Rage 2 (2019) (PC) (Avalanche Studios)
0id Software's Rage was something of a failed experiment structurally, but its combination of tight FPS action and impressively megatextured environments had real potential. Sadly, the rather unexpected Avalanche-developed follow-up is one of the least inspired and most superfluous open world shooters in recent memory. Whereas John Carmack's technical mastery made the wasteland come alive back in 2011, Rage 2 is a graphically underwhelming post-apocalyptic blank space with generic-looking enemies inhabiting the same burned-out buildings we've been staring at since Fallout 3. The game has checklists of busywork and convoluted character development panels to keep you occupied, but while the shooter gameplay is decent enough I find myself longing for Avalanche's clunkier but more stylistically accomplished Mad Max game from a couple of years ago. Despite its fair share of problems, that was (and is) probably a better game than this curiously phoned-in sequel.