Rage 2 Review

[Michael {United Critics}]

A World Filled with Chaos

At first glance, any real gamer can make out the heavy inspiration taken by RAGE 2 from other popular games in the same genre. The setting is very similar to that Borderlands & Mad Max, the chosen color palette matches that of Sunset Overdrive, Wingstick weapon which is from Dark Sector, etc. One could say that this game is just a rip-off while I suggest thinking of this as a combination of some of the best features from some of the best games. This game is very rich in content & I will try to cover most of them in this review!

Raging with Information

The Game’s Main Plot

Unfortunately, I haven’t finished Rage 1. Luckily, one need not have finished RAGE 1 to comprehend the plotline of part 2. These two games are surely connected but luckily for us, the game does give the player an insight into all the necessary information from RAGE 1. The spoiler-free version of its basic storyline goes something like this:

The Authority, an alien race that came into Earth along with the asteroid that completely turned Earth into a barren wasteland, who have been presumed defeated rise back up with the same objective as before, to attain full control over Earth. Walker, one of the last living Rangers in the Wasteland is mankind’s only ray of hope. Can Walker free Earth from The Authority’s grasps? Dive into the game yourself to find the answer!

The story is a perfect blend of emotions, suspense & humor. It surely kept me glued to the game.

Basic Gameplay Mechanics

The game has a lot of combat & movement mechanics. I will explain them in separate sub-headings. As of now, the basic movements are pretty smooth. You can literally see the power packed behind each melee attack. There’s nothing more to talk about when it comes to basic mechanics, so let’s move on to the more interesting parts.

Nanotrites Abilities

Nanotrites are the so-called “Super-science” in this game. They have the ability to grant powers to the wielder once they are injected into the person’s body. The player can search for Arks in the vast map of the game. These Arks will activate upon clearing out the area near it. Some Arks have Nanorites injectors that give the player a new ability. As of now, there are 11 abilities that a player can attain:

Ability Name	Description
Shatter	Very similar to "The Force" from Star Wars. You can push back enemies & even break their armor with Shatter Ability.
Grav jump	Basically a double-jump.
Defibrillation	Allows you to revive yourself if you die by defibrillating your heart.
Barrier	This is simple a shield you can cast.
Rush	The player can move at a dramatically increased speed for a while.
Vortex	This is like a black hole grenade that can suck in everyone & everything in its radius then sends them flying out.
Constitution	A Passive Ability that partially heals injuries & reduces incoming damage. It also regenerates health when picking up Feltrite.
Focus	A very common ability seen in a lot of games. Focus sends out a pulse thing that highlights objects of interest & enemies around you.
Overdrive	This is the main ability that defines the game. Once you get the rage bar filled up, you can activate Overdrive which replenishes your health at a faster pace & increases your damage, making you an ultimate killing machine for a short duration. Each weapon has its own firing mode during overdrive.
Slam	Slamming your fists to the ground to create a shockwave that deals a bit of damage & knockback.
Dash	Another word for dodging. A high-speed dodge. This is a very useful ability during combat.

You can also upgrade these abilities using the Feltrite you collect to make them even more powerful.

Weapons

Weapons are one of the main beauties of RAGE 2. Being a combat-driven game, weapons play a very vital role. The game has a lot of weapons to choose from & each weapon has its own unique “ability”. My most favorite weapon was the Firestorm Revolver as it was really cool to use. You could shoot a bullet at an enemy then use the alternate fire (Which is a finger snap in the game, pretty cool to see!) button which incinerates the bullet burning the enemy too. Oh, as I mentioned before, each weapon has a different & more power-packed firing mode when you activate Overdrive. This allows you to become a literal monster during Overdrive!

The gunplay is more than perfect as you can literally see the damage done by each and every bullet. The gorey gameplay makes it even more visually pleasing. You can also upgrade your weapons. You have to first level your weapons up by using Feltrite. This unlocks the upgrades for them. In order to upgrade a weapon, you need Weapon Core Mods which can be found in Ark Chests in the Wastelands or you can purchase them from the travelling trader/shops.

Vehicles

Vehicles are very helpful in both, combat & exploration/travel. You start off with a free base vehicle, that is given to you directly after the prologue, named “Phoenix”. This is the only vehicle that can talk 😉. You can also repair this vehicle by using your Focus ability on a panel at the hood of the vehicle. Phoenix is the only vehicle you can upgrade! From basic speed & armor upgrades to mounting a Hellfire Mortar or Cruise missiles, Rage 2 has got you covered. You need Auto Parts to purchase these upgrades. Luckily, you can easily find them while exploring the vast Wasteland.

