The first Rage was an interesting trip into the wasteland. It gave us a Mad Max-esque setting but was ultimately let down by a story that wasn’t all too compelling and ultimately just forgettable. When its sequel was announced, I was cautiously optimistic about it. I hoped that all of its issues would be ironed out and I was definitely going to follow it’s progress. However, I didn’t want to get overly invested in what I was seeing.
Rage 2 is out now only about a year after it was announced and looks to go for a more over-the-top, chaotic approach to its gameplay. There’s also a talking protagonist and he’s a mouthy one too. Does Rage 2 succeed where its predecessor may have failed? Well, yes and no.
It hits some serious high notes with its shooting mechanics, feeling incredibly fast past, similar to 2016’s Doom. It’s not as floaty as the latter but it feels so smooth as you navigate the world.
Being an open world game, Rage 2 makes it a little easier to get around thanks to vehicles that come on two or four wheels. The game’s driving mechanics aren’t really on par with how excellent the shooting is, but thankfully it isn’t terrible either.
I didn’t mind the driving, but most of the time, I couldn’t wait to reach my destination to get into my next firefight; that’s just how enjoyable it is. It’s especially fun because of the powers that you have at your disposal. You’re encouraged to get up close and personal to destroy your enemies and it’s made evident by the fact that there are no long-range weapons like sniper rifles.
Rage 2 has some flaws and an incredibly short campaign, but it does shine here and there thanks to its superb gunplay.