Mad Max Game Review

During the age of gaming when post-apocalyptic wasteland survival was the hottest trend. There was a true underrated hidden gem of a game Among 2015 hottest releases, known as 2015 Mad Max, a game that was riding on the success 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road movie released that same year. Well it wasn’t enough to compete with the likes on Fallout 4 released during the same time. But years later, it's now consider a treasure trove for those who journey into the desolate wasteland of the iconic franchise. But some might wonder if this bargain priced post apocalypse game is worth checking out. Having recently gotten the change to play through this game, it’s time to answer the age-old question is Mad Max (2015) video game still worth it?

While thankfully you don’t have to be a fan of the movie franchise to enjoy this game. Although having a general knowledge of the Mad Max movie franchise universe would help one appreciate the universe, and aesthetic. As one of the game's strongest points lies in its presentation of the barren and foreboding landscape of the Wasteland. From the vast stretches of sunbaked desert to the dilapidated ruins of civilization, the world of Mad Max is a visually striking and atmospheric setting that effectively conveys the harsh realities of survival in a world on the brink of collapse. The attention to detail in the environmental design is commendable, with each location offering its own distinct flavor and challenges to overcome. If you enjoy exploration and collectibles, there will be much to do during the easily digestible 20 hours campaign story.

Narratively speaking it fails to leave a lasting impression. As most characters are largely forgettable people, besides Chum bucket, a dude that worships a car, primarily the Magnum Opus. Whereas the main protagonists story of going from zero to vengeance, complements the survival gameplay aspect of the game nicely as the hook to get one interested in the game. Offering a blend of vehicular combat, exploration, and resource management.

The melee combat, while serviceable, lacks the depth and fluidity of other action-oriented titles, often devolving into button-mashing encounters with little strategy or variation. If you’ve played Arkham games and know when to counter, you’ll feel right at home. Otherwise Button mash with a controller until success lol since it's harder to button mash on a keyboard and mouse config. However, while the vehicular combat mechanics are solid and satisfying, other aspects of the gameplay can feel repetitive and lacking in depth.

At a certain point I found myself doing nothing but mainly scavenge scraps, and exploration, looking for high value vehicles for scraps to purchase upgrades either for Max and/or the Magnum Opus to progress the story along. Since there’s no difficulty toggle, it’s solely based on the upgrades you have equipped. Therefore, one is naturally forced to do all the easier available tasks before attempting to the harder ones. Leaning the game into a repetitive simple fetch quests or combat encounters.

The game would've benefitted from a New Game Plus mode since there's more to do at the start than towards then end with a fully upgraded character. It should be noted that online services for the game have been disabled. Rendering the once useful offline scrap collector perk useless and one unobtainable online achievement. Thankfully, the PC version have ways to circumvent this and much of the repetitive scrap grind.

In conclusion, Mad Max offers a mixed experience that will likely appeal most to fans of the franchise looking for a chance to explore its iconic world in greater detail. While the game succeeds in capturing the atmosphere and aesthetic of the Mad Max universe, its repetitive gameplay, shallow narrative, and lack of innovation prevent it from reaching the heights of other open-world action games. Ultimately, Mad Max is a competent but unremarkable entry in the post-apocalyptic gaming genre, offering moments of excitement and spectacle amidst a sea of mediocrity. So I’d ultimately recommend it, if you can get it at a bargain price and have time to explore this uniquely Mad Max Video game adaptation.