attacks that affect the physics of the cars, different levels of damage and armor in different areas of the car rewards a bit of driving tactics, but so far, it hasn't really been super satisfying. As mentioned earlier, the frame rate is unstable in certain areas, particularly around Pink Eye's fort. Another thing that bugs me: the menus are confusing. I'm constantly trying to figure out where to find my mission objects, where my different car types are, if I can afford an upgrade, etc. I couldn't exactly say how to fix it, since it's a lot of information to present the player with, but it's particularly confusing in this game. So there are some negatives. So why do I find this game so appealing, moreso than most open-world games? Well, first of all, I love the Mad Max universe and this game nails the atmosphere of that world. The desert is beautifully rendered, the topography, lighting, and skyboxes can be downright dramatic, and the rusty wrecks driving around feel perfectly at home in this post-apocalyptic wonderland. I don't love how the characters look, but graphically, everything else is pretty great. Most of the time spent in the world of Mad Max is spent driving across the desert, and driving feels good in this game. It's very simple and arcady, but the car sounds great, feels weighty and is a lot of fun to drag your rusty wreck over sand dunes and cliffs. The physics handles almost anything you throw at it gracefully without blowing up. I guess Avalanche used what they learned from Just Cause and Renegade Ops and are just masters of controlled physics mayhem at this point.


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