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[Lord of Castamere]

New Mad Max gameplay details from the Game Informer preview.

New info. First person driving confirmed !

Full article here.
Some quotes in Post #92

So here's much of the new details from GI that I was able to get..

• Events in the game take place before the new movie, Mad Max: Fury Road. Although this is still Avalanche's own take on Max and the Wasteland.
• Director of the Mad Max movies, George Miller, was directly involved in the beginning of development before being occupied with filming Fury Road. Avalanche still kept him and his company KMM updated on the development of the game.
• Your main nemesis in the game and warlord of the Wasteland is Scrotus. His gang attack Max in the beginning and steal his Interceptor and leave him for dead.
• Early in the game you come across Dog like from The Road Warrior. Dog is able to sniff out water and other supplies.
• Bit of a spin on invisible walls: You can travel beyond the borders and limits of the in-game map to an area called The Big Nothing, a volatile part of the wasteland where no food or water is present and is consumed by dangerous sandstorms. If you can survive a few seconds in the area you'll sometimes find some rare parts for your car that the storms throw around.
• Within the Wasteland you'll need food and water to replenish Max's health and both are scarce. Avalanche point out to try looking in the sky for circling birds, this usually means there could be something dead and decomposing they're flying over which means...maggots. They're a good source of protein for Max and you can consume rodents for health too.
• While food and water are scarce fuel isn't. From Emil Krafting, senior game designer: "We want resources to be scarce, but we also want a car game, we want to drive a lot and so on. So gas can’t be super scarce, because otherwise it would be a walking game instead of a driving game,”.
• On foot hand to hand combat still feels like the Batman: Arkham games. Rhythmic button presses, counter-attacks, and being able to roll or dodge attacks.
• You have access to your Garage from the pause menu allowing you to upgrade your car on the fly. The on the fly. The original plan was to have Garages scattered across the Wasteland but Avalanche felt it interfered with gameplay.
• You can find various "Vantage Points" around the wasteland that are tethered hot air balloons. Going up in these you can use your binoculars to scout the area to find resources, landmarks, strongholds, scarecrows and even see enemy convoys. Discovering these adds them to your map similar to State of Decay. Some of the Vantage Points however might be chained up meaning you'll need to use the Magnum Opus's harpoon gun to free them or the hot air balloons might require fuel.
• Save/Checkpoint system is described as "forgiving". If you find scrap or a collectible you don't lose it despite dying and when you do die the game respawns you at the nearest Vantage Point or liberated stronghold.
• You can take out Scrotus' strongholds and doing so reduces his influence in the Wasteland and the vacant strongholds allows for other wastelanders to move in and take refuge. Likewise, totemic scarecrows littered around the Wasteland to terrorize wastelanders can be destroyed to further reduce his influence.
• You meet Max's companion, Chumbucket, fairly early in the game and rides along with you in the Magnum Opus wielding a harpoon gun. He can use the harpoon gun to rip off tires and other parts on enemy vehicles, pull enemies out of the drivers seat and even use to impale enemies on foot.
• An upgrade to the harpoon is called The Thunderpoon....Yup I'm serious..
• Chumbucket can also improve his skills if you acquire some new new tools, goggles or a head lamp. His skills become vital because Chum is responsible for fixing your car should you take too much damage.
• Chumbucket also acts as a sort of GPS by pointing interesting landmarks.
• GI heads to a fortified lighthouse stronghold lead by an NPC called Jeet. Himself and his small group of people in the stronghold are sick wanting medicine with Jeet described as a bit of tweaker suffering from extreme head pains and controls them by embedding shards of metal in to his body to cause pain elsewhere.
• Another NPC encountered is a race announcer/organizer who is decked in Christmas lights head to toe with a lackey following behind carrying a generator to power the lights.

Some other things from the article:

You can use other wastelanders cars as long as they are not destroyed and when you are done driving them you can use a flare to call Chumbucket and the Magnum Opus to you.

The article mention that there is a lot of visual/environment variety. There are many things to ramp off and cliffs to fall off, also a dried up seabed with caves, coral, and use-to-be underwater sulfuric volcanoes, and there are subway tunnels, broken up bridges and highways.

The article doesn't mentions how far in the game it is but there is a second friendly stronghold that you can upgrade. The upgrades will allow you to collect scrap while the game is off, also food and water. The stronghold can also have a armory and a survey crew to mark spots on the map.

There is no multiplayer but in a separate part of the game there is a option called Opus Wars to view other players cars.

Big thanks to Simo, and flashbandit16, for the write up!

