Rage 2 (Xbox One/SX)

Es ist ein wenig traurig, dass der großartige Kern von Rage 2, das unnachahmliche Shooter-Gameplay der Marke id software, von Open-World-Allerlei ausgebremst und letztlich mühsam in eine Breite gezogen wird, die den Spaß daran letztlich verwässert. Shooter-Freunden fehlt es hier an Konzentration, Open-World-Fans an Inspiration: Rage 2 ist leider nur Durchschnitt.

Wer braucht die beste offene Welt, wenn er die beste Schrotflinte hat: ids Anteil an diesem Ballerfest scheint hell durch und ist Freude pur.

So much of this promising collaboration between id and Avalanche is unremarkable - but it's salvaged by bloody, brilliant combat.

Modern open-world games need more than just 'here’s a bunch of stuff to do, go do it' checklist-design to stand out, and all the guns in the world can’t stop Rage 2 from feeling a little bit dated. Nonetheless, if you like a good FPS and don’t care that much about the package that comes wrapped around it, you’ll probably get something out of Rage 2.

Rage 2 is enjoyable as long as I make the effort to do very simple things in the silliest ways possible, and game’s many systems reward this style of play more by their quality than by any extrinsic payoff. There is creativity and joy hidden here. You just have to find it beneath the pile of ideas pulled from a thousand other games.