Metal Max Series Discussion

[Grampy_Bone]

I was hoping for a graphically enhanced Metal Saga and this isn't quite it

-You get your tank right away, the main base is a glorified menu town. Story is just "this is the post-apocalypse, go kill the monsters."
-Tank actually controls like a tank. Incline?
-Combat is FF12 style, you just attack stuff via menu combat as you run around, it pauses when your turn comes up though. You can fire shots to start battles and you have to aim manually. Kinda neat but also tedious.
-The town shop seems to have most/all the tank parts and weapons for the whole game. Tank and weapon upgrading are all unlocked from the start. But the prices are so high you have to build everything with spare parts you get from drops, at least at first.
-Enemy variety is lacking a the start, just ants, ants, and more ants.
-Level layout seems pretty linear

 

[jungl]

It is graphically enhanced yo if you force 4k with it on yuzu

 

[Frank Capicoli]

So many Japanese games these days getting censored. This isn't worth anywhere near 40 burger clappers.

 

[LESS T_T]

Probably for the better: https://www.gematsu.com/2022/07/cygames-acquires-metal-max-ip-from-kadokawa-games

Cygames acquires Metal Max IP from Kadokawa Games
"The project to create the best console game starts now."


Cygames has acquired the Metal Max intellectual property from Kadokawa Games, the company announced.

“Cygames has acquired Metal Max-related businesses from Kadokawa and Kadokawa Games,” reads the press release. “As a result, Cygames will take over the Metal Max series intellectual property and related assets. While future Metal Max series developments have yet to be determined, we are committed to creating a new future for the Metal Max series, which has over 30 years of history.”

Metal Max series creator Hiroshi Miyaoka will continue to work on the series as a director at Cygames.

In a statement, Miyaoka said, “Cygames has acquired the rights to Metal Max. I feel that this acquisition will be a great opportunity for the Metal Max series, which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year. As the original creator, I’d first like to thank Kadokawa and Kadokawa Games for their willingness to send [the series] off, and above all Cygames for welcoming it.”

Miyaoka continued, “As a director at Cygames, I, Hiroshi Miyaoka, will be working to reboot the Metal Max series in earnest. We’re currently in the wild ideas stage, but my hope is that the series is reborn in a way that will reach not only Metal Max fans, but the hearts of RPG fans all over the world. Please look forward to it.”

Cygames producer Kenichiro Takaki added, “Metal Max is one of many wonderful games that mesmerized me in my student days. ‘The intellectual property that makes a name for itself in history will be loved and passed down from generation to generation.’ I feel that this is the challenge faced by the entire games industry, as well as the mission of Cygames, which strives to ‘create the best content.’ I’m incredibly honored to be involved with Metal Max, which fate has allowed me to encounter once again. The project to create the best console game starts now. Please look forward to it.”

Platforms and a release date for the new console game have yet to be announced. Visit the teaser website here.

Yeah, Cygames is a mobile gacha game company just got into console/singleplayer games, but probably better than a company like Kadokawa.

 

[Terra]

Hmmm, do we know what's become of the Metal Saga sequel, Project Wolf, seems to have been silent on that front for a while now.

 

[Ebonsword]

I forget how I stumbled across Metal Max Xeno Reborn, but when I read the description of it, I was intrigued. Then I when I saw it's pretty cheap for PS4/PS5 ($15 new on Amazon), I couldn't resist picking it up.

I'm really enjoying it, so far. Yes, it feels kind of cheap, but in an endearing way. It's super fun experimenting with different tank builds, and I like how the game mixes up the tank-based gameplay by having you get out and explore dungeons on foot every now and then.

Story is pretty minimal (which I think is different from the original version?), but that doesn't really bother me. I can get kind of annoyed with games which give you novels' worth of text to read when I really would rather just play the damn thing (looking at you, Persona series).

I just unlocked the shortcut to the final boss (at only about 65% extinction level), but he kind of kicked my ass, so I'm going to keep exploring.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Been playing Metal Max 2: Reloaded. Overall a great game.