Personally this hits every note I've always wanted in this type of game and elevates Mad Max to GOTY potential. I hope they deliver.

 

[Deadpool_X]

I want to be optimistic about this game, but really, after being stuck in development hell like this game has been, have any games really turned out to be good?

 

[Pudge]

This sounds great.

Although I'm really deflated about seeing Ubisoft towers in yet another open world game.

 

[CHC]

So, Scrotus and the Thunderpoon.... got it.

Anyway, I'm really on board with this whole making 80s movies into games thing going on lately, so I'm keeping an eye on this.

 

[Mushroomer25]

Sounds fairly standard as far as modern AAA games go (open world, Batman combat, traverse the tall thing to unlock minimap icons) - but the car stuff might be an interesting tweak on convention. Plus, the universe sounds fun.

GI heads to a fortified lighthouse stronghold lead by an NPC called Jeet. Himself and his small group of people in the stronghold are sick wanting medicine with Jeet described as a bit of tweaker suffering from extreme head pains and controls them by embedding shards of metal in to his body to cause pain elsewhere.

That's just fucked up enough to be brilliant.

 

[Zeyphersan]

It sounds fun but also derivative? I'm sure Avalanche will pull through though

 

[Squire]

Sounds like pretty standard open-world fare.

I bet it'll be more fun than MGSV though.

 

[DOWN]

Scrotus?

 

[BabyFaceKillah]

thunderpoon....

 

[Lord of Castamere]

I want to be optimistic about this game, but really, after being stuck in development hell like this game has been, have any games really turned out to be good?

It was only delayed for a little over a year. We're not exactly talking Duke Nukam here.

Although I'm really deflated about seeing Ubisoft towers in yet another open world game.

Nah Ubisoft towers are climb, press button, spin+cutscene. This looks closer to State of Decay, where you actually spot the locations with binoculars.

 

[Pudge]

Nah Ubisoft towers are climb, press button, spin+cutscene. This looks closer to State of Decay, where you actually spot the locations with binoculars.

Ahh ok. I was trying to remember what you did in that game. That sounds much more interesting as a mechanic.

 

[FaintColt388301]

Please let this be good. I feel like it could be this year's wolfenstein.

I'll be happy if it turns out decent. Just give me that much. I'm not asking for a lot.

 

[-griffy-]

Scrotus is one letter away from scrotum.

 

[Dr Amazon MD]

Sounds like pretty standard open-world fare.

I bet it'll be more fun than MGSV though.

Sounds like it might be alright.

I bet it'll be more fun than Persona 5 though.

 

[FloppyDelux]

I like how this sounds, but I want to know if it will play as good as it sounds.

 

[Verder]

Sounds like it might be alright.

I bet it'll be more fun than Persona 5 though.

Sounds like pretty standard open-world fare.

I bet it'll be more fun than MGSV though.

eh

 

[texhnolyze]

Within the Wasteland you'll need food and water to replenish Max's health and both are scarce.

On foot hand to hand combat still feels like the Batman: Arkham games.

Sounds good.

 

[Bradd12]

Scrotus is one letter away from scrotum.

.

 

[Machinehead]

By the books, but sounds nice, besides the Batman combat. Wish it was more grounded.

 

[gdt]

Goddamn that sounds boilerplate as hell. Disappointing.

 

[Squire]

Sounds like it might be alright.

I bet it'll be more fun than Persona 5 though.

OK.

They're two open-world games releasing on the same day (so far, anyway). It's s perfectly comparison and I like both franchises, but carry on being defensive, Dr. Strangelove.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

this sounds pretty trash, tbh

 

[Totobeni]

Director of the Mad Max movies, George Miller, was directly involved in the beginning of development before being occupied with filming Fury Road. Avalanche still kept him and his company KMM updated on the development of the game.

Bit of a spin on invisible walls: You can travel beyond the borders and limits of the in-game map to an area called The Big Nothing, a volatile part of the wasteland where no food or water is present and is consumed by dangerous sandstorms. If you can survive a few seconds in the area you'll sometimes find some rare parts for your car that the storms throw around.

Within the Wasteland you'll need food and water to replenish Max's health and both are scarce. Avalanche point out to try looking in the sky for circling birds, this usually means there could be something dead and decomposing they're flying over which means...maggots. They're a good source of protein for Max and you can consume rodents for health too.

While food and water are scarce fuel isn't. From Emil Krafting, senior game designer: "We want resources to be scarce, but we also want a car game, we want to drive a lot and so on. So gas can’t be super scarce, because otherwise it would be a walking game instead of a driving game,”.

