Death Stranding 2: On the Beachfeatures a number of big names in the film industry, many of whom are personal friends of Hideo Kojima, but the likeness of one character was lent byKojima’s personal god, George Miller. Although he’s voiced by Marty Rhone, Tarman has the likeness of George Miller, legendary creator and director of everyMad Maxfilm. It’s heartwarming to see that Kojima got to work with his hero, but Tarman’s presence throughoutDeath Stranding 2is a reminder that there hasn’t been aMad Maxvideo game since 2015.
While the firstMad Maxis almost a B movie,The Road WarriorandBeyond Thunderdomepropelled Miller to great heights. He’s hilariously known for also directing twoHappy Feetmovies andBabe: Pig in the City, but he truly returned to the limelight withMad Max: Fury Roadin 2015 and thevisual feast ofFuriosajust last year.Mad Max: The Wastelandis still mired in pre-production, but this relative prolificness hasn’t extended to video games, even though 2015’sMad Maxseemed like a great template for sequels to iterate on.
George Miller’s Likeness Is Used For Tarman In Death Stranding 2
Captain Of The DHV Magellan
George Miller was listed as a special appearance in one ofDeath Stranding 2’s earliest trailers, likely because he doesn’t voice Tarman. These are the same circumstances for the other directors Kojima admires that appear inDeath StrandingandDS2. Nicolas Winding Refn and Guillermo del Toro lend their likenesses to Heartman and Deadman, respectively, but neither voice their characters.
By contrast, film actors hired for bothDeath Strandinggames lend their likeness and their voice. Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Elle Fanning all voice Sam, Fragile, and Tomorrow, respectively.
Tarman is an exceptionally prominent character inDeath Stranding 2, piloting the DHV Magellan to provide logistical support to Sam as he extends the Chiral Network through Mexico and beyond the Plate Gate into Australia. The DHV Magellan is a ship specially outfitted for navigating tar currents, which Tarman pilots via a hand he lost to the tar, which remains submerged on a Beach somewhere.
It’s Not Perfect, But There’s A Lot Of Potential
The 2015Mad Maxgame has a fairly middling reputation, with a score of 69 onMetacriticfor its most-reviewed platform, PS4. It’s an open-world game set in the film series' universe, adapting a handful of characters, including protagonist Max Rockatansky and one of Immortan Joe’s sons, Scabrous Scrotus, as the main villain. It’s one of many games that adopted the free-flow melee combat pioneered by theBatman: Arkhamseries, but it also heavily features vehicular combat and vehicle customization.
Funnily enough,Mad Maxreleased the same day asMetal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, Kojima’s final game before his split with Konami.
10 years later,Mad Maxis unlikely to blow anybody away, but it’s worth a look for any fans of the franchise. The free-flow combat isn’t particularly great, but everything surrounding Max’s vehicle, the Magnum Opus, is surprisingly engaging, right down to the base driving mechanics. It’s a game that really capitalized on its license, with an exceptional rendition of theMad Maxwasteland.
Or Better Yet, A Furiosa Game
The most unfortunate part of theMad Maxvideo game saga is that it was never given a second chance. It may not have been an explosive success likeFury Roadwas in the same year, but the video game laid down a great foundation that could have been refined in sequels. TheMad Maxfranchise is already very loose with its continuity, so there’s plenty of room to concoct another tale for Max – or even a game focusing on Furiosa between the events of her eponymous film andFury Road.
Sadly, publisher Warner Bros. Games was reportedly not happy withMad Max’s sales, even canceling DLC that was close to completion. Warner Bros. still owns the rights to theMad Maxfranchise, so it likely has the final say on whether a new game will ever be developed.George Miller actually wants Hideo Kojima to make aMad Maxgame, so maybe that will be added to Kojima Productions' docket now thatDeath Stranding 2is out.
