Mad Metal Review: Familiar Influences, Frustrating Execution

Uncomfortable controls, an uninspired campaign, and a progression-blocking bug leave this vehicular combat game struggling to deliver.

A game that brings together the vehicular destruction of Twisted Metal and the post-apocalyptic attitude of Mad Max should be an easy sell. Weaponized cars, hostile roads, and a little wasteland insanity are a combination with plenty of potential. Mad Metal has the right influences. What it struggles with is turning them into something worth sticking around for.

Developed by Mad Mechs Inc. and published by indie.io, Mad Metal is a vehicle combat shooter set in an AI-driven apocalypse, with solo and multiplayer options. It launched on PC through Steam on September 21, 2026.

On paper, the appeal is clear. In practice, my experience was weighed down by an underwhelming story, limited customization, and controls that never felt comfortable. Then a bug in Chapter 5 stopped my campaign progress entirely.

A Wasteland That Needs Its Own Identity

The problem with Mad Metal borrowing so heavily from familiar material is that it constantly invites comparisons it struggles to live up to.

The story feels hastily assembled from pieces of The Road Warrior, without enough personality to make those influences feel like the foundation of something new. Familiarity alone isn’t a problem. A derivative premise can still work when the characters, writing, or execution give you a reason to care. Here, the campaign never gave me that reason.

Lackluster voice acting does little to help. With the story already struggling to establish an identity, the performances fail to give it the energy it needs.

The locations and level design leave a similarly uninspired impression. There’s room for a wasteland setting to feel distinctive, even within a genre built on rust, wreckage, and ruined landscapes. The environments I played through didn’t do enough to distinguish this particular apocalypse from its influences.

Taken together, the story and setting made Mad Metal feel more like a reminder of other things I enjoy than something I was becoming invested in on its own.

The Controls Are a Fundamental Problem

The story could have been easier to overlook if driving and fighting felt good. Unfortunately, the controls were another sticking point.

I tried both mouse and keyboard and a controller, and neither felt right. Switching input methods didn’t resolve my frustration with the handling.

That matters enormously in a game built around vehicular combat. Driving is the foundation of the experience, and if controlling the vehicle feels uncomfortable, it affects everything built on top of it. A familiar story is one thing. Struggling to enjoy the basic act of controlling the car is much harder to get past.

Vehicle customization also felt limited. For a game with this premise, building a machine that feels like your own should be part of the appeal. The options available to me didn’t provide the freedom I wanted, leaving another part of the experience feeling underdeveloped.

A Campaign I Couldn’t Finish

The campaign felt short, but I can’t assess its ending: a bug prevented me from interacting with the Chapter 5 boss encounter, leaving me unable to continue.

That distinction matters. I didn’t stop because I decided I’d had enough. My progress was blocked.

It was also the most significant technical issue in my playthrough. This wasn’t a visual glitch or a minor inconvenience I could ignore. It prevented me from completing the campaign, and that has to factor into any recommendation based on the version I played.

Multiplayer Didn’t Turn Things Around

My multiplayer sessions appeared to be populated mostly by bots, although I couldn’t confirm whether those opponents were AI-controlled.

That uncertainty means I can’t make a definitive claim about the player population. What I can say is that multiplayer didn’t provide a compelling alternative for me, particularly with the same underlying control frustrations still affecting the experience.

The Verdict

Mad Metal has a premise I wanted to enjoy, but its execution repeatedly got in the way. The story feels cobbled together, the locations and level design lack imagination, and the voice acting does little to elevate the material. Limited customization and uncomfortable controls weaken the vehicular combat fantasy before a progression-blocking bug brings the campaign to a halt.

There may be room for updates to address the technical problems and improve the handling. My assessment, however, is based on what I actually played—and that version is difficult to recommend.

I came looking for chaotic car combat. I left with an unfinished campaign and very little reason to get back behind the wheel.

Review note: This assessment covers the campaign through Chapter 5 and the multiplayer sessions played. A progression-blocking bug prevented campaign completion.