On foot hand to hand combat still feels like the Batman: Arkham games. Rhythmic button presses, counter-attacks, and being able to roll or dodge attacks.

these sounds good but after how horrible and repetitive boring fest Just Cause 2 was I'm still skeptical on this game.

 

[Dr Amazon MD]

OK.

They're two open-world games releasing on the same day (so far, anyway). It's s perfectly comparison and I like both franchises, but carry on being defensive, Dr. Strangelove.

Oh I wasn't being defensive, I was just making an equally terrible comment.

Spoiler

Also I like SMT and Persona, and feel bad about my previous statement

 

[Living Proof]

Am I mistaken, or did they reveal their launch date as the same day as MGSV?

Poor avalanche. The game has been delayed enough as it is, and they probably felt an early fall/late summer release was the perfect time for enticing gamers before the big fall rush.

I can afford to buy both if I really feel they're worth my money, but most people will undoubtedly be more frugal. I don't even think I'd feel like buying two open world games like that on the same day, even if their fundamental gameplay is so different.

 

[Cartman86]

Too bad the game that was actually being made by George Miller and his internal studio never happened. I would love to hear the story behind that one of these days. I'm sure it's just as good as the story behind the making of the film.

 

[Simo]

Scrotus is one letter away from scrotum.

Well there's Rictus Erectus in the new movie who has a three headed penis so it's not out of the norm for the series..

Article mentions quite a bit about the car combat too and even a event involving being handcuffed to your car and a bomb strapped to in order to participate in a race.

Too bad the game that was actually being made by George Miller and his internal studio never happened. I would love to hear the story behind that one of these days. I'm sure it's just as good as the story behind the making of the film.

It's this game. Miller worked with Barlog to get this going, only Avalanche was charged with developing because as you said Miller didn't have a studio or the financial means to set one up at the time.

 

[Omnii-chan]

• Bit of a spin on invisible walls: You can travel beyond the borders and limits of the in-game map to an area called The Big Nothing, a volatile part of the wasteland where no food or water is present and is consumed by dangerous sandstorms. If you can survive a few seconds in the area you'll sometimes find some rare parts for your car that the storms throw around.

That sounds great! I wish more companies would be creative like this with the boundaries of their game.

• On foot hand to hand combat still feels like the Batman: Arkham games. Rhythmic button presses, counter-attacks, and being able to roll or dodge attacks.

That doesn't sound good I find Batman/ Assassins Creed mashing combat boring as hell.

 

[CoyoteSpitfire]

Stopped reading at Scrotus. I can't deal.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Stopped reading at Scrotus. I can't deal.

That means you missed out on reading that a weapon is named The Thunderpoon.

 

[matrix-cat]

On foot hand to hand combat still feels like the Batman: Arkham games. Rhythmic button presses, counter-attacks, and being able to roll or dodge attacks.

I'm imagining Max rolling and flipping around in the dirt in his leather jacket and it's the most ridiculous thing ever. I really like Batman's combat, but not every game needs it. Actually, why does a Mad Max game even need hand to hand fighting at all? Or fucking Ubisoft-style watchtower synchronising and enemy stronghold takeovers?

I guess I'll see how the gameplay looks, but I kind of wrote this game off when it was announced that they weren't going to have Max be Australian, and then they caved to internet pressure and said "Fine we'll make him Australian", because I'm pretty sure that means they're just going to have their American voice actor butcher an Australian accent and I can't handle that.

 

[Simo]

I'm imagining Max rolling and flipping around in the dirt in his leather jacket and it's the most ridiculous thing ever. I really like Batman's combat, but not every game needs it. Actually, why does a Mad Max game even need hand to hand fighting at all? Or fucking Ubisoft-style watchtower synchronising and enemy stronghold takeovers?

Oof you won't like the new movie then. lol

Also nobody said anything about "Ubisoft-style watchtower synchronizing".

I guess I'll see how the gameplay looks, but I kind of wrote this game off when it was announced that they weren't going to have Max be Australian, and then they caved to internet pressure and said "Fine we'll make him Australian", because I'm pretty sure that means they're just going to have their American voice actor butcher an Australian accent and I can't handle that.

Max wasn't going to have one in the new movie too and didn't in the early screenings. It was only recently and with ADR that Max does now have a slight Australian accent in Fury Road.

I'm kind of picturing those sandstorms to look like this and I can't wait!

