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“Just walk away…just walk away and there will be an end to the horror.” Lord Humungus may just have been onto something when he offered Mad Max amnesty back in 1981’s The Road Warrior, but he never said anything about driving away. Begging for a bullet one moment, squashed under a beat-up black chassis the next, the unfortunate fellow showcased in Avalanche Studios' latest trailer might have done well to remember that where Mad Max goes, vehicular carnage is sure to follow.

First appearing in the apocalyptic Aussie classic of the same name, Mad Max is - like the world he inhabits - a bleak and unforgiving prospect. Robbed of all worldly possessions, including his wife and young son, Max, as played by then-rising star Mel Gibson, abandons his role in law enforcement to pursue the life of an avenging angel.

With the studio behind Just Cause bringing the grizzled ex-cop to consoles, what can we expect to see from the Mad Max game? Well not Mel Gibson, for starters. The obvious alternative is incumbent Max actor Tom Hardy. Recognized worldwide for his portrayals of Bronson and Bane, Hardy will appear as Max in 2014’s Fury Road. Will the two projects inform one another, or are they separate entities entirely? Early shots of Hardy in costume appear to differ from Avalanche’s rather classic take on the source material, indicating a whole new direction is in the offing.

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With a pedigree for outrageous open-world adventures, played from a third-person perspective, Mad Max’s developers will no doubt be at home tackling the series’ merciless wastelands. Avalanche Studios’ Creative Officer Christofer Sundberg offers his take on the game's environment.

“The Wasteland lends itself incredibly well to the high level of player freedom with which Avalanche Studios has become synonymous. This unforgiving environment inspired us to create a gritty and diverse experience where driving, fighting and scavenging are essential for survival.”

Expect the game to sport a sparsely populated desert world, crawling with cutthroats, motorcycle gangs and, of course, the occasional outcropping of endangered civilians. As for story, it appear Max’s latest warpath unfolds in response to the theft of his iconic Interceptor vehicle. We can only hope he gets it back in time to give us all a spin at the wheel.

Mad Max is revving up for release on Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 & PC some time in 2014.

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Sources: FearNet