photoblog4

Moi name is Max (in thick Australian accent), as is Max Rockatansky the main character in the Mad Max films, as well as now the game. It came out around the same time as the most recent film Fury Road, and was a little bit of a sleeper as it came out the same week as the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid V. But those who played it through tended to really enjoy the rich, open world atmosphere, as well as the fun gameplay and missions. The game is set in "The Wasteland" with various different factions and gangs occupying and controlling different territories.

I decided to document mine and Max's journey through to the tip of the map to Gastown, where his famed V8 engine lay in waiting. To get there I had to first cross through a tunnel which came out on the other side to literal dunes full of trash. While sand dunes feature prominently in the game, as do salt flats, sulphur mines etc., it was quite impressive to see these giant heaps, which really changed the whole atmosphere of that specific area as different to the rest of the map. Foreboding almost.

Pictured above is the end of the tunnel I had to go through. I took special notice of the game's skybox, and in this picture it shows just how realistic it is which all adds up when creating an immersive experience. 

Here are the trash-dunes which stretch seemingly forever. The level of detail really is astounding once you get up close. Obviously not every single piece of rubbish is individually created and rendered - there'd be hundreds of billions of pieces - but the whole thing exudes hopelessness and decay. A fairly common image in most post-apocalyptic worlds for sure, but this one in particular had it's own special resonance. It reminds me alot of the film Wall-E, though not as cheery.

As I maneuvered my way through and over these giant piles, I ended up at the top of one of them and got a great view of my objective. Gastown is those flaming pipes in the distance, and beside Max is his car (Magnum Opus) and (not so) trusty sidekick Chumbucket. It's interesting to note the smog present, as it takes on a very realistic quality - you can see where the smog stops and the 'real' sky begins. Again, it isn't necessarily like this in other areas of the game, just this oil-burning vicinity, which adds to the immersive quality of the game. In the salt flats for example, dynamic weather system dependent, the sky is bright blue and at night the stars look almost photorealistic. 

Here's an action shot I managed to grab of me trying to shake hordes of wasteland scrubs off my tail as I was trying to find the entrance to Gastown.

Found it! Rolling through with the smoke billowing, random screams and pleads coming left right and center really made the whole experience feels pretty much as scary as it looks. I'm not sure if it's visible when the image is so small but the two guard towers flanking the bridge through to the front door/gate were manned by snipers which I had to bring down with some explosives. 

I made it through the gate in one piece! Here is Max, armor upgrades and all, inside the confines of Gastown. Within the gate behind him, with the neon sign, is his coveted V8 engine which was stolen from him at the start of the game. Time to win it back!