It feels a little more forced and restrictive in the beginning than MM3. The first major bottleneck is the Grappler tower in the north, the second is killing the U-Shark for the boat. Before that it really feels like the weapon and tank options are limited. I knew I wasn't going to use the buggy, the APC, or any of the motorbikes, so I was saving all my money for later, and I made it unintentionally harder on myself.

Looking back now, I see the Sea Hunter SE was made pretty much to kill the U-Shark, and it's not very expensive, and the Wild Bus is actually awesome. Plus you can buy rental tanks after using them for a bit, there is a rental version of the bus that has 2 engines. Combine that with the affordable car bonus engines in Isla Porta and you can hit 150 tons in the midgame easy. I also didn't realize for way too long you could board multiple people into the same vehicle and then attack with it multiple times. So making a full-party battle-bus w/ 9000 SP that launches SE or Cannon rush 3 times per round is a completely viable strategy.

 

[Terra]

Spotted a new video for the new Metal Saga The Rebellion of the Wolf Fire on the metal saga reddit.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Spotted a new video for the new Metal Saga The Rebellion of the Wolf Fire on the metal saga reddit.

I know the metal max ip got sold and the new owner was supposedly making a new game, is that this? Or is this a spin off? Unrelated, not part of the series? Is it Metal Max Wild West repurposed?

 

[Terra]

I don't know any of the finer details of who owns what or who is even working on this, but this is presumably Project Wolf that they were working on for some time, which as far as I know was separate thing to the Wild West game. Metal Saga has always been a separate series as far as I understood it, whether the guys that bought Metal Max IP also bought Saga, I can't say.

 

[deuxhero]

From what I've heard Metal Saga was made as "Legally Distinct Metal Max" under Success (who is making this) when the IP was in limbo due to Data East's bankruptcy. Since all those issues have sorted out, its now its own separate fork series by different teams (except the composer, who owns the tracks that appear in both) for different owners. It's like Operation Flashpoint and ARMA (if Operation Flashpoint's sequels were good) or Wasteland and Fallout (before MS bought both of them)

 

[I eat frozen vegetables]

Spotted a new video for the new Metal Saga The Rebellion of the Wolf Fire on the metal saga reddit.

Here's hoping there's an English release.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

According the Moby Games, Metal Max creator Hiroshi Miyaoka was 'production assistance' on the original Metal Saga. So he may be tangentially involved.

Still hoping the MM4 translation comes out at some point. I just played through Metal Saga for the first time and now I'm in Metal Max Xeno Reborn.

 

[Lyre Mors]

now I'm in Metal Max Xeno Reborn

What do you think about it? Are you enjoying it?

 

[Grampy_Bone]

now I'm in Metal Max Xeno Reborn

What do you think about it? Are you enjoying it?

I was at first, now I'm kinda bored. It really lacks the panache of the earlier titles. Traveling back to town is instant even if your vehicles are destroyed, and everything gets repaired and resupplied for free. You don't ever have to juggle items between your tanks either, which is nice, but almost too nice, because you're just showered in loot. Fast travel negates all the navigational challenges as well. Tank upgrades are frequent so every time you head back you get some new toys to play with and tweak your loadouts, which is fun. It's also pretty easy. There were only a couple Wanted bosses here or there that were tough in the very beginning.

I know the game was pushed out the door basically unfinished so I'm wasn't expecting a masterpiece.

 

[GhostInTheHell]

For anyone still reading this, try to get Metal Max Xeno (physical edition still available second hand for PS4 but they removed it from the PS Store!), not Metal Max Xeno Reborn.
The "Reborn" version has been so heavily censored that most of the storyline is actually completely removed. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/321436-metal-max-xeno-reborn/80090157

 

[The Decline]

For anyone still reading this, try to get Metal Max Xeno (physical edition still available second hand for PS4 but they removed it from the PS Store!), not Metal Max Xeno Reborn.
The "Reborn" version has been so heavily censored that most of the storyline is actually completely removed. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/321436-metal-max-xeno-reborn/80090157

No need to track down a physical copy when you have a modded PS4.

