The World Has Ended, Again, And This Time For Good
Unlike traditional JRPGs, Metal Max Xeno Reborn is off the wall. There are no sprawling fantastical art pieces, there are no legendary swords and no overzealous heroes on a quest. What is rather offered by this game is a world that is already lost, a world where humans have all the prospects in the world to save it, but fail to do so. The world is run by a Super AI called Noah who has subjects in order to make the planet’s only hope left for survival possible. Unfortunately, The only way to exterminate the problem of us humans is to get rid of us. And let’s face it, it’s difficult to refute the logic.
Because of the biological mechanisms that define human existence through us, the scarred and charred encompassing setting, the tank-driven combat system, and the anti-traditional RPG tendencies, Metal Max Xeno: Reborn is indeed brandishing a dubious place in the genre. But does it differ from the more developed titles such as Visions of Mana or Final Fantasy XV? Let’s start exploring the rusty stained battlegrounds.
Metal Max Xeno vs. Visions of Mana - Exploring the Contrast in the JRPG Genre
Visions of Mana captivates you with its colorful world and high fantasy setting, alongside combat that is as fast-paced as it is fluid. Metal Max Xeno: Reborn, on the other hand, is unapologetically grim. Gone are the divine missions to set you on your path, and the spirit guides to offer their help. All that awaits you is crumbling buildings, contorted metal, and the sound of your tank’s tracks rolling over the remains of a world that is beyond saving.
The most fundamental split is exploration. Visions of Mana incorporates exploration into combat and encourages the player to leap, glide, and sprint over the vast terrain. But, in contrast with Metal Max Xeno: Reborn, you and your tank are bound together. Your tank is your only means of survival...leave it and you are dead. This breeds an astonishing level of dependence on the vehicle that is suffocating, which is a sentiment that does not exist in “Visions of Mana” where the main theme is freedom.
Another primary difference is the tone. Visions of Mana covers hope and restoration. Even in its darkest times, there is always some optimism at play. How about Metal Max Xeno: Reborn? It goes all out on nihilism. The NPCs you encounter are survivors, not heroes. There is no desire for a better tomorrow, just a bare minimum wish to survive the next fight. This is a permitted form of hopelessness in a JRPG, but not in real life, and it makes the world genuinely oppressive.
Metal Max Xeno vs. Final Fantasy XV – A Different Kind of Road Trip
At first sight, there is a strange resemblance between Final Fantasy XV and Metal Max Xeno: Reborn. They both sit on the foundation of a group of people traveling in a car through a devastated world. However, where Final Fantasy XV presents its road trip as an epic tale of self-discovery, Metal Max Xeno uses this journey as a means to find something in a world that is trying to wipe its existence out.
In terms of combat, the two games are polar opposites. FFXV is all about sparkle and visual pizazz – having your character readily teleport throughout the battlefield, attacking alongside your companions, and casting over-the-top feature films worthy of spells. Metal Max Xeno feels like a blend of a real-time strategy and a turn-based game. Bouts are sluggish, meticulous, and subjective. Enemies pack a punch (sometimes literally), and your most realistic expectation is to equip your tanks with ludicrous amounts of weaponry and armor them to the hilt until they become mobile fortresses of annihilation.
The even more interesting contrast between the two lies in their world design. The world of Final Fantasy XV is its characters. Every single detail from every meal and roadside chat aims to endear you to Noctis and his companions. That warmth is absent in Metal Max Xeno: Reborn. You are a team of stragglers trying to survive. There is no storytelling around the bonfire, only the harsh metallic confines of your vehicle and the sound of alien machines trying to kill you.
The Moment Metal Max Xeno: Reborn Clicks
In the Metal Max franchise, it’s pretty clear when the reality hits that you’re playing Metal Max Xeno: Reborn. There is a moment in Metal Max Xeno: Reborn when for the first time you step out of your tank and instantly regret it. Perhaps you thought a quick fight on foot wouldn’t be a bother. Or perhaps you wanted to see how resource-exhausting it would be.
A few seconds is all it takes before you’re obliterated.
In this moment, it slowly begins to sink in that: this is not a power fantasy. You are not the protagonist who becomes an all-powerful figure. It is best to say that Metal Max Xeno: Reborn is smart – it focuses on strategy, struggle, and scavenging every resource you can because, at the end of the day, you need to earn victory.
Concluding Thoughts: A JRPG About An Apocalypse
If you are looking for the features of Visions of Mana or Final Fantasy XV, then Metal Max Xeno: Reborn is not for you. Engaging with the game’s world is harsh, its systems are intensive, and its story is not forgiving. To embrace its bleakness is where the beauty of the game lies—A game that lets you navigate the wreckage at your own pace and form your own victories throughout the entire experience.
The stark reality, however, is that it is not the best JRPG. I don’t think anyone could confidently say differently. However, if you buy cheap PS4 games and want to experience a rare game, try it - most of us could agree that it is one of the most interesting recently released games.The game allows the user, who is fed up with engaging with predictable stories filled with heroes, to explore a world that is not bound by a set of rules, beautifully crafted in Metal Max Xeno: Reborn.