The way games games "find me" rather than the other way around is something I think about often. It speaks to the fact that consuming any form of art, a book, a movie, or a 50-hour open-world game, is a two-way street. The game has to deliver, but you, the player, have to be in the right headspace to receive what it's offering.
It's not about the technical score on a reviewer's scale; it's about the emotional bandwidth you have at the moment. My experience with Mad Max is a perfect case study: it has the elements I like, but the recent busyness of life has created a filter that won't let you settle into its dusty, post-apocalyptic rhythm.
I think the fact that I put it down is the healthiest choice. Trying to force enjoyment out of a game is the fastest way to build resentment for it, virtually guaranteeing you'll never enjoy it later. By setting it aside, I've given it the space to potentially become my next Red Dead Redemption 2. That transformation of RDR2 from "fine" to "one of the best games I've ever played" is the ultimate proof that timing is everything in gaming.
Why Timing Tops Technicals
This phenomenon is likely why many of us have a digital or physical "unfinished pile" that is far larger than the handful of games we play all the way through. It's a collection of hopeful future experiences, not a list of past failures. Maybe you're not ready for the sheer density of a massive RPG right now, or the slow, methodical pace of a survival game. Maybe your brain just needs the instant gratification of an arcade-style shooter for a few weeks.
This brings up a point about reviewers. They are under a strict deadline to produce content, often playing games under pressurized, non-ideal circumstances. They simply don't have the luxury of saying, "I'm setting this aside for a year to see if my mood changes."
This is why the reviews you seek out from people you know, or favorite YouTube personalities, often resonate more. They provide a personal context that a major outlet's formal review can't. You trust them to talk not just about the frame rate and the combat system, but about the feeling of playing the game, and when they think is the best time to jump in.
So, don't worry about Mad Max. The wasteland will be there, waiting for you and your V8 Interceptor. Give it the time it needs, and I might just find it's the perfect companion for a chilly fall evening.