M.A.X. + M.A.X. 2

M.A.X. 2 is forgettable. However the original game was a masterpiece for the time. To this day I have not found a game that has all the same elements. Sadly the game was slightly unfinished when it was released. Many of the animations are only viewable by browsing the CD. Multiplayer, which would otherwise be awesome, is sadly broken since the game crashes every turn after about turn 60. You can load the game and avoid the action that crashed it but it is only buying a few more turns. It becomes unplayable shortly after. It's main shortcomings is that there are some balance issues; ground attack planes are way too powerful and there is not an easy counter. The second main limitation is the lack of a map editor. You have to build your base from scratch every time or use one of the built in scenarios.

M.A.X. had so much depth for a game of that era - or should I say more depth than many of the strategy games that came after as well! Secure resources, plan ahead long term on your upgrade paths, then find the weaknesses of each enemy's defenses (while making sure you're covered yourself!). This is a game that just keeps you busy - there's always something to do, somewhere to improve, some place to defend, more resources to be found and added into your complex. Pretty much like mixing Command & Conquer with Factorio. Unfortunately, the base game as it comes (and came back then!) uses DOS4GW.exe and crashes after some hundred rounds +/-. To fix it, just replace DOS4GW with the DOS/32A that you can download online (freeware). It's not 100% crash proof then but when it does crash it's not a permanent one (that crashes again once you load the save game).

It would be a great game IF there was no BUG which crashes the game everytime around turn 100+ :(

This is one of the few old school games I continue to come back to again and again. I love the balance of long term strategic upgrades vs. tactical short term attack and defense. The game strikes an excellent balance between different attack styles and you can take different paths to victory depending on your style. The game does suffer from some bugs. Games can start crashing on VERY long running play throughs. But autosaves and quick load times make that less of an issue. The graphics are a bit dated, but still good, and the dynamic scaling and you zoom in and out has stood up to the test of time. I played M.A.X. when it first came out and enjoyed it, and still come back every year or two to play it for another 20-40 hours. I tried M.A.X. 2 from this package but just didn't find it as enjoyable for some reason. So I still load up the classic version when I want to play. The only main gripe (apart from random crashes) is the lack of random maps. You are stuck with the 12-20 that come with the game, and can't generate any more. Despite those issues though, I plan to continue playing this every few years, and appreciate GOG bringing it back for me to enjoy.

M.A.X. (not M.A.X. 2, just ignore the second part) is the best and deepest strategy game I played so far. I played it when it first came out, and now, a quarter of a century later, I still return to it again and again. I have been playing strategy games for all my life, including AoE, Anno, Total War and the Paradox games - so the "big names". I still have not found a game that delivers the same depth and need for planning as M.A.X. I would definitely recommend it for fans of strategy games.