Games
Rage 2 is what happens when you hand the Doom Slayer a bunch of Wolfenstein tech and a Waterworld II script, so here’s a few pointers on how to use every bizarro ability.
Rage 2 is about three things: speed, fun, and using a whole mess of post-apocalyptic future tech to send mutants into the sky and on their own Disney adventure. It can be a little intimidating at first if you’re new to open-world shooters or haven’t spent an eternity experimenting with the physics of harpoons in Mad Max (2015), but there’s more to it than meets the eyeball. It’s a tagged-out, neon dream that’s impatiently waiting to see what you can do with a meaty shotgun and a wristful of Nanotrites (future speak for ‘molecular robots’). There are 11 science powers in total, so here’s a quick guide to each ability and how they kick mutant (redacted).
Barrier
Location: Spikewind Ark (Broken Tract)
The Spikewind Ark is surrounded by a mob of higher level SOBs, but it’s a necessity for the kind of unmonitored chaos that occurs in open environments. The Barrier ability creates a digital wall that can be used to avoid incoming fire and damage, and deter explosions at will. It can also be revised to absorb damage and charge abilities and your Overdrive meter, or outfitted with perks such as Touch Of Death, which turns the Barrier into a bug light for mutants and the Shrouded.
Constitution
Location: Mission (The Ranger)
Constitution is one of the starting abilities that is unlocked during the game’s opening sequence and it’s essentially your shield. It reduces incoming damage from bullets (up to 40 percent) and it also heals you over time as picking up Feltrite regenerates health. Upgrades can increase damage reduction while its varying perk effects can reduce damage from explosions and melee attacks, provide a boost to auto healing and even reduce the damage inflicted by fire and electricity.
Dash
Location: Mission (The Ranger)
The Dash is a Rage-head’s most prized possession. It’s basically a quick dodge where tapping the L1/LB button lets you dart in any direction to avoid incoming bullets, lasers and unidentified material. It’s a lot more useful than strafing, especially when in the face of larger enemies such as Authority Sentries and its level trees and perk trees can reduce target acquisition, help you dash out of a stunned state and trigger a hefty melee attack that does 25 percent more damage.
Defibrillation
Location: Canyon Cove Ark (Broken Tract)
Need an instant medic that's less annoying than Dinklebot? Luckily, there’s Defibrillation. This ability gives you the chance to cheat death through an on-screen mini-game that automatically appears when your HP hits 0. You can only restore a small pip of health, but Defibrillation itself can be upgraded through a long list of perk effects that can reduce its cooldown, increase or reduce damage, preserve Overdrive charges and emit a powerful electrical shockwave after use. It’s no Shatter or Grav-Jump, but at least it’s reassurance that you’ll go down swinging.
Focus
Location: Mission (The Ranger)
As one of the core starter abilities, Focus is a way of life in Rage 2. Pressing and holding L1/LB allows you to highlight enemies during combat sequences and with the help of upgrades, it can do so within 50 to 100m and even remotely detonate explosives in the process. It’s also used to open Arks, interact with objects and repair The Phoenix when it’s severely damaged.
Grav-Jump
Location: Great Crack Ark (Broken Tract)
The Grav-Jump is a double jump. It’s as vanilla as that. It’s extremely useful for one-on-ones with bad guys who prefer a view when in combat, but it can also become another trusty secondary when it’s combined with the Slam ability or when it’s buffed to include mid-air suspension. It can also make the Ejector Seat for the Phoenix that much sweeter.
Overdrive
Location: Mission (The Ranger)
In short, Overdrive is your super meter. It’s an early unlock that charges with enemy kills and the combined and continuous use of Nanotrite abilities and in turn it gives your POV a pure shot of adrenaline that ups movement speed, damage output and health regeneration. It also provides your abilities and weapons with unique features when activated and perks can reduce cooldown or add another boost to movement and reload speeds.
Rush
Location: Dealypipe Ark (Sekreto Wetlands)
Similar to the Dash, the Rush ability focuses more on movement than destruction (depending on who you ask). It’s a speed boost that amplifies your L3 sprint for a brief moment – perfect for when you need to get out of dodge or take out a bandit camp with nothing but a shotgun and two opposable thumbs. The level effects for Rush can max out sprint speed from 125 percent to 175 percent while the perk effects can increase its duration. In the case of the Cloaked Rush perk, it can also make you invisible to enemies and turn you into a digitised Predator who’s had it with the punk scene.
Shatter
Location: Junkers Pass Ark (Twisting Canyons)
The melee attack in Rage 2 is equivalent to getting hit by a pool noodle. It lacks a certain oomph and that’s where Shatter comes in. It’s a strong kinetic blast that hits enemies into the ether and it can be the Jekyll to your Hyde when you're surrounded by Goons or need to de-armour a mutant that’s dressed as RoboCop. Its level effects can max out both damage and knockback at 150 percent while its perks can reduce the cooldown, add an additional Shatter charge and even unleash a small shockwave effect that can inflict some serious collateral damage.
Slam
Location: Earthscar Ark (Torn Plains)
The Slam ability is poetry in motion. It’s exactly what you think: a powerful attack from above that knocks smaller enemies off their feet and destroys anything that’s trapped beneath you. Its core damage output increases with the more height you gain and, thanks to Nanotrite boosters, perks can reduce its cooldown and boost the range of its shockwave. It’s missing a few modifiers like a stomp or a theatrical elbow drop, but there are also add-ons like Black Hole in which a gravitational force pulls in enemies towards the impact point of a slam.
Vortex
Location: Quake Hill Ark (Twisting Canyons)
Vortex is tied to the Quake Hill Ark, which is more about platforming than throwing yourself into a wall of enemies, but it’s worth it as the moments it creates are popcorn-worthy. With this ability, you can place a Vortex in or near a crowd of enemies to bundle them together like a bouquet of roses. It’s just the roses can be easily shot down or turned into a space dust with a grenade. If it needs more oomph, then invest in Anti Gravity and Wingsticks.
