Metal Max Xeno: Reborn is allegedly a refined experience of the initial game, but there are simply too many under-baked mechanics thrown in for anything to stick. At the end of the day, Reborn feels more like a tank management simulator with occasional forays into combat and exploration of an empty, generic-looking wasteland. Players are simply dropped into Dystokyo and left to their own devices. While some gamers will find themselves engrossed with monster hunting, others will find themselves frustrated by how Metal Max Xeno: Reborn is still unable to get things right, even after being fully reconstructed. A campy sense of humor can only carry a game so far. Unfortunately, this second chance at life is inexplicably held back by the same quality issues that plagued its progenitor.

Metal Max Xeno Reborn manages to commit one of the most serious crimes a game can do: being boring. Its story, gameplay, visuals and soundtrack all combine to deliver an unremarkable and totally uninteresting title, making it an almost impossible game to recommend.

With its tremendous take on the turn-based gameplay formula and creative vehicle/weapon customization, Reborn has one of the simplest and most addictive gameplay loops I’ve ever experienced, even out-performing its larger JRPG cousins in that regard. Sadly, as the cancellation of Reborn’s sequel came on the same day as its own release, it rings even more true now that Reborn is a giant killer from start to finish, going out perhaps not as intended, but in a blaze of glory.