Mad Max E3 Preview

At E3, I was able to get some hands-on time with WB’s highly anticipated new title, Mad Max. And let me make this clear: Mad Max is not your typical movie tie-in. In fact, I am not sure whether I should call it a tie-in at all. It feels like a stand-alone title grounded in the Mad Max universe; think less GoldenEye and more Nightfire (is that reference too old?). And I’m not sure yet whether this works or whether the films’ recent popularity spike will help the game in the long run.

That said, Mad Max is not terrible. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a good open-world car game that would be great if the Batman Arkham series, Assassin's Creed, Shadow of Mordor, Borderlands, Fallout 3, and Fury Road had never happened. It’s the video game equivalent of a late summer popcorn movie: entertaining, enthralling, immersive, and simple. And in terms of “bang for your buck,” Mad Max is cheaper than any theatre experience this year.

Gameplay

At the beginning of the demo, I found myself fighting a gang of goons at their middle-of-nowhere hideout. My Interceptor had been taken away by Scabrous Scrotus (he should really get that checked out), Warlord and dictator of Gastown (Guzz-town?), and I was being forced to create a new car, called my Magnum Opus.

Aesthetically, the in-game UI looked good, very similar to Shadow of Mordor. No complaints here, though. (If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.) There was a small circular minimap in the bottom left that showed my health, objectives, water level, and general compass bearings, and in the bottom right, there was a small weapons HUD that showed my weapon, my weapon’s level, and my remaining ammo. Objectives appeared in the top left, and unlocks and completed objectives flashed across the top center.

Hand-to-hand fighting felt very familiar. Max moved seamlessly from each enemy to the next, delivering combos and finishing blows. Combat is twitch activated, meaning players must be aware of enemies’ movements at all times to counter their attacks. Again, this system is very similar to the ones used in the Batman Arkham series and Shadow of Mordor. But it works. Max feels like a mad, raw, unstoppable force, and the enemies feel like paper dolls. Again, no complaints here.

The Magnum Opus

Mad Max’s greatest strength is its Magnum Opus. Players create and customize war machines to drive around and battle in the post-apocalyptic desert. No two cars are the same, and the level of depth in customizing them is truly incredible. Shadow of Mordor felt like a next-gen title due to its complex ‘Challenge’ system. Mad Max feels next-gen due to its in-depth vehicle customization. Eat your heart out, Scooter.

Max collects scrap during his travels and uses it to create custom parts for his car. Parts range from tires and exhaust pipes to grills and shields; everything is interchangeable. There is no perfect car, though; when I was building my Magnum Opus, I had to weigh the costs and benefits of each parts decision. Too much armor made my car too heavy. Too much horsepower made it unmaneuverable. As a result, I felt absolutely in control of my game play experience; I was Max, experiencing the world for the first time.

Vehicle combat felt fresh, too. Two cars approached me from the distance, spitting sand, and rammed into my Magnum Opus. Metal sprayed as our vehicles entangled each other. I pulled my shotgun out and pumped two rounds into one of the car’s gas tanks. It exploded and ejected the driver. He was dead before he hit the ground. The other car unhooked itself and slowed down; my minion (War Boy?) harpooned the driver, and we dragged him across the desert.

Open World

Another strength: Mad Max is an open world action RPG, meaning players are in complete control (the “driver’s seat,” if you will) of their fates. Users can choose to pursue Scrotus and free Gastown, or they can wander the wastes, work on cars, and bury themselves in mad isolation. For the first time, the Australian wasteland is open and accessible to its fans. Like Star Wars: Battlefront, I was finally able to explore one of my all-time favorite films, free from plot, frame, or camera angle restrictions.The choice is ours, and, again, no two playthroughs can ever be the same.

Conclusion

Mad Max is not a perfect game. In a lot of ways, it feels like a reskin of Arkham and Shadow of Mordor. But it’s fun. It’s really, really fun. Car combat and vehicle customization are reasons enough to buy the game. Again, I’m not sure whether Fury Road’s recent box office success will help the game, but it’s a brilliantly fun stand-alone title. This is not Hardy’s Max--but then again, it’s not Gibson’s Max, either. Fans and action junkies should check it out.