If you haven’t seen any gameplay of RAGE 2 then you need to! I played the original RAGE on my chunky PS3 all those years ago and I really enjoyed it. The combat was excellent and the world grabbed my attention as soon as I stepped out of my ARK. I loved the beautiful ruined cities filled with mutants, as well as the open deserts which were perfect for a joy ride in my car. With all that being said, the game could have been so much more and, in the end, I was left with so many questions.
The original game needed more story, more characters and more enemies to throw my wingstick at. Thankfully, the next entry looks to improve on every aspect of the game and I honestly think we have a strong contender for game of the year here. If you haven’t seen gameplay but are curious about what the next entry brings, then you’re in the right place.
Here are 5 ways RAGE 2 has improved from the first entry.
1. A Whole New World
The world of RAGE craves to be explored and in the first instalment, we could… but also couldn’t. What I mean is that, in certain levels, you could hop in your car and drive around but in other mission areas, like the city, you were limited to the game’s linear path. I kept wanting more and wanted to go to places I couldn’t. But the game hurt itself by putting up walls and, in the end, I stopped trying. RAGE 2 however, goes in the other direction and I couldn’t be happier. The world is beautiful, dynamic and full of things to do. Want to go to an ARK chamber? Hop in your car and drive to it. Want to go and kill that big boss in his camp? Fly there and take him down. This kind of freedom is what the game sorely needed and with the 11+ vehicles at your disposal, you will be exploring every inch of this world. Be careful though as enemies are everywhere: Bandit convoys, camps armed to the teeth and various patrols will ensure you have a hard time getting from A to B.
2. Guns, Guns, Guns!
My oh my, how we LOVE guns in video games! There is just something special about finding a new devastating weapon, loading it up and going on a mad rampage. In the first game, my weapons of choice were the shotgun and the wingstick because I’m an up close and personal kinda guy. It makes me happy to say that the guns in Rage 2 look super awesome and reminds me very much of the 2016 DOOM in that they look BIG, MEAN and DEADLY. If you ever played DOOM then I’d imagine you’ve got a huge smile on your face as that game was fun as hell. The weapon wheel mechanic from DOOM has been used to ensure swapping weapons is fast and makes each combat situation unique and gives the player all the choice in how you want to take out your enemies. To my surprise, there will be NO long range kind of weapons, other than your assault rifle, which means the combat will stay fast and engaging but also very challenging. You can no longer run back to pick off certain stronger enemies from a distance. This is a change that I’m sure many people will love and I cannot wait to jump in, load up and get stuck in.
3. New abilities, new opportunities
I will admit that I really liked the revive mechanic in the original Rage. Yes, at the time I didn’t fully understand how I triggered it, due to the fact I was a young tadpole, but I really appreciated it. It seems that in Rage 2 this mechanic will make a strong return but it will bring a whole new set of abilities with it. To unlock these abilities you need to find Ark Chambers that will be heavily defended by the various factions in the world. Once it’s cleared and you enter the Ark, you will be put through a little training session to show you the ropes and then it’s yours to use as you see fit. It’s down to the player on how quickly you get each ability as they will be on your map or as a side mission. I like this idea as, again, it’s an option that the player has to take and adds to the many choices in the game. Each ability is unique and very useful and can completely change the battlefield in your favour. The slam, for example, can clear groups of enemies with ease and the shield can give you a brief release from combat and let you gather your bearings. I’ve chosen these two specifically as you can combo certain abilities together to get the maximum effect. Throw down your shield to recover, jump up and over into your slam and you’ll clear some room for yourself. This makes each fight so dynamic and leaves the player with room to experiment with each ability and learn what combos work best.
4. Become A Road Warrior
I’m not the biggest fan of driving in video games. I prefer to run from point to point because I can take in the world and really get involved with the atmosphere. Rage 2 has a wide variety of vehicles from giant tanks to nimble speeders that can fly, and it seems that the driving is very similar to that of Mad Max. I played Mad Max and it’s one of the few games I’ve played and fallen in love with the driving. So, as a person who doesn’t normally use the vehicles, I’m really excited to get behind the wheel. What makes it more appealing is the fact that as you drive or fly across the massive world, you can be ambushed at any moment making the driving even more exciting. Not only that, but the car combat looks really impressive. Each vehicle will have a specific set of weapons and taking out enemy cars looks satisfying and fun but challenging, as mini-bosses will also be on the road in their specially crafted mean machines. One of the things I don’t like from car focused games is that when your car is totaled you need to run to a car spawn point in order to get mobile. It also made me not want to engage in fights due to the risk of my car being destroyed. In Rage 2 however, you can call a new vehicle in at any time making things easy and free. It means you will always be prepared for what is thrown at you but also means you can have fun without being punished.
5. No More Silent Protagonist
Do you ever play a game and wish your character had a voice? I mean in some games maybe not, but it makes the experience much more engaging. In the original Rage your character, unfortunately, was silent. It took away from the experience for me as certain characters were really fun and I craved the extra interaction. Rage 2 makes that improvement and whether you are a male or female character… you will have a voice. Not only will this make the story better in my opinion, but it will also make me want to meet new people and see what funky conversations we can have. It may seem something small but I really like this change.
Rage 2 will be one hell of a ride and I hope your seatbelt is buckled and your wingstick is ready as we cause one heck of a colourful mayhem together.
