At E3 2018, Pete Hines took to the stage to start off the Bethesda press conference. After a quick joke about Walmart Canada being unable to keep a secret and leaking Rage 2, Pete left the stage to allow Andrew W.K to take to the stage to get the crowd hyped for Rage 2. After a high-intensity trailer, the world could only wonder when they would have the opportunity to get their hands-on Rage 2. When Rage 2 was first announced, many were surprised to see the return of the Rage franchise after an abrupt ending to the first Rage. After having the opportunity to try Rage 2 at the Bethesda Booth, we can easily say that Rage is back and better than ever.
At the start of the demo, the player is introduced to the world of Rage and some basic mechanics that will help them to eliminate any meddlesome bandits that may encounter along the way. The player is tasked with infiltrating the Eden Space Center that has become overrun by bandits. Equipped with only an Assault Rifle, a Shotgun, a Pistol, and Ranger Armor that gives the player Nanoite abilities, the player must infiltrate the center. With the help of Dr. Kvasir who has hacked the Eden Space Center’s AI, the player is recognized as the President of the United States which provides multiple comic moments throughout the level. At the moment, it is uncertain if there are any lasting effects from this action but if lingering could lead to more comedic moments in the future. The level ends with a bang as a missile or a planet destroyer hits the ground and the screen fades to black. The level was rather linear providing very little opportunity to explore but from what we could discern it appears that ID software and Avalanche Studios have created a game that blends Mad Max, Doom, and the original Rage together in a fast-paced gory shooter.
The demo encourages close quarter combat allowing the player to use three Nanoite abilities called Dash, Slam, and Overkill. Dash allows the player to jump in a direction within a blink and has a relatively short cooldown. Dash will ultimately be useful for getting away from grenades or enemies that favor close quarter combat. The next and more disruptive Nanoite ability is Slam. Slam will launch the player into the air and slam down onto nearby foes doing area of effect damage, think every superhero landing you’ve ever seen. The last and probably the most lethal Nanoite ability is Overkill. Overkill is achieved when the player’s meter has been filled; upon activation, Overkill gives the player damage reduction while increasing the bullets size, damage, and the guns rate of fire. Personally, we loved using Overkill with the Shotgun because it allowed us to mow down waves of enemies in an instant. The last and most interesting weapon from the demo was the Wingsticks. The Wingstick is a three-bladed propeller that has boomerang qualities if the player charges it up.
During the demo, we were able to pick up multiple components which we presume will go towards in-game crafting; we were able to find chemical, electrical, and material components that we can only presume will go towards making grenades, armor, and guns have different abilities or to upgrading the player’s Nanoite abilities. Although we did not find any collectibles throughout the level, there were several locations that could potentially hold them when Rage 2 releases in 2019. One memorable keepsake we noticed was a poster in the Eden Space Center saying Elon Tusk with a rendition of Elon Musk, founder of Space X. Sadly, we did not get the opportunity to try out any of the vehicles in Rage 2, which felt like a disappointment after the trailer saying if you can see it, you can drive it.
Rage 2 reminds us of a mixed collaboration of Doom, Mad Max, and the original Rage with its fast pace, intense music, and a shotgun that loves to devastate enemies. When speaking with ID Software’s game director Tim Willits, he stated that Rage 2 will have a composition with similar Intensity to that of Doom but that it is not being composed by Mick Gordon. The soundtrack makes your blood pump and lures you into going guns-a-blazing throughout the level; it was hard to resist its call especially when the overdrive ability is going off and you can just feel the intensity of spraying down your enemies. The game is marketed as a post-post-apocalyptic environment that should be constantly evolving. The controls of the game were similar to that of Doom which made for an easier time dispatching bandits throughout the level.
Rage 2 appears to be the game that everyone wanted Rage to be; it is for the people who want to set the world on fire and watch it burn while laughing at the corpses of their enemies. The game thrives off chaos with its non-stop shooting while being heightened by an action-packed soundtrack. From this demo, it feels like Id Software and Avalanche Studios are taking Rage 2 in the right direction and will hopefully have it leave a more memorable impression in the gaming community than its predecessor. Hopefully, more information will be released later this year about Rage 2. Will Rage 2 have multiplayer like the original Rage or could it have the possibility of Co-Op?
