Back in 2011, the team at Bethesda published RAGE on the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, a game developed by the legendary iD Software and one that I considered to be crazy fun. Alas, I can’t link to the review I wrote back then as it was before my time here at Marooners’ Rock and the site where that review was published is no more. While I had a great time playing RAGE at the time and enjoyed the over-the-top gameplay, I never thought it would get a sequel due to the lackluster presence it had compared to other titles. Fast forward to 2019 and iD and Bethesda are back once again with RAGE 2 with the added talent of Avalanche Studios. This high-octane sequel takes place many years after the events of RAGE and sports a more wild personality and tone.
To catch up anyone who didn’t play the first RAGE and without going into many spoilers, RAGE is set in a post-apocalyptic future, following the impact of an asteroid on Earth. There are easy comparisons to Fallout 3 since the player comes out from an underground shelter. The asteroid alone happens to wipe out a lot of people but it doesn’t mean all is lost as there were survivors. However, in RAGE 2 the game starts off 30 years after the events of the first game and promises to be a fully open world game. Immediately, it seems like the planet is starting to recover as there are trees growing, as well as dense swamps, and more cities as humanity continues to rebuild.
The gameplay overall is pretty fun. While RAGE 2 is a fully open world with lots of goals, I spent so much time just goofing off between missions. In true Bethesda fashion, if something is visible in the distance, it’s highly likely that spot can be visited. I also learned pretty quickly that venturing out into a high-level area for a sweet Ark reward will usually result in death. I sure did die a lot. Through determination though I did get that Ark and felt accomplished in succeeding in the challenge.
RAGE 2 often puts players to the test. For me, it took about 30 hours to complete the main story with of course some of that being just hanging around, enjoying the world. I also spent a lot of time driving around in random vehicles, one of which was the Phoenix. Amazingly enough, that vehicle sports a familiar voice for geeks; it’s Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman! The other vehicles were also fun to use like the Rolla and the flying Icarus. Late-game vehicles also bring mayhem to anyone or anything in the way!
Controls are pretty straight forward and anytime something new is unlocked, the game plops the player into a practice area for a lesson on how to use the weapon or new ability. While some games will just point out what something does, RAGE 2 goes a step further and lets players practice and get used to the capabilities of the new toy.
The art style and sound design of RAGE 2 definitely have their own flavor but it pleasantly brings back memories of the original RAGE. Basically, RAGE 2 continues the cycles following the disaster and fallout. The post-apocalyptic nature of games and media doesn’t always have to be dark, brooding tales with locales long gone. Nature hasn’t stopped in RAGE 2; in one area there are overgrown forests, waterfalls, and dirt roads. Looking closely reveals the skeleton of a city. Sure, there are locations in the game that have been mostly laid to waste but there are areas being rebuilt throughout the map. This is all contrasted by the furious action, a perfect blend of good tunes to fight and explore to, and interesting enemies, mini-bosses, and full-blown boss monsters. I will admit that I didn’t focus much on the music though, as the action was keeping me fully engaged.
Overall, I have to give RAGE 2 some kudos on reviving the game with a 30 year or so leap into the future of that world, putting players in the role of a new Ranger and asking them to save the world once again. Bethesda has done a good job with Avalanche Studios in conjunction with iD Software. Games like this need to happen more, where we mix open world craziness with action-packed mayhem. It was recently revealed at E3 that there will be post-launch content to bring us back. After many hours of fun, I can’t wait to get back to RAGE 2.
For more information on RAGE 2, check out the official website. A digital copy of the game for the Xbox One was provided for the purpose of review.
