Have You Played... Mad Max?
I'm just here for the gasoline.
I'd like to take you all the way back to September 1st, 2015. I had just clocked off of work (I was working in a Wetherspoons kitchen at the time), and was making my way to my local game shop to pick up a very special game indeed. To my surprise there was quite a queue, clearly fellow connoisseurs had had the same idea. As I reached the front of the line the guy behind the till instinctively reached for a copy of Metal Gear Solid 5, apparently it had also released that day. But I merely smiled and said "No sir, I'll be taking Mad Max."
It's a shame that ol' Big Boss cast such a shadow over Mad Max, because it's genuinely a lot of fun. Not many people played it, so I'll go ahead and give you the gist: You're Mad Max, you have a car and a shotgun, and you're trying to survive in post-apocalyptic Australia. It's a very simple game, blending Arkham-style combat with an open world that's both barren and chaotic, and given an extra little spice with excellent extreme-weather systems.
I have a theory about Mad Max, in that it's the perfect 7/10 game, and should be used as a marker by which all other games are measured. It doesn't really offer anything spectacular, instead focusing on being a blast to play. The combat paints Max as a not-quite-as-good Batman, as he lumbers back and forth between enemies, unloading shotgun bolts into their faces. It has car combat too, allowing you to use your Pursuit Special muscle car as an extension of your gnarled fists. You can even strap all manner of spikes, chains and explosives to your car, and there's several boss battles where you take down deadly vehicular behemoths.
I suppose Mad Max fits into the 'Jack of all trades' area. It's not going to blow your socks off, but if you're after an action-filled adventure in which you eat lizards to stay alive, then have at it.