You have to unlock each & every vehicle. Some vehicles are given to you after some quest while others just require you to find the vehicle while roaming in the Wasteland, jack it then bring it to the closes Trade Town to add it to your collection. Just in case a ride of yours gets destroyed, you can call in a ride that will cost you a bit of money. The one unique ability the vehicles have in common is the ability to actually dodge, which sounds funny but is very useful, especially when fighting against the Authority Sentries. The game has 16 vehicles in total and you can unlock them as follows:

• 10 vehicles can be easily unlocked by finding them in the Wasteland & driving them to a Trade Town.
  
• The Phoenix is unlocked immediately after the prologue.
  
• 2 Vehicles are unlocked after reaching a certain level on projects. (Raptor & Icarus)
  
• 2 Vehicles are given after completing a certain mission. (Chazcar & Xerxes III)
  
• The final vehicle is given for free for people who own the deluxe edition of the game. (Monster Truck)

Icarus is by far the best vehicle when it comes to faster travelling as it is literally a bike that can fly.

RAGE 2 Standard Edition VS RAGE 2 - Deluxe Edition

Yes, this game has 2 Editions although it has no DLCs. The Deluxe Edition offers the following bonus stuff:

• Rise of the Ghosts Expansion: This adds a new story, a new enemy faction, a new weapon (Feltrite Laser Launcher), a new ability (void) & a huge new region to explore.
  
• The Doom BFG 9000 Weapon.
  
• Wasteland Wizard Cheat Codes which can literally make you an overpowered God in-game.
  
• Battle Standard which is nothing but a Flag that you can place on your Phoenix.
  
• Progress Booster, the name says it all.

Apart from these, there is only 1 DLC expansion which is surprisingly free. It is automatically included in the game. This is the Terrormania Expansion which adds a new weapon (Sword of Transitus), a new location (Deadlands) & a new faction of undead enemies. Do I recommend getting the deluxe edition of the game? If you can afford it, then why not? The cheats are a hell lotta fun!

Graphics & Soundtracks

If Borderlands & Sunset Overdrive had a baby, that baby will be named “Rage 2” (I am obviously referring to the looks of the game). The game has not aimed at making it look as realistic as possible, which is a plus point. It will be difficult to showcase all the explosive madness & chaos while trying to make the game look close to reality. All-in-all, Rage is very vibrant with a perfect color palette that actually fits the game perfectly. Rage 2 is open-world and has a very huge map, probably one of the biggest maps I have ever seen. From the basic vehicle destruction & gas tank explosions to the gorey kills, everything is a sight to behold.

Rage 1’s soundtracks were a bit slow & leaned towards the sad side of music. But in Rage 2, they show that humanity has adapted to surviving in the Wasteland through energetic & crazy Music. I am not a Music enthusiast so I don’t know what genre the soundtracks fall in. If I were to generalize it, I would say that they might fall under the Rock genre. I loved the soundtracks!

Pros

• A story that’s a perfect blend of all the good elements.
  
• The game has a lot of content, from basic storyline & exploration items to a lot of side quests.
  
• Graphically, it’s a feast to the eyes although it’s not as realistic. They used an art style that perfectly suited the gameplay.
  
• The soundtracks are very pumped up which are in sync with the overall fast & brutal vibes of the game.
  
• The overall gameplay is very fast-paced & highly rewarding.
  
• There’s a cheat that makes it so Danny Dyer narrates the game! Check how to enable it here.[www.gamespew.com]

Cons

• The main storyline can end a bit too quickly & doesn’t incorporate most parts of the huge open world.
  
• Narration becomes pretty boring & annoying the more you play.
  
• The game has minor bugs & glitches that can either be funny or annoying. I faced a few while driving around in vehicles.
  
• The game is a bit too expensive.
  
• For a game with that huge price tag, they should incorporate multiplayer!

A Peaceful Conclusion to a Chaotic Story

Rage 2 was very fun to play. I love fast-paced FPS games with abilities. This game satisfied me thoroughly. I wish the main storyline would have been at least a tad bit longer. I hope there is a Rage 3, I would surely play it. Yes, the game is very expensive so wait for a sale. The game goes as low as 70% off on the base price!

Reviewer: Midplayz
Hey, Phoenix, why don’t you try shutting your automobile ass up for a change?

Rating: 8/10 (The price ☹)