In the latest trailer for Rage 2, Bethesda, id and Avalanche are letting players know that they can be a Wasteland Superhero.
While players may be Walker, the last Ranger, they’re also able to learn special nanotrite abilities that essentially give them superpowers.
In the trailer at the bottom, you can see some of these abilities in action, though be warned; it’s a bit bloody.
Rage 2 Abilities
Bethesda has stated that in Rage 2 “your lifelong dream of heroic powers will finally be fulfilled.”
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear super high-tech body armor and decorate themselves in the blood and entrails of their enemies.
Lead Combat Designer Peter Johansson explains, “We went through a number of iterations to ensure that we got abilities that complement and synergize with the weapons, not replace them. In the spirit of id-style combat, we wanted abilities that support the aggressive, push forward, close- to mid-range combat we are creating.
“The key to survival in RAGE 2 is to get up in your enemies’ faces, and the abilities are designed as tools to encourage that.”
A few of the abilities that are being shown off are;
- Slam
- Shatter
- Vortex
- Barrier
Slam allows players to outdo Mario and perform an insanely damaging ground-pound. The higher you jump from, the more damage you do. Shatter is a “lethal kinetic blast” that pushes enemies away and gives you some breathing room.
However, sometimes it might just make their heads pop.
Vortex is the opposite of Shatter and drags your enemies towards you. By aiming Vortex, you can gather enemies into a group and then drop an explosive nearby to ruin their day.
Finally, Barrier is the portable shield that will block everything coming at you. There are plenty more abilities in Rage 2, so players will be able to experiment with them to create the most chaos. In addition, each of the abilities can be upgraded. With over 70 upgrades for your abilities, there are plenty of tricks to discover and try.
As you play you’ll fill your Overdrive meter and when it’s filled you can trigger Overdrive. This “pushes your weapons and abilities well beyond their limits and grants them unique attributes. Some guns may gain a homing functionality, or the always hilarious ability to juggle enemies in the air with a barrage of bullets like a sick party trick.”
Overdrive represents the climax of a streak of aggressive, adrenaline-fueled play. It gives the player a nod that they are playing well and rewards them with a boost. It plays a central role in the core combat loop. In addition to the frenzy-like effects, you move faster, kill quicker and regenerate your health.
If you learn how to master Overdrive, it can quickly become an integral part of combat, allowing you to take on harder enemy locations with less powerful equipment. On higher difficulties, playing in a way that charges Overdrive fast becomes a key to survival – Lead Combat Designer Peter Johansson.
Rage 2 launches for PC, PS4 and Xbox One on May 14, 2019.
