Metal Max Xeno Reviews

Metal Max is an intriguing concept for an RPG, centered around vehicular tank combat in a blasted post-apocalyptic urban setting. Western audiences haven't seen much of this series in the past, and Xeno's awkward narrative and obtuse technical systems aren't going to change that anytime soon.

You don't see many JRPGs that have you driving around a post-apocalyptic desert in a tank. Metal Max Xeno is a sequel to the long-running Metal Max series so let's see if it was worth localizing for western audiences.

In a year filled to the brim with triple-A game releases, there's no doubt some of the smaller games will be lost in the fray. I hope that Metal Max Xeno isn't one of those games. While it may seem like I had a lot more to complain about than praise, I actually did really enjoy my time with the title, and it was a nice surprise considering how unfamiliar I am with the series. At $40, Metal Max Xeno is a worthy addition to any JRPG-lover's library, I hope you'll consider it.

Metal Max Xeno has a vibe to it that’s both bizarre, yet distantly familiar. It’s like going back in time to an era when ideas were more fluid, when risks could be taken more readily, and it was totally okay for something with cool ideas and deep flaws to stand right alongside the more polished items on the shelf. Metal Max Xeno doesn’t just feel like a relic from a bygone era, it feels like I’m somehow literally playing a PS2 game in 1080p. From its aggressive energy to its striking but low-fidelity visuals, all patched together by its complex systems and old school mechanics, Metal Max Xeno is a sometimes baffling, but always entertaining game I’m still struggling—yet eager—to wrap my head around all the way.

While the combination of tank and foot combat offers some interesting wrinkles, it can't hold up an otherwise bland skeleton of a game.