Redout 2 Review

Redout 2 is a high-speed futuristic racing game in the vein of F-Zero and Wipeout. 34BigThings makes it clear out the gate that Redout 2 is exclusively for players who enjoy this genre. It's a love letter to classic arcade games where the machine encouraged continuous play (and more quarters).

Every single track in Redout 2 is rendered beautifully in neon chrome and sleek glass, with bright colors assaulting players' eyes at every opportunity. Even at peak speeds, the vortex of blurring colors is so visually stimulating and awe-inspiring that it's tempting to stop looking at the track ahead just to appreciate the background.

There are tons of unique locales: Fuji, Cairo, the Mariana Trench, Tokyo, the moon, and even a black hole. Every single track is stunning. If nothing else, it's worth coasting through slowly to appreciate all the effort that went into creating each level.

redout 2 racing track pink cherry blossoms — Redout 2 racing track pink cherry blossoms

Even better is that the locales are all introduced with a short backstory about how they came to be. There is fascinating world building at hand in these introductions. The entire galaxy was essentially turned into a development project on steroids by a handful of billionaires. Each area was invested in by a specifically named billionaire whose motives, personality, and intentions are completely unknown.

There was just a sliver of intrigue at how each location was developed, which could've made for some amazing hooks in a larger story. For example, when entering the Mariana Trench for the first time, players are told that a Water World War occurred in the past. Sadly, players don't get answers to those questions.

The unfortunate part about these settings is that they are in a racing game, not an RPG. While the backgrounds are incredible and the lore behind them is fascinating, players rarely get to see the more interesting parts of them or explore the world they're speeding through. They are beholden to a racing track, and there's little time to look at anything else while barreling ahead at mach speed and steering away from walls. Outside of short introductions to a new setting, there's no story or characters. What could otherwise be amazing settings for a fantastic single-player campaign are simply reduced to animated postcards with a historical blurb on the back.

redout 2 racing full track preview — Redout 2 racing full track preview

This is especially harmful to a game whose gameplay is needlessly challenging. While these kinds of racing games are meant to be unforgiving—the first iteration of Redout was known for high difficulty—they pale in comparison to how punishing Redout 2 is. The game expects precise inputs while moving at ridiculously fast speeds. When we say precise, we mean precise; players can't just hold a stick in one direction to turn to do something as simple as turning. That's the easiest way to slam into a wall ten times and explode in a shower of neon bits. This requirement creates a massive learning curve right at the start.

Part of what makes Redout 2 difficult is the dual-stick steering. Players use the left stick to turn and the right stick to both strafe and pitch their vehicle. The tutorials don't do a great job of explaining when players are meant to do any of these things. The only one that's inherently clear is pitching, which is when players tilt the right stick up or down to match the curve of the track. Choosing whether to turn or strafe or do both is highly difficult. There are no indicators that hint at which is more appropriate in any given part of the race, and by the time players think they know the answer, they're already forty miles into the next part of the track.

There's only one way to make the game easier, and that's to adjust the difficulty. However, those struggling with the last mission of the tutorial are unlikely to improve. The difficulty level can only be changed after the tutorial is complete. Until then, it's permanently locked to a challenging difficulty. This is a bizarre restriction that might turn away casual players.

redout 2 racing sideways tilted track — Redout 2 racing sideways tilted track

Lacking sophisticated difficulty adjustments lowers Redout 2's appeal to casual players. Aside from modifying sensitivity or remapping controls, there's no way to make the game more forgiving. Players are forced to make fast, precise, and accurate inputs at absurd speeds. The game makes no attempt to explain the controls, so players are left to fend for themselves. There are also no accessibility options, which is a pretty major oversight.

Players experienced in this genre and fans of F-Zero will likely love Redout 2. It's appropriately challenging and adrenaline pumping. When players struggle with control there's little fun to be had.