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80.3 hrs on record (31.0 hrs at review time)
I've already wrote a brief review of this title on reddit, but I'll expand more on here...

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Mad Max is probably one of the most optimized PC games. Lots of graphical options to tune, and maintains a nice fps in nearly any setup. A thing to note is that under Audio there's a setting to turn on Fury Mode, which amps all the sounds in the game. It's not so that it's louder but everything's much more furious and raspier, as the mode is named with. I'd recommend trying it out as it gives the game a much more grittier feel.

In terms of looks the game looks stunning. It's a treat to even drive around the region. And those sandstorms - they're pretty intense! It's even crazier than FO4's rad storms!

In terms of gameplay it's a little repetitive. I'd compare it to JC3 because in Mad Max you're basically reducing Scrotus' and Stank Gum's influence in each region, much like in JC3 where you reduce the DRM's influence. However Mad Max does it a bit better because there's a number of ways to reduce influence, whether it's taking down oil wells, removing scarecrows, or removing convoys off the map.
Other stuff you can do is take out scarecrows, take out snipers, blow up Buzzard lairs, find high-value cars (for some reason these aren't explicitly tracked), build Archangels (basically special variants of your main car that require certain upgrades to build), do Death Runs (sort-of like races but with twists), and so on. Basically there's a lot of stuff to do. As of this review I'm still not done. So in terms of replayability there's a good amount. But I doubt I'll be repeating another playthrough, as the story itself is very linear.

Vehicular combat isn't very common in games these days, but Mad Max gets it right. Eliminating convoys for example are surprisingly lots of fun. And you have plenty of tools to take them out, like the Harpoon or the Thunderpoon (aka a rocket launcher). Outside of convoys you'll run into War Boys or Stank Gum itching for a fight, but sometimes they won't even chase you, either because you're too fast or they won't bother. These guys don't seem to provide very much loot, so it's better to ignore them.

Speaking of combat there's also on-foot combat. That means that you can upgrade Max, so you can spend your Scrap on more skills or better gear. Now onto combat: It's a bit like Batman, but isn't. Meaning there's no actual flow to it. Max can enter Fury which boosts his attacks, but it doesn't introduce anything jaw-dropping. There's also different archetypes of enemies which spices things up but you still throw the same punches. Top Dogs act as bosses but they all seem to have the same moveset and weapon.
I honestly thought there was gonna be combat where Max would get out of his car, climb onto the roof and fend off the guy next to him. A bit like in the movie Fury Road. Abit disappointed there wasn't one.

The story is good but not groundbreaking or anything. Max himself is almost like a silent protagonist and takes favors as long as he gets something in return. There's also Wasteland missions but those are basically fetch quests. The characters you meet are interesting (like Gutgash) but they aren't that developed (however their respective Wasteland Missions expand on their intent). The history relics you find in the world tell sad tales of the past and how it became as it is now. Max commentating on the relics are a nice touch (some of what he says are surprisingly profound).
There's also Wasteland encounters you find when you explore the wasteland. Most of those are just jargon that you already knew, but some of them can provide Intel to help in taking a difficult camp. But there's the odd encounter or so that made me pretty depressed, really bringing out that it's really the end of the world.

Much of the upgrades in this game don't seem very worth it, especially the Griffa tokens. Mostly because the game is inherently easy. Though once you unlock the northen region the game gets much tougher, while the southern region is exceptionally easy.
Plus in spite of being a post-apocalyptic game there aren't many hardcore or survival aspects. Max doesn't get hungry or thirsty, so eating food or drinking your canteen only heals you. And fuel is plentiful and declines slowly enough to not worry about (there is a weapon that uses fuel though).

Each region has a Stronghold that houses the main guy of that region, like Jeet or Deep Friah, as well as their followers. You can improve these places by setting out and finding project parts to construct Water Storages or Maggot farms. These projects provide Max instant full water or instant full ammo when you enter the Stronghold, as well as improving the looks of the place. While the projects do make searching for water or gas redundant, bear in mind that there's a time limit after you get your stuff, so it kinda forces you to go out and find more sources. Of course that only affects the Stronghold you've entered. Additionally some projects are unavailable until you've done the main guy's Wasteland missions.

