▷Metal Max Xeno: hunters in a dystopian future

Humanity has been decimated, the world destroyed, and the only ones who have managed to survive are robots and monsters of various shapes. Are you ready to take on the role of a hunter, defeat these creatures, create your team and face them? In this case Metal Max Xeno is the right title for you, I'll explain why in this review.

Hunters on report

At the base of Metal Max Xeno there is a dystopian future created by an artificial intelligence named NOA. The latter, generated by man to address the climatic problems of the Earth, has done its job perfectly, managing to identify the greatest threat to the environment: humanity.

Once its calculations were completed, the AI rebelled against its own creators, unleashing a large number of nuclear warheads which, in addition to almost completely exterminating the planet's population, also led to the birth of a series of monsters changed.

The inhospitable environment and all the risks it entails have pushed the few survivors to hide in small fortified cities that are not so easy to identify. The exceptions are the Monster hunters, some humans eager to take control of the world from monsters and machines, including the main protagonist of the story, Talis (do not worry because the name, as a good JRPG, is customizable).

A retro anime

To accompany the plot of Metal Max Xeno it is a predominantly desert setting which, although capable of perfectly rendering the idea of a post-apocalyptic future, is also boring and often repetitive. Fortunately, the characters are the perfect contrast.

The latter are in fact signed by the hand of Non Oda, famous illustrator specialized in the Hentai genre, which shows all its abilities by creating protagonists with well-defined lines and in perfect anime style. Their cartoonish nature makes them so pleasing to the eye and iconic that they allow you to forget the defects of the settings, which suddenly fade into the background.

The title is therefore based on a continuous swing in which some more defined details and others completely sketched alternate, to which the movements of the characters and the transitions between the game footage and the actual gameplay also contribute. In fact, both bring the mind to the titles for the first Playstations, characterized by mechanical movements and non-fluid passages.

Tanks at the core of the gameplay

The whole game structure of Metal Max Xeno is based on the use of a series of weapons, among which the inevitable ones stand out tanks. One of these tracked vehicles will in fact represent the first support provided to the protagonist, who can then customize it, arm it fully and enhance it properly, so as to be always ready to face any threat!

Once you have your own heavy weapon it will be possible to use it to explore the vast game world at the base of the title, which will allow you not only to face the different monsters inside it, but also to get to know some secondary characters, with which the protagonist can interact. to create a real team of Monster Hunters.

Another main aspect of the game are the turn-based fights, which each user can adjust both in speed and in terms of “Combat Mode” and help messages, in order to find the combination that best suits your needs.

To prove very useful even before the actual fight begins is the aiming mode which allows, once an enemy has been identified during the exploration phases, to fire the first shot in advance, so as to start damaging the opponent without be identified.

To expand the potential offered by the title is, in addition to its open world nature, the possibility of making different choices - both in terms of missions and exploration - which will allow each player to make their own story unique and unlock more different endings.

Personalization is a key word

One of the main components of the title is personalization. To make the adventure even more personal and respect JRPG's soul Metal Max Xeno in fact, it is possible from the outset to contribute to the campaign.

The first contribution that each player can make is the name of the main character, which can be modified according to their preferences, followed by the subsequent customization of the tanks. The latter are in fact completely customizable both aesthetically and in terms of armaments, all interchangeable and characterized by different aspects and abilities.

The point of the situation

The latest title in the saga Metal Max Xeno, which began in the apparently distant 1991 on the NES, with its characteristics it proves capable of bringing even the new generations closer, through a gameplay based on a few and intuitive mechanics, vast possibilities of customization and the open world nature of the title.

Great contribution is provided by the drawings signed by Not Oda which, in addition to their beauty, often lead the player to face - especially as regards the female characters - extremely generous proportions, capable of creating funny and… embarrassing situations at the same time.

Summing up, this last chapter of the saga, coming out on September 25 on Playstation 4 and Playstation Vita, is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to approach the genre without, however, being forced to face too demanding titles.