Game Groups > Metal Max series

Metal Max is a series of role-playing games initially created by Hiroshi Miyaoka and his company Crea-Tech Inc. Despite its Japanese origins, the series has been known for abandoning the genre's traditional, restricted plot-driven game progression mechanics, opting instead for free-roaming, non-linear gameplay.

The games in the series are set in a post-apocalyptic world with slight humorous overtones. Following an event known as the Great Destruction, large quantities of rogue mechanical mutations have begun to infest the world. Hunting these "outlaws" and scavenging mechanical parts for vehicle-building has become a common (if dangerous) profession. The protagonist of the games is usually one of such hunters, and his companions may include mechanics, soldiers, and (in later games) dogs that can equip mounted guns. There is little emphasis on the story in those games, as they mostly deal with outlaw-defeating quests; however, unique characters do appear and a main plot can be completed provided certain events have been triggered.

The gameplay involves standard world map navigation and turn-based combat against randomly appearing enemies. However, unlike the vast majority of Japanese RPGs, the player is free to roam the world and visit any town or dungeon from the onset, with only the difficulty of the battles serving as possible barriers (though in some of the games it is possible to run away from any battle). Characters can fight on foot or in armored vehicles (mostly tanks). These vehicles can be customized by outfitting them with chassis, main and sub-weapons, etc., as well as repaired and upgraded.