 

[Flipyap]

I'm imagining Max rolling and flipping around in the dirt in his leather jacket and it's the most ridiculous thing ever. I really like Batman's combat, but not every game needs it. Actually, why does a Mad Max game even need hand to hand fighting at all?

Probably because a Mad Max shooter would look even dumber.
Honestly, making Max the protagonist of an action game is a terrible idea. He's just not that kind of character. Well, he used to not be.

 

[threelights]

Dislike the fact that combat is just Batman, but otherwise, everything sounds pretty good. I hope we get more footage (or at least some in game screenshots) soon.

I want to be optimistic about this game, but really, after being stuck in development hell like this game has been, have any games really turned out to be good?

Stop thinking every game in dev hell becomes Duke Nukem. RE4 went through 4 revisions before it became what it became. Dev hells also happen because of a lot of different reasons, they're not all tied to devs not knowing how to make the game.

 

[NightShift]

Oh man, a dog companion like the one in Mad Max 2? Maybe I will get Dogmeat this year

I can't wait to play this right after I'm done with MGS5.

 

[DarkJedi24]

I want to be optimistic about this game, but really, after being stuck in development hell like this game has been, have any games really turned out to be good?

Umm when was the game stuck in development hell? They've delayed the game in order to revamp some systems and to extend what can be done after cancelling the PS360 version. That doesn't exactly count...

 

[Tagyhag]

I'm interested but that sure sounds like the standard Ubisoft open-world blueprint to me.

 

[matrix-cat]

Also nobody said anything about "Ubisoft-style watchtower synchronizing".

That's what this sounds like to me:

You can find various "Vantage Points" around the wasteland that are tethered hot air balloons. Going up in these you can use your binoculars to scout the area to find resources, landmarks, strongholds, scarecrows and even see enemy convoys. Discovering these adds them to your map similar to State of Decay. Some of the Vantage Points however might be chained up meaning you'll need to use the Magnum Opus's harpoon gun to free them or the hot air balloons might require fuel.

 

[ironcreed]

Scrotus, Thunderpoon and Chumbucket, aye? Alrighty then. Still looking forward to seeing it in action, I guess. But one has to wonder where their minds were when choosing these names.

 

[RoboPlato]

I love the idea of sandstorms being the boundaries but can benefit the player.

 

[DarkJedi24]

Scrotus, Thunderpoon and Chumbucket, aye? Alrighty then. Still looking forward to seeing it in action, I guess. But one has to wonder where their minds were when choosing these names.

Mad Max has always been about the entendres with their naming conventions. I would expect nothing less from the game.

 

[RexNovis]

• You can find various "Vantage Points" around the wasteland that are tethered hot air balloons. Going up in these you can use your binoculars to scout the area to find resources, landmarks, strongholds, scarecrows and even see enemy convoys. Discovering these adds them to your map similar to State of Decay. Some of the Vantage Points however might be chained up meaning you'll need to use the Magnum Opus's harpoon gun to free them or the hot air balloons might require fuel.

Uggh this sounds exactly like the landmark discovery system in every single UbiSoft game.... YUCK

 

[Eusis]

That doesn't sound good I find Batman/ Assassins Creed mashing combat boring as hell.

Yeah, it's one of the lamer things to have caught on to the degree it did. I wonder how many really like it that much?

Still, I imagine it'll be enjoyable even if formulaic. I guess that's a huge part of why it caught on.

 

[SJRB]

The "on the fly car upgrading" fucking sucks, but at least it's not West Coast Customs anymore.

The rest sounds pretty good. But I'll reserve judgement until I, you know.. actually SEE the game. Where's the trailer, Avalanche?

 

[Lord of Castamere]

That's what this sounds like to me:

The devil is in the details. Ubisoft has you climb to a high point to automatically unlock a chunk of the map. This will have you scout the surrounding area from the high point with Binoculars, actually giving you input.

 

[Bl@de]

Could play like a mix of Rage and Shadow of Mordor. If it's a polished game this could be a surprise hit. It sounds cool with the driving and ressources.

 

[a secret-boss]

Climbing balloons and strong hold sounds like an Ubi game

 

[nobodyshero]

they had me at Thunderpoon

if Thunderpoon wasn't there I would probably pass and wait for JC3, cuz this sounds generic as hell

 

[Squire]

Oh I wasn't being defensive, I was just making an equally terrible comment.

Spoiler

Also I like SMT and Persona, and feel bad about my previous statement

I was a little catty, myself. S'all good.

 

[Nokterian]

After the announcement of Just Cause 3 yeah i do not know about this...