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Mad Max: High-octane dystopian desert demolition derby

Create your own car, crack on with combat collisions

Magnum motoring

I recently played the Carmageddon reboot for PC and fondly remember Twisted Metal for PlayStation and the car customisation in Mad Max pays homage to these games with a remarkable level of detailed applied to upgrades.

Mad Max PC video game

Making a pass

The perfect jalopy takes a lot of work and luckily Max has access to some cray-cray shizzle in the Graveyard. Ramming grille, suspension, armour, tyre and, of course, engine upgrades all contribute to creating the Magnum Opus. Each boost also has a countering negative effect; for example, nitro boosts will decrease handling precision.

For me, car combat is all about the Harpoon and its upgrade the Thunderpoon, an explosive harpoon, that pulls enemy cars off the road or can even snag an NPC out of the driver’s seat and under my wheels. Like the combat, the driving mechanics are very much pick-up-and-play. It’s obvious Avalanche want me to hone my driving skills to excel as a road warrior.

Mad Max PC video game

Purple nasty

The barren environment is huge and unforgiving; sand dunes stretch into the distance but beware, as a mirage can often hide a sheer cliff face. Like Fallout and Warlands, this huge open world is split into a variety of areas, each with its own history, that ties seamlessly into the main narrative. There are also secret objects, such as time trials and enemy strongholds, to enhance replayability.

As Max conquers the wastelands, the threat level decreases but there’s also an unmapped area of dust storms and unknown objectives called The Big Nothing containing hidden rare items for unique upgrades for the Magnum Opus.

Mad Max PC video game

Chow time for Mad Max

Max is not a very sympathetic character and I was disappointed by the lack of Furiosa action considering she was such a strong character in the film. There have been some powerful female game protagonists of late, such as Ellen Ripley in Alien Isolation. I think Avalanche missed a chance to put the whole Tropes versus Women in video games controversy to bed.

I think that if you're a fan of the movies, or if you had fun playing Batman and Shadow of Mordor, you’ll find satisfaction and a lot of pleasure in this well-executed game On the down side, it’s lacking any real wow factor (apart from the Thunderpoon) and you may want to wait till the price drops. Still, if you’re a sucker for a protagonist with a gravelly antipodean drawl and a penchant for Dinki Di dog food, this may be game of the year for you. ®

Mad Max for PC (tested), PS4 and Xbox One. From £13 (PC) and £36 (console).

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