Surviving out in the Wasteland can a tough endeavor if you’re not prepared.
Learn how to be the baddest Ranger you can be with these key survival tips for Avalanche Studios and Id Software’s post-apocalyptic first-person shooter, Rage 2.
Unlock the Shotgun as soon as possible
After a brief introduction, you’ll be able to more or less go where ever you want and tackle any mission. The first thing you’ll want to do is tackle the Blackout story mission in order to acquire the Combat Shotgun. Head to the town of Gunbarrel and talk to the salt old war-vet John Marshall to get started. The Combat Shogun is great at close-range and completely chews through unarmored enemies which makes it a perfect weapon for the early-mid game. It would also be a good idea to invest some of your Feltrite and Weapon Mods to upgrade the shotgun making it the perfect secondary weapon.
Hunt down those ARKS
Now that you have the perfect tool for clearing rooms of mutants and other riff-raff, it’s time you started hunting down ARKS. ARKS are long lost vaults that contain power upgrades for your Ranger suit. The reason you’ll to hunt down ARKS early and often is that the the powers each of these ARKS hold will make your life in the Wasteland easier. I’d start with the Great Crack ARK just south of Gunbarrel and the Quake Hill ARK on the Northeast coast of Vineland right of Authority Base which contains the Grav-Jump (double-jump) and Vortex (jump pad) abilities which are crucial for exploration and combat.
Know your crafting materials
The world of Rage 2 is full of all sorts of goodies you can use to become an even more efficient and deadly Ranger. At first glance, the upgrade and crafting system might seem a little jarring. So, let’s break down what each of these materials is actually good for.
Feltrite is gained by killing enemies is used to unlock new suit upgrades and opening new tiers of weapons upgrades where you can use weapon mods to improve your gear. Project Points are gained whenever you build a reputation for each of the members of Project Dagger. Completing side activities will net you Project Points for an entirely new set of passive upgrades. Autoparts are scraps you gain by destroying convoys and other vehicle related activities which can be used to beef up your ride, the Phoenix. Everything else you find can be used to craft items on the fly or you can even beef up your damage by heading into the Cyber Doc in Wellspring.
Mix it up
Out in the Wasteland, most problems aren’t solved through diplomacy. So, you’ll have to whatever you have at your disposal. Luckily, once you acquire a most of your weapons and skills from tracking down ARKS, you'll start to notice the varied ways you can deal with the unruly masses. Learn to mix your suit's abilities in concert with your guns.
Personally, when tackling a bandit den, I like to eject out of my vehicle and use my Slam ability to thin the herd and mop up with using a fully upgraded Combat Shotgun. The sky is the limit, literally, when you decide to use the Vortex to trap enemies into a well of anti-gravity and lob in a grenade or two for good measure. If you really what to make people fly, use the Grav-Dart Launcher and Smart Rocket Launcher. In theory, you could handle most of the fights with just your Assault Rifle and Shotgun, but why would you when you have a razor sharp boomerang at your disposal?
Upgrade your Phoenix
The Phoenix is the all-terrain mother of all post-apocalyptic chariots you’ll ride in Rage 2. Outfitted with with enough hardware, the Phoenix will handle most of your vehicular problems assuming you spend your hard earned autoparts for the right upgrades. You should eventually aim to get all of the upgrades, but at first, focus on the things that’ll make traveling that road easier.
If you’re hunting down Convoys, Blast is essential for taking out energy shields and cruise missiles are great hitting vehicle weak spots. At the very least get Reinforced Chassis for increased survivability before moving onto the rest of the upgrades. If you prefer to keep your distance when approaching enemy camps. The Hellfire Mortar is awesome on large groups from a safe distance. Last, but not least, make sure you stock up on ammo before you leave. There’s nothing worse than taking on a heavily armed convoy and realizing you’ve not bullets or missiles.
Credit: Bethesda Softworks
