Once upon a time, there was a boom. A big asteroid hit the surface of our living land and turned it into a mess. Thirty years later, an evil army terrorizes what remains of humanity. Here comes you. A badass that has to save it all. But wait, it’s not going to be you alone. There’s also Andreas Kinger, Johan Nilsson, Eirik Røland and Jukka Rintamäki.
A simple question appears, though: if the soundtrack from Rage 2 was released, would we want to listen to it?
One thing that has to be said is that this review was written based solely on gameplay. Ultimately, this is all that matters, as video game music is made for it’s medium. A simple question appears, though: if the soundtrack from Rage 2 was released, would we want to listen to it? The answer seems to be: yes.
So how would it sound if we mixed up Mad Max with Doom? Took DC’s Joker and pulled him out of comfy Gotham City streets right in the middle of radioactive no man’s land? Here you go: Rage 2 consists of power chords, battle drums, pluck synths and atmospheric pads. Does it work? Hell yeah. Is it good? You betcha! Is it original? That’s a good question. I mean, what does it even stand for, ‘original’? Is one kaboom different from another?
Well, it’s definitely different from the first Rage’s soundtrack. Hoping to find horror brass, string portamenti and more of an orchestral toolkit than a modern-soundtrack one, you will probably be disappointed. Music-wise, the mood has shifted from despair to plain and simple crazy. This is a soundtrack of humanity that has adapted to the new world order, not necessarily accepting how rough and petrifying it is. And by adapted – I mean ‘having fun’.
Don’t worry, though. It’s not like all this fun keeps bombarding you with music anytime you step out into the wastelands or enjoy a stroll in any of the post-apocalyptic towns. The soundtrack’s use in the game seems, although fairly straightforward, ultimately satisfying. It leaves you with a bit of a craving for more, yet suffices in building the sonic world of Rage 2. And that’s all it takes to enjoy it.
If the soundtrack was released, would we want to listen to it? The answer seems to be: yes.
Rage 2 is a soundtrack that grinds together good, off-color humor and your usual modern storytelling music. The synths are terrific, guitars, albeit stuck in a power chord rut, pump the blood like 21-st century violas, and to answer the question if you’ll like it all: you will. But you probably won’t love it. Give it a listen, though – war is hell, and this war is in-your-face crazy hell.
