Metal Max Xeno

Metal Max Xeno (メタルマックス ゼノ, Metaru Makkusu Zeno) is a role-playing video game developed by Kadokawa Games, Cattle Call and 24Frame, which was released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita on 19 April 2018 by Kadokawa Games. It is the sixth title in the original Metal Max series, and the first title for Sony's PlayStation console.

Plot

Metal Max Xeno takes place in the former location of Tokyo Bay, now a desert referred to as "Distokio" by its inhabitants, approximately a century after the "Great Annihilation" in which the supercomputer NOA attempted to destroy humanity in order to prevent further ecological disasters caused by pollution. Despite NOA being defeated, with its final moments it sent an order to its creations, colloquially known as "SoNs," to completely exterminate humanity, thus beginning a second genocidal campaign against humans. The SoNs quickly began to overwhelm and destroy the remaining settlements in the Distokio area, save for one: The Iron Base, a secret technologically advanced underground base located at the previous site of a post-apocalypse city known as Iron Town, currently occupied by four individuals: D'Annunzio, the base manager, Jingoro, the head mechanic, Yokky, Jingoro's protege, and Po-M, an android logistics officer.

Iron Base is visited by a young man (the player character, default name "Talis") with a metal arm and whom vows to destroy the SoNs with his tank in revenge for their attack on his hometown and subsequent death of his mother and adopted father. The citizens of Iron Base agree to help him, in exchange for his assistance in seeking out survivors from the surrounding settlements. Talis initially finds no survivors, save for one: Toni, a former resident of Iron Town and the crush of Yokki, who had believed her to be dead.

Yokki joins Talis in searching for survivors and encounter Dylan, the former leader of a bandit gang that had harassed Iron Town in the past, and save him from a tank hacked by the SoNs. He and Toni join Talis' team shortly after, and, while moving north to search for more survivors, the group encounters Misaki, an academic who wanders the desert in a Flakpanzer Gepard searching for lost knowledge from before the apocalypse. With Talis' and Iron Base's help, he locates the entrance to a massive underground book repository guarded by Maria, the last surviving member of the repository's staff. After Talis assists Maria in destroying a group of SoNs besieging the repository, they, along with Misaki, move the books to Iron Base for safekeeping.

Following the operation, Po-M reveals that the data recovered indicated the existence of "Cherbourg," a massive defense shield that could protect Iron Base from SoNs attacks. Cherbourg was being developed by an underground society called U-Tokio, but U-Tokio was destroyed following a failed operation to retake sectors of the surface from the SoNs. As the team rests and prepares to search for pieces of Cherbourg, Talis collapses and begins sufferring a painful seizure until Yokky finds him. Talis confides to Yokky that his metal arm was made by nanobots, which also help attach the arm to his body and heal his wounds; however, the nanobots are also slowly converting more of his body into a machine, and that his drive to destroy the SoNs comes from the need to do so before he is entirely converted. Despite making Yokky promise not to reveal his secret to anyone, Toni overhears and becomes concerned for Talis, as she has begun to develop feelings for him.

While searching U-Tokio's tunnels for components of Cherbourg, Talis discovers a girl with a tail floating in a preservation chamber. Upon waking, the girl, named Ittica, identifies herself as a creature called a "Mute" which has the power to shapeshift, and goes with Talis back to Iron Base. Once all the components to Cherbourg are gathered, the team returns to base to assemble it. Toni confesses her feelings for Talis, but Talis rebuffs her, stating that he is aware of Yokky's feelings for Toni and is unwilling to betray him, and that the nanites have converted more than half his body at this point. Yokky hears the conversation and, realizing Toni's feelings for Talis, becomes discouraged.

Cherbourg is assembled, and successfully tested, but the test attracts the attention of the SoNs. Realizing that the SoNs are now aware of Iron Base's power, they track the source of the attacks to an abandoned military base formerly used by U-Tokio, and discover the presence of a massive SoNs known as "Catastropus," which was also responsible for the attack that killed Talis' mother and the destruction of Dystkio's other settlements, including Iron Town. After shutting the base down to prevent the SoNs from using it, they return to Iron Base to prepare their next move. Yokky and Tony, with the assistance of Maria and Ittica respectively, come to terms with their feelings and insecurity, and the citizens of Iron Base steel themselves in preparation for the final battle.

Aware that Catastropus is now en route to attack Iron Base, the team forms a plan: With Cherbourg in place, the Catastropus will be occupied attempting to break through it, and will leave itself unguarded for a close range attack carried out by Talis and his team. Talis moves in, dealing with upgraded versions of previous SoNs that Talis defeated before ultimately confronting and defeating the Catastropus itself, avenging his family and the people of Dystokio. Following the battle, Talis makes preparations to leave and seek out more survivors. Yokky joins him, and after getting a farewell from the citizens of Iron Base and a promise that they will always be a home for them to return to, the two depart in the tank Talis originally arrived in.

After the credits, Talis and Yokky encounter Toni, who wishes to join them. After a moment of consideration, Talis smiles, and the trio set off.

After the game, the player has the option of starting a New Game Plus in two different modes: Story Mode, which replays the story with all player progression and items but locking certain plot-related vehicles and equipment, and Hunter Mode, which allows the player to start with all progression, vehicles, and equipment while minimizing the story, allowing the player to focus on hunting monsters and collecting bounties.

Development

Metal Max Xeno was first hinted on 20 October 2017, a trailer published PlayStation Official YouTube channel with the subtitle "True End of Century, Born." A week later, Kadokawa Games confirmed the game in Japanese magazine Dengeki PlayStation, which announced the game was set to be released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in Q1 2018.^[1][2] The character art is being handled by Hentai artist, Non Oda.

After Metal Max 4: Gekko no Diva released, series creator Hiroshi Miyaoka got acquainted with a brand new team to develop the mobile game Metal Max: Fireworks. After that, they decided to develop a new home console game in the series. Considering Metal Max 4 featured a variety of elements from the series and ended up having poor sales, Miyaoka decided to go "back to basics" for the series, deciding to create a different kind of Metal Max game.^[3] Thus, Metal Max Xeno got put into development.

The Japanese version was released on 19 April 2018,^[4] the Chinese version was released on 19 May 2018 and the English version was released on 25 September 2018.^[5]

Reception

According to Famitsu, two version of the game was sold 29,700 copies in its first released week.^[6] Famitsu scored the game a 31 out of 40.^[7] The game holds a score of 66 on metacritic based on 7 reviews.

References