 

[n0wh3r3]

For anyone still reading this, try to get Metal Max Xeno (physical edition still available second hand for PS4 but they removed it from the PS Store!), not Metal Max Xeno Reborn.
The "Reborn" version has been so heavily censored that most of the storyline is actually completely removed. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/321436-metal-max-xeno-reborn/80090157

I just bought Metal Max Xeno Reborn. If I only knew it has been censored so hard I would have thought twice about buying it....

 

[LJ40]

To be fair the original Xeno kind of shat all over the franchise to begin with.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

The "Reborn" version has been so heavily censored that most of the storyline is actually completely removed.

I played both versions (yet to finish Xeno) and I dunno if I'd call Reborn 'censored', especially when Xeno came out in the West.

My theory is they tried to make the game less linear while keeping the same premise and building blocks, so the story/interactions were downsized and reworked into being out of the way and optional, for the most part.

The story in Xeno is pretty cringe anyway, so I'd call it an improvement, but it could've been handled better.

 

[n0wh3r3]

The "Reborn" version has been so heavily censored that most of the storyline is actually completely removed.

I played both versions (yet to finish Xeno) and I dunno if I'd call Reborn 'censored', especially when Xeno came out in the West.

My theory is they tried to make the game less linear while keeping the same premise and building blocks, so the story/interactions were downsized and reworked into being out of the way and optional, for the most part.

The story in Xeno is pretty cringe anyway, so I'd call it an improvement, but it could've been handled better.

I am not loosing anything not playing the original ?

 

[Grampy_Bone]

From what I understand, Reborn was designed to test the new seamless battle system. It's a neat idea but it doesn't really work; the game is way too easy. You can blast most enemies while their aggro bar is filling with zero risk. The game ends up feeling more like a tech demo than anything. The Wanted monsters do offer some challenge at a few points, but not really once you build your tanks up.

I never played the original but it has a more traditional battle system and I believe is more balanced. Reborn shouldn't really even be sold. It's not a finished product.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

The "Reborn" version has been so heavily censored that most of the storyline is actually completely removed.

I played both versions (yet to finish Xeno) and I dunno if I'd call Reborn 'censored', especially when Xeno came out in the West.

My theory is they tried to make the game less linear while keeping the same premise and building blocks, so the story/interactions were downsized and reworked into being out of the way and optional, for the most part.

The story in Xeno is pretty cringe anyway, so I'd call it an improvement, but it could've been handled better.

I am not loosing anything not playing the original ?

You get a more detailed, but linear campaign in the original and a different combat system. I'd say it's worth playing both versions if you can get your hands on them, but only if you can get them at a bargain bin.

I never played the original but it has a more traditional battle system and I believe is more balanced. Reborn shouldn't really even be sold. It's not a finished product.

The difficulty in the original was about the same.

 

[GhostInTheHell]

The "Reborn" version has been so heavily censored that most of the storyline is actually completely removed.

I played both versions (yet to finish Xeno) and I dunno if I'd call Reborn 'censored' [...]

I am not loosing anything not playing the original ?

You are missing a lot compared to the original Metal Max Xeno.

https://rpgamer.com/review/metal-max-xeno-reborn-review/

Reborn eschews the bulk of the plot of the original title and instead opts to provide a threadbare story through the framing of a sandbox game. The characters are the same from Xeno, but the characterization of most of them is opaque, with scant references to underlying motivations or goals. While some exposition is provided, it is usually secondary to exchanges of little value between the characters. Players eager to explore and battle giant mutant mechabeasts are not going to mind these middling exchanges; however, there is a constant sense that something is missing from the stilted interaction and ineffective character development that occurs through the game. Even without playing the original title, it is clear there are complete chunks of narrative and character interaction removed wholesale. If the developers were intending to clarify the story of the original title, they have not succeeded here.
(...)
the localization is plagued with typos, translation issues, and many instances where information about enemies or characters appear to have been simply removed.

 

[n0wh3r3]

Paused Metal Max Xeno Reborn for Metal Max Returns on SNES. I'm loving it: it is so unique and quirky. It makes me wonder about what the hell happened with the saga/franchise.