Men with bomb-spears decimating oncoming traffic. Getting sustenance from the maggots living on a rotting corpse. A powerful, imposing weapon unironically named the Thunderpoon. All of these play into Mad Max's unique post-apocalyptic aesthetic, and it continues full-force in the upcoming Mad Max game, already revving its engines for a September 1 start.

As E3 approaches, we've gotten a closer look at this new addition to Mad Max's vicious universe, developed by the folks at Avalanche (of Just Cause fame) exclusively for current-gen. We now know what there is to find in this post-apocalyptic Australia and the poor bastards who occupy it, most of whom want to kill our 'hero' Max in all manner of horrible ways. We know more about the story, the world, the combat, and your ultimate enemy, Scrotus. Yep..

The Mad Max films take place in a barren and lifeless hellhole. As petrol reserves dry up and the nations of the world turn to chemical warfare to secure what's left, society breaks down, leaving only bandits in DIY battle jalopies to fight over the remains. Each film focuses on a new adventure in the sad-sack life of former highway patrolman "Mad" Max Rockatansky, who spends his days trying to survive in the harsh Australian wilderness, which has only gotten more vicious with the addition of murderers on motorbikes.

Avalanche's Mad Max keeps that same world and aesthetic, and in a welcome move, doesn't focus on rebooting Max's tragic origin story. Instead, it starts him on a new adventure in a desolate outback while integrating the most iconic parts of the films. We have Max acting as the lone road warrior as he tries to outrun and outgun gas-guzzling auto-monstrosities. It has grim-looking locales like the smoke-belching Gastown, showing the macabre shape that society has taken on. It has Max driving his beloved pursuit car, the V8 Interceptor, and in fine Mad Max tradition it has him losing that car to marauders in the opening scene. Such is his life.

Sorry, Furiosa fans, but it doesn't look like Theron's enthralling amputee truck driver will be making an appearance in this Mad Max, nor will any of the wives or Immortan Joe's army. Though they're coming out close together and , the movie and game aren't actually related. Instead, after he's yanked out of his precious Interceptor and left in the desert to die, the game centers on him building his life and resources back up, one car part at a time.

We don't know too much about the plot besides that, and Director Frank Rooke , and in the recent Savage Road trailer he's called 'The Driver' with a notable level of reverence. Is he some sort of grizzled Australian god? Well, yes, but do the people in his world also think so?

Life in Mad Max's savage world is impossible without wheels to keep you from ending up as a vehicular manslaughter statistic. So when the Interceptor becomes the Intercepted and our madman finds himself without a vehicle, he has to build his brand new magnum opus from scratch. And what do you know, the resulting junker car is called the Magnum Opus. Insert groan-worthy genitalia joke here.

While the Magnum starts off as an unimpressive pile of junk, there's plenty of scrap material around that Max can use to upgrade into a much cooler pile of junk. Such scrap can be found in encampments full of homicidal bandits, lost in the desert, or scavenged from cars after you've crippled them and dealt with their drivers. But the best sources of scrap by far are convoys that roam the desert sands, and while they make tough opponents, take them out and you'll have plenty of supplies to turn the Opus into a proper dream machine. That's all thanks to Max's constant companion, a mechanic named Chumbucket (yes, I know) who allocates the scrap to different parts of the car as you see fit.

While Chumbucket (it never gets less ridiculous) is usually pretty amicable to whatever misguided activities you want to partake in, he gets whiny when you abuse the Opus. It's just as much his baby as yours, after all. Unfortunately for him, beating up your ride comes with the territory, since the vast majority of this game's combat is on wheels. Slam into other vehicles at high speed, hit them with bombs on sticks, shoot them from the driver's seat or harpoon their wheels right off - whatever it takes to bring your enemies to a screeching halt is fair game. Sadly for Max, the maniacs he's hunting have deadly options of their own, so be prepared to defend yourself if you let those enemies get the jump on you (onto, say, the roof of your car).

There is thankfully one thing that makes Max's life a little easier: a focus feature that slows the action to a crawl while you line up your moving shot. That makes it simpler to actually hit careening targets, giving you the option to broadside them with a grenade, pop their tires, or harpoon and yank the driver out of their car at high speed. Vicious, but effective.

While car combat is the game's life-blood, Max gets attacked and yanked from his car so often that some basic fighting skills really are a must. He puts them to use via basic melee combat reminiscent of Batman and Shadow of Mordor: he can punch enemies into oblivion, or get special animations and deal extra damage by tapping the Counter button at just the right time. This is likely where some of the spiffy animations from the debut trailer came from, where Max snaps a guy's neck by holding his arm and kicking him in the face, because otherwise there isn't a specific creative-neck-snapping button.

This type of combat isn't particularly new or fresh, since we've seen both Batman and Mordor's Talion employ combat that's visually similar but more mechanically complex. However, that looks to be intentional, since it is very much second to car combat and is clearly meant to give you some means of defense while on foot. The gunplay is particularly telling in that regard, since it's purposefully sluggish and unpleasant to use, keeping you from leaning on it except in the direst of circumstances. Really, it's just there so you don't die the instant you step out of your vehicle. Unless you get hit by a different vehicle, anyway. No promises there.

