Rage 2: 10 Reasons It's A Crushing Disappointment

5. Godawful Driving Physics

Why can't Avalanche Software do good car physics?

Why.

When Just Cause 2 dropped, we all gave them the benefit of the doubt. "Well, they've nailed all these other elements - the action, variety of weapons and approaches to combat - it makes sense vehicles might be left on the back-burner..."

Then Just Cause 3 happened, then Just Cause 4, and now this.

Rage 2's "physics" have almost everything in common with the first Mass Effect's Mako. To be honest I like this at the outset - it allows for a level of vehicular abuse that means you can fly off stunt ramps and hillsides knowing you'll survive.

Where it falls apart though, is ANY time the game wants you to get anywhere in a hurry, or take part in a race. Here you need to actively grapple with drifts/powerslides and rushes of acceleration to make said jumps, but the physics bug out, big time.

Coming out of a drift and straightening your ride sees you fly off in the opposite direction. Landing a jump with any sense of intent is impossible, as some pre-programmed sense of momentum keeps you going no matter what. Some ramps have flight paths directly into trees or off the map, too. It's... strange.

When even getting to missions is a slog, it makes you question the validity of the open world from top to bottom.