Mad Max's enemy bases tell you how hard they are, with Top Dog camps for boss fights

Having finally seen a decent chunk of Mad Max gameplay in yesterday's trailer, we're finally getting an idea of the open world action it's offering. Now producer John Fuller has been explaining a little more about how you'll be facing down the desert.

Yesterday's gameplay trailer set up an open world that lets you drive, explore, scavenge and fight pretty much how you want. Part of that includes taking on larger bases, briefly hinted at towards the end of the trailer. Fortunately, you'll be able to shape your experience to some extent, avoiding or seeking out the harder camps thanks to way they telegraph their potential challenge.

"We do sort of telegraph difficulty," Fuller explains in this month's GamesMaster. "For example, every camp has a difficulty marking, and then you’ll see maybe one or two in each territory that are called Top Dog camps, kind of like a finale for that region where you have a boss fight. The level of difficulty is greater there, the number of enemies is pumped up, and so on.”

So, while there's a challenge in the world it's up to you to some extent to decide just how much. “The wasteland is treacherous and it’s a hostile place," says Fuller. "You will feel that. But you’ll be equipped to deal with it. We want to allow you to make choices, and if you consistently choose to go in gung-ho without preparing yourself then obviously you can give yourself a very hard gaming experience". He also adds that "it’s not a survival horror that punishes you at every turn".

You can read about that and more in the new issue of GameMaster, which is in the shops now. You can also download the new issue digitally or subscribe for future issues.

Leon Hurley
Managing editor for guides

I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides, which means I run GamesRadar's guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.