While many reviews are saying RAGE 2 is an eight-hour game, we’ve taken a deeper dive and decided to provide our thoughts regarding this matter, with our review currently being in progress.
Editor’s Note: Before we begin, we want to make it abundantly clear: Bethesda provided us with a PlayStation 4 copy of RAGE 2 review. Having received our copy over the weekend, we’re still barreling our way through the games entire world, but also the story itself, and what we found, is a bit surprising.
Here we are, once again, and it seems there’s something new to be upset about within the gaming industry itself. This time, it’s about how long RAGE 2 actually is, rather, the story is, and not the game itself. One such review comes from GameSpot, who states the game itself is, rather short, but they don’t cover “what” part is actually short. Rather, they just call it short.
Some are saying that the game takes between five and eight hours to finish out the games main campaign, no side-missions involved, which to some, is rather short, but what happens if you decide to explore, to obtain every item in the game, to clear out every bandit camp, and even smash a few mutants in the face? Well, a lot more unfolds before your eyes.
RAGE 2, with everything cleared, could take around 30 hours to complete
Surprisingly enough, by the amount of time I’ve spent just clearing out the starting zone, I’ve already put in a staggering five hours of gameplay time. That’s only two story missions in and about a half-dozen unlocks earned. That’s also including a few sentries that are placed in amazingly ingenious spots, making it so they block your progression, and become a worthwhile foe to knock around.
I’ve even spent some time hunting down cars, picking up a few along my way, and taking them to the nearest settlement. There, I’d actually find myself enjoying the idea of not always relying on Phoenix and having to repair her when she (yes the car is actually manned with a female A.I.) takes damage, and then drive off, hoping not to get blown to bits.
From there, I’ve even decided to clear out some of the Goon Squad’s bases, that alone, taking another hour to two for three of them. Take in mind, even for my review, I’m playing the game on Nightmare, which has been both a challenge and a delight. However, it proves that once again, the idea of what Avalanche Studios and id Software was aiming for has once again been missed.
RAGE 2 heavily emphasizes on exploration, clearing out enemy layers, and enjoying it to its fullest
The one thing that has been hard to do, even now, is to play the main campaign. There’s so much to do and the fact that I’ve yet to even explore a 10th of the map should say enough on its own. I even streamed my first few hours with the game via Twitch, allowing an early glimpse of the game, just ahead of its launch once the embargo lifted.
But this isn’t a game about just rushing through a story that some will call “uninspired” or even “unimaginative,” but rather a punk-rock turned heavy metal experience where bullets will fly, gameplay times will exceed the twenty hour mark, and memorizing how and what abilities do what will matter when trying to overcome even the greatest of odds.
Truth be told, if you explore, RAGE 2 could easily exceed the thirty-hour mark, and it would be time well-spent exploring. In short, RAGE 2 isn’t short, but if you aren’t one for exploring, then, the experience itself will last you less than a day.
About the Writer(s):
Dustin is our native console gamer, PlayStation and Nintendo reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. His elitist attitude gives him direction, want, and a need for the hardest difficulties in games, which is fun to watch, and hilarity at its finest. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook.