With Rage 2 id Software and Avalanche Studios aim to build upon the foundation set in Rage, while also elevating the still nascent franchise to new heights. One way the developers intend to accomplish this is by introducing Nanotrite powers. In 2011’s Rage, the concept of Nanotrites existed; however, they didn’t provide players with abilities. Rage 2, then, introduces the “wasteland superhero” into the series.

During an interview with GamesTM, Loke Wallmo, Senior Game Designer at Avalance, explained how Nanotrite powers help make the player feel like a “wasteland superhero.” He told the publication,

We’ve played around with this idea quite a bit. I think the Nanotrite powers in particular give the player increased dynamics, increased movement and a way to fight without the weapons. You will do the majority of your fighting with weapons, of course. But the Nanotrite powers add a lot to the mix; they help improve crowd control, movement, physicality and playfulness. It took us a long while to get that right, but I think – as you’ve seen today after playing it, hopefully – that you’ll feel like they really work very well together.

Tim Willits, id’s Studio Director, added,

It’s all about getting you into the action a little bit faster. Because Rage 2 has such a big open world you can approach combat situations from anywhere and in any way that you want to. For example, we reward you for using abilities – it charges your Overdrive, you get different drops – it’s one of the many ways we get you into the action and keep you there.

As is apparent in gameplay footage, a bright and colorful aesthetic denotes another new addition to Rage. The bold, new visual look epitomizes more than a desire to push the franchise in a fresh direction. It’s also being established as a part of Rage’s identity.

Willits told GamesTM,

A lot of that actually came from, first, the desire to push it far from Rage. And then looking at what the Apex technology could do for us with the jungles and the forests and the swamps and the overgrown cities. And that brought to us light and colour with the vegetation. That led us to have more colourful characters, and people have evolved and let us have more colourful buildings and skies. And now we have a marketing campaign. So it’s really helped establish a unique identity in this world that’s sometimes crowded with brown games.

Wallmo elaborated,

A lot of that actually came from, first, the desire to push it far from Rage. And then looking at what the Apex technology could do for us with the jungles and the forests and the swamps and the overgrown cities. And that brought to us light and colour with the vegetation. That led us to have more colourful characters, and people have evolved and let us have more colourful buildings and skies. And now we have a marketing campaign. So it’s really helped establish a unique identity in this world that’s sometimes crowded with brown games.

Special Rage 2 Powers Help Deliver a 'Wasteland Superhero' Experience WATCH GALLERY

Rage 2 is slated to hit the PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One sometime in 2019.

[Source: GamesTM via Wccftech]