Monday 4 January 2016

PC Game of the Year - 2015: Runner Up #1

Greetings friends!

So here we are again! Time to discuss the PC games released within 2015 that were I as a gamer felt were worthy of being included within the discussion for PC Game of the Year 2015!


As an FYI, this year I am going to spread the posts out a little with 4 Runners Up, 1 Winner and 1 Wild Card. Now these are NOT a Top 5, the 4 Runners Up are in no way in any particular order.



Runner Up: Mad Max
Released in August and developed by Avalanche Studiosthis game had a lot to live up to following on from the truly beautiful film released earlier; Fury Road.

In this game you play the role of Max himself as some sort of strange hybridisation between both actors; Mel and Tom. At times you resemble both and yet neither actors. It is my understanding that this is as a result of the franchise tie-in being an after thought and originally the game was scheduled to be just any other 'post-apoc wasteland' game.

This game does Open World almost perfectly, including reasons for you the player to explore every nook and cranny of the Big White and not only for mission-based reasons.




It is funny really, with hindsight this game is everything that Batman: Arkham Knight tried to be and more. It has plenty of vehicular combat, but not too much, it's melee system uses the same reactive combo system that is the staple of the Arkham games, but it does not feel like a lazy import, instead it feels brutal and lethal, which is exactly what you want as the wanderer of the wastes.

If you have read anything about this game, no doubt you will have seen it compared to Metal Gear Sold V, which I think does a disservice to both games as they are far too different however suffered from sharing the same release date.




I have always said that for me the ultimate test of a video game is simply; "did I have fun?" For which this game gives a resounding YES!

From start to finish Mad Max is an exhilarating rush of blood and gasoline that gives you the player a feel for life in the wastes from the struggles of eating maggots to the thrill of NOX as you try to outrun one of the myriad dust-storms that threaten to destroy everything in it's path from settlement, to wanderer alike.

Of course there is the question of if the game is so good, why isn't it Game of the Year? Well I would say that this game scratched many itches for me, but the reason for it not reaching that point is less to do with the game's flaws and more to the point of certain other games knocking their proverbial balls out of the park.

So should you as a player play Mad Max? Hells yeah! It has it all, deeply moving moments, action, humour, it has it all! Plus a vehicle that you can customise! Oh and perhaps I didn't mention this before, it runs like a dream! From beginning to end it is clear that Avalanche did exactly what is needed for a modern day PC, and made sure it runs well!

If it is not already in your Steam catalogue grab it and enjoy it for exactly what it is; a fun, action fuelled (if somewhat silly) romp through the Big White Wastes!

- Your friendly neighbourhood Doctor Loxley

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