Metal Max

Metal Max (メタルマックス, Metaru Makkusu) is a role-playing video game series created by Hiroshi Miyaoka and his studio Crea-Tech. The first title was developed by Crea-Tech in collaboration with Data East, and was published by Data East in 1991. Due to the bankruptcy of Data East and trademark problems, some titles were released by Success co. under the title Metal Saga (メタルサーガ, Metaru Sāga). Since the trademark issue was resolved by Enterbrain, some games in the series have been released under the title Metal Max again.

Set in a post-apocalyptic open world, the games in the Metal Max series are turn-based, nonlinear, vehicle combat, role-playing video games. There have been six Metal Max games and five Metal Saga games, in addition to remakes of several Metal Max titles. Notable installments in the series released for NES, Super NES, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS; the series has had mobile and browser releases as well. Most titles only saw release in Japan, the first Metal Saga being the only console title that was localized for English markets. Some related manga and soundtracks were also released. The most recent mainline entry to the series is the 2018 PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4 game, Metal Max Xeno, which received a remake in 2020 titled Metal Max Xeno: Reborn for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.

The plot of the series is based on multiple different apocalypse scenarios, the games occurring after the apocalypse has already begun. Most of the Metal Max titles feature open world gameplay, one of the key features of which being that players are given the ability to end the game at any time and complete quests in whatever order.