When id Software released the original Rage in 2011, the game’s grand ambitions and unique apocalyptic setting were ultimately squandered by forgettable gameplay and a plodding narrative that abruptly ended before it could get any momentum going. With that in mind, it’s not surprising to hear that id is using the upcoming Rage 2 as a redemption story of sorts, allowing players to experience the intense open-world narrative that the original Rage was supposed to convey.
Speaking in a recent interview with Gamespot, id Software studio director Tim Willits spoke candidly about the shortcomings of the original Rage and how id is using Rage 2 as a means of course-correction:
“With the original game, one of the issues we had was that the technology was preventing us from having a true open world. So you had your levels load in your first person, your levels load in racing, and your levels load into the wasteland. Whereas in Rage 2, it’s just all open. There’s no level loading, you just go. You go to your objectives, your missions, you jump out, and you just play.”
Willits also mentioned how working with co-developer Avalanche Studios helped id in fully realizing Rage 2’s potential, particularly thanks to Avalanche’s in-house Apex game engine:
“We worked really closely with the Avalanche team on that true id-style combat. And with the Avalanche’s Apex engine and working with their team and seeing what their experience really kind of taught me, specifically how to kind of think in a more open world–where the scenarios are much less linear, and the story is more open–you can kind of go anywhere and do anything. So it’s really been nice working with this new open world technology.”
The improvements that id has made to the Rage formula can be clearly seen in Rage 2’s recent QuakeCon gameplay trailer. There’s also the possibility that Rage 2 could become even *more* awesome with the eventual implementation of fan-made mods, though id was careful to clarify that mod support isn’t an outright guarantee.