As mentioned before, while there is a central campaign to Mad Max, it's primarily an open-world adventure, and Rooke and team have gone to great lengths to make this desert wasteland as enthralling as possible. "It distracts you so much that you’ll end up saying, ‘Er, I’m just going to go over here and do this,’" says Rooke. "You can’t help yourself – there are so many things to go off and do." In practice, this means a map full of quests laid out in front of you, showing where you can pull down Gastown's imposing warning statues, find and loot caravans, or destroy bandit camps as you collect scrap and survival essentials like water and food.

As you speed across the wasteland in search of supplies and shinies, some areas will be more dangerous than others, adding to an overall danger meter that prohibits you from taking certain actions. For instance, you won't be able to do extensive car upgrades when the danger meter is above an appropriate range - why bother trying to do a repair when you'll get shanked and robbed for your efforts? Defeating renegade camps and bosses across the land helps lower that danger meter, making this unforgiving hellhole slighter safer for everyone. But mostly you, and that's what matters.

For all the flashy graphics, cool moves, and complex combos, a fighting game is only as good as its cast. Without a strong roster of compelling, unique fighters to choose from, brawls will end up feeling kinda 'meh'. But Capcom's legendary Street Fighter series has always offered a diverse range of awesome characters - and it looks like will be no different. Whereas Street Fighter 4 put a lot of emphasis on its eccentric newcomers, SF5 looks like it'll bring back old favorites - with a few new twists.

Only a handful of fighters have been revealed so far, but rumors are always afoot about who might secure a spot in the roster. We've rounded up all the for-sure fighters who will be in SF5 - and just for the fun of it, included our picks for some hopefuls (or ridiculous long-shots) that might make a return. So, which character will you be choosing as your go-to main? Time to make your selection.

These guys and gals will definitely be in Street Fighter 5.

It simply wouldn't be Street Fighter without series frontman Ryu. With his iconic gi, noble fighting spirit, and fireballs aplenty, Ryu is back to kick some butt in SF5. As always, his suite of specials - hadokens, shoryukens, and hurricane kicks - make him a well-rounded fighter that can deal with any situation, against any opponent. Ryu's the kind of character that appeals to beginners and veterans alike, thanks to his versatility and timeless moveset.

In SF5, Ryu seems to have retained his signature moves - including his normal attacks, such as the crouching medium kick that easily combos into a point-blank hadoken. Though not much has been disclosed about the so-called 'V-Trigger' ability in SF5, it seems to provide fighters with a burst of elemental power. Fittingly, Ryu's V-Trigger is themed around lightning, which makes us think of the old .

The first lady of fighting games is back, and it looks like her kung fu is better than ever. You no doubt know Chun-Li for her adorable hair buns, spiked bracelets, and thigh muscles that look beefy enough to snap bones like twigs. Like Ryu, Chun-Li has her standard special moves at the ready: lightweight kikoken projectiles, lightning legs that strike like a machine gun, and a variety of tricky flip kicks that can throw opponents off-balance.

Her playstyle favors agility over big damage, but Chun-Li's more than capable of some devastating combos and meaty hits. Counter to Ryu's lightning-based V-Trigger, Chun-Li seems to enhance herself with the power of flowing water, which makes her Spinning Bird Kick look like a whirlpool of death. It also look like she's got a few new normal attacks, such as a peculiar crouching fierce(?) punch that slides her ever-so-slightly forward.

In English versions of Street Fighter, he's Charlie; in Japanese, he's Nash. Convenient, then, that his full name clears up any possibility of mistaken identity. Charlie is a staple of the Street Fighter Alpha series, before he met a heroic end saving Guile and Chun-Li from a fatal explosion. So if he's dead, how is he back for SF5? One look at his new form, which appears to be bits and pieces of rotting flesh stapled together like Frankenstein's monster, should provide some answers.

Not only has Charlie's appearance changed - he also has some new game-changing special moves in addition to his previous toolkit of sonic booms and flash kicks. Through some kind of strange magic (no doubt related to the jewel embedded in his forehead), Charlie can now teleport around the screen for devious mix-up opportunities. He's also got what looks like a descending flash kick, as well as a face-electrifying command grab. Crazy!

For us, the moment M. Bison returned to Street Fighter was the most important day of our lives. But for him... it was Tuesday. The classic big bad of Street Fighter is back, and that head of white hair under his trademark cap indicates that yes, the ol' dictator can actually age. Known for his mighty Psycho Crusher and unrelenting Scissor Kicks, M. Bison is the perfect fit for players that like to apply pressure on their opponents and never let up.

