Year:  2019

Director:  Magnus Nedfors

Rated:  MA

Release:  Out Now

Distributor: Bethesda

Running time: 7-10 hour campaign, side content

Worth: $14.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth

Cast:
NA

Intro:
…a fantastic linear shooter that has been transplanted onto the body of a not particularly exciting open world game.

The original RAGE, released in 2010, was an engaging enough shooter that suffered from a poorly told story, unremarkable characters and ultimately not enough content to justify the purchase. Additionally, it also couldn’t help but seem the poorer offering when compared to the similarly-themed Borderlands which had come out the year before. Despite some entertaining moments, and slick shooting courtesy of developers id Software, the title was considered a disappointment.

Cut to 2019 and Rage 2 is here, and while it may be a sequel no one was particularly asking for, it certainly improves on aspects of the original, although misses the mark in others.

Rage 2 tells the tale of Walker, a male or female avatar (dealer’s choice) who needs to battle through an apocalyptic wasteland to defeat a race of evil cyborgs who are intent on ending what’s left of humanity. The broader idea of the premise, while a bit hacky, has potential but unfortunately the writing once again saps the story of any sense of urgency. That said, the shooting here is diabolically good. Like, it’s insane, some of the best gunplay currently around. Every weapon feels unique, every upgrade has meaning and when you launch into Overdrive – a state where damage and health are buffed ludicrously – it’s a glorious explosion of bloodsoaked mayhem that will likely have your jaw plummeting to the floor.

The problem is that Rage 2 feels like a fantastic linear shooter that has been transplanted onto the body of a not particularly exciting open world game. The moment to moment gameplay is fine, but then you’ll be forced to hop into your not very good vehicle and pissfart about on the huge map looking for the next bit of fun. It’s a good idea to have peaks and flows in action, but in Rage 2 it just feels like the best parts are too few and far between. And although the game exceeds its predecessor in almost every way, it suffers from the same problems of pacing, writing, characters and repetition.

So, ultimately, Rage 2 feels like a fantastic shooter with too much open world busywork. It’s certainly better than the much-maligned original but one can’t help but feel that this could have been so much more. Still, it’s a noisy, bloody, silly and sporadically fun time that offers the video game equivalent of above average, cheesy pizza and sometimes that’s just what you’re in the mood for.

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