It’s not often that you will find a successful game adaptation of a movie and it’s generally due to a number of fatal flaws. Firstly the scripts often aren’t changed, therefore the story is often predictable. Secondly, their linearity leaves little room for improvisation of the game play and thirdly the game mechanics are over simplified yet encounters are stretched out in a poor attempt to make it challenging.
Mad Max however, has done a surprisingly excellent job of avoiding these pitfalls by creating a game that is truly unique, expansive and challenging. The Mad Max game is an adaptation of the Mad Max: Fury Road movie universe but the story is a completely unique extension of the movies timeline. So for those expecting to relive the movie, you will be greatly disappointed but if you are looking for something new and fresh, then this is a great experience for you. Our hero Max begins with a journey to escape the madness of The Wastelands to find solace in the storied “Plains of Silence”. Along the way he finds himself confronted by numerous obstacles from psychotic wastelanders, to wasteland warlords appropriately named Pink Eye and Scrotus for example to reflect the general collapse of civility and intelligence.
The first thing that really draws you in will be the sheer virtuosity of the environment. Beautifully drawn backgrounds and settings make this Wasteland world seem epically huge yet incredibly detailed. Changes from day to night drastically change the landscape’s mood from a quite desolate desert to a tumultuous sand storm. The game is also generally linear but players have the freedom to explore the open world and engage in numerous side quest to gain experience and gear. They have also done a great job of making the game mechanics fun and challenging. Rather than a pure shoot-em up or punch-em out game, numerous little quirks make the gameplay quite interesting. From driving around with your trusty wasteland companion to interesting harpooning techniques to take down your enemies, it’s not your typical adventure game. You can even appreciate the kind of love and detail put into this game such as the simple mannerisms when eating and drinking, where you can sense the desperation that comes from a world plagued by scarcity.
Overall, we can safely endorse this game as a well worth experience for all. The game averages around 6 to 8 hours to finish so it’s not something you’ll find yourself taking too long to complete and for the most part it’s fairly easy once you understand the mechanics of the game. We definitely think there is a future for this franchise and look forward to seeing this saga grow and expand in the future with new exciting chapters.