In addition to his lightning-fast teleport, it looks like Bison will have another tool to get close to fighters that like to keep him at bay: a projectile reflector that sends a burst of Psycho energy back at whoever's chucking fireballs. And his V Trigger mode appears to let Bison unleash his raw Psycho power on the poor opponent, complete with devastating double-headstomps and additional hits on his Scissor Kicks.

Acting as the American yin to Ryu's Japanese yang, Ken Masters is as much a part of the series as his trusty sparring partner. His trademark fiery dragon punch is always a crowd-pleaser, and Ken's quicker hurricane kicks offer just enough variety to distinguish his Shotokan fighting style from Ryu's (they did study under the same master, after all). Plus, what would flowchart following gamers do without him?

Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! Tiger Uppercut! With the way people gravitated to him when SF4 first debuted, Sagat seems like a no-brainer addition to the hypothetical SF5 roster. Less of a villain and more of a principled antihero, Sagat's eye patch, scar, and obsession with moves named after large feral cats are all a well-established part of Street Fighter lore. We're just hoping that, if he is in SF5, he won't be as overpowered as he was in his first SF4 incarnation.

Of the four brand-new fighters to be introduced in the Street Fighter 4 roster, Viper's the one with the most staying power. Capcom set out to create a cool, technically complex heroine that felt like she could belong in the King of Fighters universe, and the result was a hit with players who don't mind difficult inputs for combos. Plus, her part in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 made her something of a hit - her crazy Seismic Hammer and Thunder Knuckle setups are always a sight to behold.

Believe it or not, Poison had never been playable until Street Fighter X Tekken (unless you somehow picked up the ridiculously obscure Final Fight Revenge). But popular demand spurred Yoshinori Ono to include her in the game, and the resulting elation following her announcement was an encouraging sign for fans of the transgendered fighter. Now, with two fighting games under her belt - including a strong showing in Ultra Street Fighter 4 - there's no reason Poison can't come back for SF5.

Here's another female fighter who should totally stick around for SF5. Ibuki makes up for her relatively weak damage by having some of the trickiest mobility in the game, letting a skilled player dash circles around their confused opponent. Adding her to the Super Street Fighter 4 roster was a stroke of genius, and her aerial attacks and kunai-tossing work just as well in 2.5D as they do in regular ol' 2D.

Alright, we could probably go on stating obvious character inclusions all day. Blanka, Zangief, E. Honda, Dhalsim - we have no doubt in our minds that they'd make the cut for SF5, and if they're ever confirmed, we'll gladly add them to the list. But it's interesting to hypothesize about the borderline characters; fighters who have enough clout to sneak their way into the SF5 roster. The more the merrier, we say, so if Capcom sees fit to include the followings fighters, we'd be delighted.

Despite only appearing in Street Fighter Alpha 3, Karin’s a fan favorite who never misses the chance to demean her assailants. Born into the rich Kanzuki family, Karin fancies herself to be Sakura's rival after Sakura trounced her in a scuffle. Like Dudley, she’s always accompanied by her loyal butler; unlike Dudley, she rarely treats her butler with much respect. But all is forgiven when you see her crazy kick loops in the corner!

Everyone's favorite loincloth-wearing tyrant deserves to make the jump to 3D. Ever since he debuted in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, he's been a fairly popular mid-to-high-tier character, knee-dropping and Chariot Tackle-ing his opponents into oblivion. His Aegis Reflector super move can also be a game-changer, bouncing back incoming projectiles and setting up nasty unblockables on knockdown. We'd gladly welcome this metal-controlling megalomaniac into the SF5 roster.

When it comes to Capcom games, Maki’s been around the digital block. First appearing in Final Fight 2 as an analogue for the absent Guy, Maki resurfaced in Capcom vs SNK 2 before finally landing a gig in the Street Fighter lineage, with a slot in the Street Fighter Alpha 3 ports for the Game Boy Advance and PSP. Like Guy, she's another disciple of the Bushin-ryu style, using her tonfa to lay the smackdown on Mad Gear goons and rivals alike. Maki and Ibuki would get along like ninja peas in a pod.

It seems like SF fans have been quietly waiting to see the triumphant return of Q. This terribly mysterious fighter might be man, machine, or monster - no one's seen underneath his metal mask and lived to tell about it. His fighting style is also quite unlike any other character in the series' history: a sort of lanky, lumbering brute that can withstand absurd amounts of punishment when played correctly. Something tells us that Q is just enough of an oddball sleeper hit to make it into the next game.

This zany pro wrestler has only appeared in Street Fighter Alpha 3, but she gets a nod in SFxT via Kuma's alternate costume. With her ridiculously impractical attire and a grappling style fashioned after Zangief's piledrivers, R. Mika deserves life in 3D for the next crossover. Like Hugo, she utilizes her butt as a weapon, flinging herself into the opponent backside first for maximum damage. It's all for her fans, and the Japanese wrestler's moxie comes through in her win quotes: "Don't underestimate me! I believe in my dreams!"

So, which fighter are you planning to play as (or hoping makes a comeback)? Let us know in the comments below!

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