Mad Max

Mad Max (2015) is a fighting and car-battle game based on the movie series of the same name. Play involves exploring the desert to find car upgrades and killing the numerous bandits that hoard them. It stands out for avoiding the usual movie adaptation pitfalls and instead telling an original story that extends the lore of the films.

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The game is set in a desolate and hostile desert where survival is tough and fuel is scarce. Your character, Max, wants to live a peaceful life far from danger. To do this, he must find a rare engine for his car, which isn't going to be easy. You work toward this by scouring the wasteland for scrap to customise your vehicle with new weapons, armour and other improvements.

As you progress, you come across bandit strongholds in the wasteland. To deal with these, you must leave your trusty car behind and head in on foot. Here, the combat transitions towards a beat 'em up style of gameplay with Max punching his way through most scenarios. You have a few tools at your disposal, like knives, a shotgun or explosives, but you can also use the environment around you to your advantage. For example, you can slam enemies into walls for higher damage.

This results in a game with the unique premise of using your car as a moving base, and combines it with the threat of a harsh environment and roaming bandits to encourage constant upgrades and exploration.

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Our examiner, Rhys Burtt-Jones, first checked Mad Max 2 weeks ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 10 days ago.