Metal Max Xeno Reborn beginner’s guide – tips and tricks

Metal Max Xeno Reborn might not be a 100-hour RPG, but its depth is comparable. There are a lot of systems at work, and not all of them are well explained. Once you’ve bagged your first bounty, things become a bit clearer, but in case you need help getting there, here are some tips.

You don’t need to get out of your tank to collect items

Using your feet is for suckers. Luckily, you rarely have to. When you’re out in the wasteland, there’s always a scattering of crates, scrap, and (if you have the metal detector) buried treasure. It may seem like only human thumbs could manipulate these objects, but not so. Instead, you can simply drive up to them and press the interact button to open them, collect them, or dig them up. How does it work? Video game magic.

Get the Metal Detector early

The Metal Detector is one of the more expensive items when you’re starting out in Metal Max Xeno Reborn. So much so, that it can seem unachievable at first. However, it pays to get it early. Simply having it in your inventory is enough to scatter a brand new set of collectible nodes all over the environment. These include weapons, scrap, and even new tanks. Considering how much Yokky’s buggy sucks, you may want to get the second tank as early as possible, and that requires the metal detector.

Recruit the drunkard Yokky as soon as you can

Yokky may not seem reliable. He’s given up on humanity and is keeping himself into a drunken stupor, but a lot of the strategy of Metal Max Xeno Reborn is being able to fill the air with as much heavy ordinance as you can early. This means getting a second party member.

To get Yokky to join you, all you need to do is find three bottles of alcohol out in the wastes. This can be done pretty easily before you face off against the game’s first unavoidable wanted monster. It’s pretty important that you do, as Yokky comes with the buggy vehicle. While the buggy is one of the weakest in the game, it’s still enough to give some added protection and can be equipped with up five extra weapons. Even if you’re throwing hand-me-downs onto it, it’s still more damage flying at the enemy.

Use an RPG to clear debris in dungeons

Clearing debris is a matter of having a big enough gun to blast it away. Your arsenal is limited on foot, and there isn’t a lot that does the kind of damage needed. However, right off the hop, you can buy single-use RPG7s in the human tools section in the Sortie Shop. While these are great if your vehicle is wrecked and you still need to do some damage, they’re especially helpful at clearing away debris early on when you’re stuck on foot. Most dungeons have debris, so it’s best to have a few of these on hand when you decide to delve.

There’s no risk in testing wanted monsters

The place where you’re going to make the most of your coin is hunting down wanted monsters. These are essentially big bosses that roam the countryside. Expect them to hand you your butt in at least your first attempt at taking them down, but once you’re better equipped for them, you might stand a chance.

It doesn’t hurt to try. The only punishment for having your party wiped is getting sent back to Iron Base. Once there, everyone and all your vehicles will be topped up and ready to go back out. With the fast travel system, it shouldn’t be any big deal to get yourself lined up for another fight.

Use chips and abilities to launch multiple attacks

One of the most valuable strategies in Metal Max Xeno Reborn is throwing as many attacks as possible in a turn. There are a few ways to do this: The first is to use “myth” and “rush” chips that allow weapons to either be launched twice or combinations of weapons to be fired at once. The second is through skills you obtain by leveling up your characters. Putting points into your driving skill will eventually unlock Full Salvo, which is a character ability that fires all weapons on their vehicle at once. While you won’t have enough points to get this until later on, once you do, it can save you a chip slot.

Just keep in mind that some enemies will heal from certain weapon properties. Watch for green damage numbers to appear when you hit them. If you’re seeing a lot of them, you should maybe choose which cannons you’re firing more carefully.