Being a parent, I need games that are:
- Story light – unskippable cut scenes are unbearable, if I only have 15 minutes to play please don’t waste 5-10 minutes of my time on ‘movies’
- pause-able – I might need to tend to a parenting matter at any moment, if I can’t pause your game I won’t play it at all
- Pick up and go for 20 minutes or 2 hours. I don’t know how long I’ll have to play, so I need to be able to pick up a game, play for short bursts and leave at any moment
- Save anywhere/anytime – I might need to quit mid-mission/level. Please allow me to save anywhere or include frequent check points so I don’t need to re-tread through levels I’ve partially completed
- Light on tutorials – let me figure it out by playing. Don’t make me sit through a tutorial level. If it’s a must – then make it short.
- Not too many menus – some games have clunky or complex inventory management or mission management screens. I don’t want to spend my time here, I want to play the game!
Rage 2 hit most if not all of these requirements for me. It’s an open world format that I can jump in and out of for 10 minutes or an hour. I can choose to take a longer mission (e.g. story missions) or complete a couple of shorter bandit hideouts or mutant nests. The checklist format works for me – clear 4/4 storage chests, find 2/2 data pads etc per location. It’s easy to know what complete looks like for each location and tickles the reward centre of my brain whenever I see that green checkmark on the map.
Yes the game had it’s share of bugs and jank, and the DLC was a bit on the pricey side. But the core gameplay loop was fun, and the combat and movement felt visceral and fast-paced. The story was light and even kind of optional, until you’re ready for it.
I also really enjoyed the first RAGE (Xbox 360) and wanted more of that world. I did find that Rage 2 was quite different, though. Rage was more linear, with the sequel being open-world. Plus, more colourful with a lot of pink accents throughout.
I played through and completed Rage 2 + All DLC on my ROG Ally X, via Steam.