The game's "currency" is Scrap, and you find it pretty much anywhere. You can earn them through clearing camps, so allies can populate 'em to deliver you Scrap every once of a while. You can also find them in places that you can loot, off of cars you take out, and so on. There's even a project in the Strongholds that adds Scrap when your game is off! Essentially it doesn't really run out. Of course you spend the Scrap on upgrades or improving Strongholds. However a lot of the upgrades require prerequisites to be done first. This can be like doing Wasteland missions or achieving a certain level.
Speaking of levels, you can gain more levels by completing Challenges. I don't personally track 'em but getting upgrades that require a certain level take some time. Fortunately the bulk of the Challenges come pretty naturally so they don't become a huge chore.

All in all Mad Max is a great PC title that's optimized and has pretty engaging gameplay. In terms of story I'd say it's decent but it isn't Undertale or anything.


Recommend?
If you want a nicely optimized PC title, yes.
If you want good vehicular combat, yes.
Posted 3 January, 2016. Last edited 3 January, 2016.
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3 people found this review helpful
35.9 hrs on record (32.8 hrs at review time)
After playing a fair bit I can conclude that this is worth a buy. I'll break up my reasons why...

Good
  • The explosions are stunning. This is Michael Bay's wet dream right here ladies and gentlemen. I'm not lying in saying that explosions in this game never get old. It's extremely satisfying seeing oil tanks or spheres just exploding into a firey inferno.

  • Speaking of explosions, a lot of chaos objects in this game don't just explode. Objects like radio towers collapse, Bavarium refiners spin out of control...

  • This map is huge. Yeah, most of it is wilderness so there's no much going on but I can't help but be absolutely amazed at the scale. Just Cause 2's map was something, but this is even better. Sometimes it's not even worth fast traveling because you miss out on how beautiful the setting is.

  • The graphics. I'm not running maxed out (more on that later) but even with some settings dialed down the game still looks amazing. And dat draw distance!

  • The enemies. They'll annoy you, and there'll be no end to them. There's gonna times where it'll be awfully quiet, other times there'll be a million guys shooting at you while at the same time helicopters rain missiles on you. The latter happens a lot more often, and it gets chaotic. Very chaotic. It gets so crazy I found myself laughing about how much is being thrown at me.

  • The enemy will get tougher as you go along, which luckily spices things up a bit. Things like jet fighters carpet bombing the place, or heavies carrying miniguns.

  • Collectibles like Ravello's tapes.

  • Leaderboards. Sadly though staying online seems to affect performance.

  • It is possible to complete a good amount of the game with little to no gear mods.


Meh
  • Repetition. Yes, you'll be going after one base after another, liberating 'til no end, blowing up one chaos object after another. It gets pretty boring. Buuut... this game gets chaotic. And when it does it isn't just going from one base after another, checking off the list until eventually you'll take said base. In fact, 99% of the time it never goes according to plan. Meaning it's not just getting in a tank and blasting everything. The enemy will retaliate, and they'll get you pretty quickly.

  • Performance is pretty meh. I don't have a beast rig (4690k, 280X), but the game stutters pretty often, and at long sessions the game hangs for a split second. Some missions also get glitched so I have to restart or respawn.

    Also if you disable online mode the game performs much better than before.

  • In order for this game to be fun you need to be a little creative, not just dragging your RPG around firing every chaos object around you.

  • Non-rebindable controller. I don't have a huge problem with the layout but there's a button or two I would like to change.

Bad
  • The challenges (basically minigames) where you cause Chaos. Most of it are just drab and dull. At least challenges like where you collect Bavarium scraps and deliver 'em to a pit are surprisingly fun.

  • Motorcycles. It's like if you're driving on ice.

  • Unskippable intro. Luckily there's a mod that lets you skip it (you still need to log in though).

  • Enemy spawns. More often than not I'm in a area where there's nothing and then suddenly 10 enemies come up behind me in cars...

Recommend?
If you love explosions, blowing s**t up... This game works very well.
If you liked Just Cause 2, this game works nicely.
Posted 26 December, 2015. Last edited 26 December, 2015.
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