Game Preview: Mad Max

One of the most anticipated movies of this decade, and by virtue a hot videogame title, is undoubtedly the new Mad Max. Coming in 2014, the new game promises to deliver a visceral experience based on the iconic Australian film franchise set in a post-apocalyptic world with precious little water, oil or regard for life.

Oh, and a beastly 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT driven by protagonist Mad Max, the last bastion of law enforcement in a world gone mad...

Fans may be upset to learn that the V8 Interceptor will get trashed very early in the game. However this will free up players to team up with a wasteland mechanic – by the name of Chumbucket – to start rebuilding Max’s next ride.

Players can choose from different car bodies and a slew of upgrades including mounted weapons, armour and engines to survive another day. So the car customisation side of the game should provide a redeeming and lengthy challenge to the videogame.

Though the game has no plot link to the past films or the upcoming production story-wise, players will be taking the role as Max Rockatansky himself.

This is a single player game is said to feature intense vehicular combat as the focus of the action, so making the most of vehicle upgrades will be key to surviving.

Developer Avalanche Studios is promising a huge open wasteland to explore both by foot and by (up to 50) vehicles, in the vein of Grand Theft Auto.

Just swap the modern urban setting for a desolated wasteland set far into the future, inhabited by gruesome, bloodthirsty, kill-or-be-killed denizens.

Indeed, gangs, bandits and other challenges will make survival difficult for Max, and players will need wits as well as driving skill to survive. It will also be an ultra-violent game, one of the few in Australia expected to make use of the new R18+ classification for games.

Mad Max will also feature in-depth hand-to-hand and ranged weapon combat, which Samantha Ryan, senior vice president of production and development, at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the game's publisher, says will set the game apart from its rivals.

"We are very pleased to work with Avalanche Studios to provide a next generation gaming experience with robust fighting paired with dynamic vehicular combat," she said.

Swedish-based developer Avalanche Studios is probably most famous the critically acclaimed Just Cause 2 open world game, and co-founder Christofer Sundberg said the new game builds on the company's position as a leader in sandbox game development.

"The Wasteland lends itself incredibly well to the high level of player freedom with which Avalanche Studios has become synonymous. This unforgiving environment inspired us to create a gritty and diverse experience where driving, fighting and scavenging are essential for survival," said Sundberg.

"Over a decade of creating open world experiences has led us to this point," he added.

The new game looks set to add another chapter to the Mad Max franchise spawned in 1979 when it launches on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2014. Watch this space!