Having sunk a number of evenings into this, I can see why it is the game that birthed a juggernaut. The writing, worldbuilding, visuals, and soundtrack are far beyond it's peers at the time. But the combat and various item/equipment systems are woefully clunky and horrifically overdesigned even for it's time back in 2015. It tries to be a weird hybrid of the batman/Assasin's Creed mechanics and Zelda and winds up doing neither very well. And the game requires you to fight A LOT. If you pick this up, do yourself a favor and play this on the easiest difficulty setting to minimize your time with the frustrating bits and maximize your time experiencing what the game does well: transport you to a highly immersive world with one of the best soundtracks in fantasy gaming.
The Review title says it all. I was really excited to pick this up, but have now had the wind taken out of my proverbial sails by a lot of confusion, a very clumsy mining experience that required multiple restarts, and general glitches as I waited for invisible computer players to move. I will be getting a refund and hoping Hard West 2 fares better.
Not much to say that hasn't already been said in popular media since this release. This is a beast of a game with mountains of content on a scope that only a massive studio can do. That being said, the game is still very buggy. Combat sounds play randomly, animations glitch out, and the gargantuan scope of this game makes everything feel shockingly empty and meaningless beyond the initial "Wow!" factor. For all of its complexity and pitch on open narratives and gameplay, the game wants you to shoot things first and ask questions later. Everything feels geared and designed towards that end. And most weapons and items don't seem to matter all that much. If you think of this as GTA V with a cyberpunk skin, you will have a better time than those looking for a deep sci-fi epic. The story isn't deep. The characters are forgettable after the opening act. The main story missions will push you quickly towards the endgame without really giving you space to breathe, which is part of why the massive world feels like a waste of so much talent, time, and energy. I WANTED to love this game. So Much. But after playing it for some time I find I'm feeling academically impressed and excited, but emotionally bored.
Picked this game up on sale because I am a huge fan of the films and desert shennanigans in general. After playing a solid 30% of what this game has to offer I can say this: It has definitely earned a lot of the griping from its original launch, but it's also not unplayable. At the end of the day it feels like a polished indie game, so you will see and hear A LOT of recycled sets, NPCs, and the same half a dozen or so voice performers delivering samey sounding lines. The story is "meh" but on par with the likes of the original Mad Max trilogy. Tough, rugged, burly people doing tough, burly, rugged things in the australian desert. Serviceable enough to drive the action forward and give you an excuse to explore the expanded environment around Gastown. For $5-10, you could do A LOT worse. If you are a fan of the newer, shinier, smarter Mad Max/Furiosa films, this ain't your ride. But if you just want to shut your brain off and go play in the desert without suffering the heat, this game has got you.
