The Road Warrior's unforgettable climax involves an intense assault on a moving caravan that's barreling through the Wasteland. Moments like this one have been integrated into Mad Max's open world. Players are likely to see huge clouds of dust billowing up in the distance. Should they follow these cues, they're likely to drive up on a convoy of up to 12 vehicles defending a lead truck carrying precious cargo.
Charging grill-first into these wheeled warriors isn't the smartest idea. Max could easily succumb to a rear-mounted flamethrower, get caught in a pincer attack between two cars' grinding rims, or be boarded by an enemy. Players are better off picking off cars one-by-one. Destroying the lead vehicle of a convoy scores Max a hood ornament, which can be attached to the Magnum Opus for an automotive stat boost.
Mad Max is primarily a third-person action game, but players have the option to look through the Road Warrior's eyes when driving. I'm usually averse to driving in a restrictive first-person view when I have the option to see more of my surroundings in driving games, but this is different. Seeing Max's jagged metal-studded gloves and the beefy engine jutting out of the hood elicited a cathartic, joyful thrill I haven't felt while behind the wheel in a game for some time. The sense of speed when cruising down a worn road and the visceral impact of boosting into a wrecked enemy vehicle feels amazing.
Max is fast behind the wheel, but his more lumbering fighting style still packs a wallop. This bruiser's approach to combat feels inspired by the popular mechanics first seen in Batman: Arkham Asylum. Max doesn't have Bruce Wayne's martial-arts training, but he can manhandle enemies with a more straightforward and murderous approach, complete with visceral suplexes and leg locks.
Enemies surround Max, sizing him up before closing the gap for a punch. Max has the opportunity to counter these attacks and follow up with a flurry of brass-knuckle punches. His Fury Mode helps differentiate itself from similar combat systems, too. Following up light attacks with a heavy attack deals more damage to goons and fills his Fury level faster. Fighting enemies builds up a meter that, when activated, sends Max into an adrenaline-fueled state where he deals more damage faster than usual. Similar to another post-apocalyptic tale, The Last of Us, Max can pick up rare shivs to take enemies out of the equation even faster.
All sounding great to me! Little iffy on "Fury Mode" but there's no mistaking Avalanche are giving you, as the player, a ton of options to explore.After Avalanche Studios told me that Mad Max's sizeable open Wasteland has soft boundaries, the first thing I did was drive straight for the edge of the map. The geographical indications that you're leaving the defined territory of the world are subtle. Gradually, things become flatter, dustier, and more desolate. Then, "Warning: You are entering The Big Nothing" flashes on the screen around the time you see a gigantic wall of sand rising off in the distance. The huge sandstorm seems like it might take several minutes to intercept you, but it barrels forth at a surprising clip.
Eventually, Max and his Magnum Opus are enveloped in a blinding cloud of dust. The winds send pieces of deadly debris flying towards your car, threatening to shred it to bits. However, the player's impetus (beside suicide) for driving into The Big Nothing lies within the extra-rare pieces of useful scrap metal flying within the storm. Unfortunately for me, my car is struck by the storm's lightning and explodes before I can collect anything useful.
The game director in one sentence states it's "set before the new film" and then proclaims that it's its own thing, their own take on Max and the universe. Ooof. 