Mad Max has been quite interesting, in that the user scores from gamers tend to be high but scores from most critics have tended to be low
Total Biscuit did a very long 40 minute video about it, which was interesting yet waffled on a bit
Basically, critics seem to have really disliked this game where as quite a lot of gamers have enjoyed it
I'm not really sure why there's such a huge disconnect between those two groups. I haven't played the game as I don't really have enough to play that along with the games I'm already due to write about
From what I've seen, it looks like you do a lot of faffing about the place, but then you do that in a lot of games. I think critics have reached a point where they expect more from games of this type. The market is kind of over saturated when it comes to sandbox games I suppose. I didn't think the game looked too bad if I'm honest, but it doesn't jump out at me as something I'd HAVE to buy
Personally, I love it. Admittedly I am a huge fan of both the universe of Mad Max and open world games. Yes it is repetitive, but then almost all games are in some way. FIFA? Play the same game over and over. Same goes for all FPS games. Most open world games present arbitrary challenges for you to complete, which are varied in some minor way, and allied with a progression system of some sort (being levelling up, getting skill points, money, loot etc). The only games that lack anything repetitive are usually short and linear.
Mad Max is addictive as it has lots of progression. Not only are you upgrading Max, you're upgrading the car, just how you want it. It starts off as an actual pile of junk, and slowly but surely turns into a spiked, rapid, fire-breathing monster. The main story is not really repetitive so I don't see the problem. The extra stuff is there if you want it. Go loot places, take down various threats, conquer bases etc, if you want to. If you get bored, then fair enough, but so far (25 hours in) I am the opposite of bored.
What I do not understand is why many people have been hyper critical of it being repetitive, but seemingly given little weight to the things it gets right. The universe is spot on; from the character's dialogue, the messed up tone, the vast expanses of post-apocalyptic desert. They've nailed it. The car combat is some of the best I've ever seen too. The integration of vehicle/on foot gameplay is smooth and both are fun (take note Batman!).
In my opinion, the only repetitive things are the usual stuff you see in open worlds (collectables, based to conquer, things on the map to destroy). It's standard fare, so I'm not quite sure why Mad Max is being hammered for that. At least with this game, unlike many open world games, you actually have some motivation to seek out these things. Be it to strengthen Max, upgrade your vehicle, upgrade the strongholds or whatever. At the end of the day, it's not Fallout. It's not a 10/10 masterclass. It is, in my opinion, very, very fun. Maybe I'll get bored at some point? But I've already played it for a day's worth of hours and most games struggle to hold my attention for more than an hour. Like I said, I love open worlds, Mad Max and addictive loot systems, so this game is made for me. I can understand why others might get bored or might not love it, but anyone calling it a bad game is way off the mark.
