Redout 2
The fastest racing game in the universe.
Redout 2 is a tribute to classic arcade racing games and the sequel to the critically acclaimed Redout, where racing through the dystopian wastelands of a semi-abandoned Earth is one of the galaxy’s most popular sports.
Reach impossible speeds in exhilarating futuristic races across an extensive single-player campaign and competitive multiplayer. Deep control systems, robust hovership customization and a killer soundtrack make Redout 2 the premier anti-gravity racer.
KEY FEATURESSpeed and Control – In the tradition of Anti-Gravity racing classics like Wipeout and F-Zero, experience blazing fast speeds and an intuitive driving system that makes Redout 2 a blast to pick up and play, but also rewarding for those prepared to master the super-high skill ceiling. Bend, loop and swoop through the most insane twists and jumps in racing game history.
Extensive Career Mode – Fly through hundreds of events across 36 unique racetracks – all of which are reversible! From Arena Races and Time Attacks to Last Man Standing and intense Boss Races, dart past the competition and dominate the finish line.
Competitive Multiplayer – Race against others in intense 12-player online multiplayer action. Dive into fresh challenges with regularly-added custom content, alongside seasons that include unique aesthetic rewards.
Comprehensive Customization – Choose from 12 distinct chassis and fully customize your own hovership with an incredible selection of propulsors, stabilizers, rudders, intercoolers, flaps, magnets, wings, spoilers, rocket engines, paints and more! Create and share your best high-speed highlights with Photo Mode.
Jaw-Dropping Soundtrack – Featuring superstar electronic artists, including the legendary Giorgio Moroder and acclaimed talents like Zardonic and Dance with the Dead. Our music-master algorithms seamlessly and dynamically mix tracks based on real-time race data.
Steam User 27
Sensations rarely felt before
In general, Redout 2 is :
- An unarmed anti-grav (AG) racing game, with boosters and jumps dotted around the circuits.
- More demanding driving than a classic racing game, requiring right-stick control (to move sideways and "nose up" / "nose down") and boost / hyperboost management. Boosting increases your heat gauge, which, when filled to capacity, will begin to consume the "life" gauge of your ship (vehicle), which will explode if depleted.
- 9 environments (+ 2 in DLC), each with 3 circuits, which can also be reversed (note that certain track sections are sometimes reused within the same environment). This gives a virtual total of 66 circuits (with DLC)
- 12 ships to pilot, each with different basic stats but which can be customized with modules (which don't change the ship's appearance) that change these stats, and each of the ships can be customized (colors, ship parts) with a host of cosmetics that have no influence on your ship's performance.
- 1 arcade mode allowing you to discover all the circuits and ships directly, with "endgame" modules that can give you an idea of the capabilities of an endgame ship (but the module builds offered by the arcade game are unfortunately generally crappy).
- 1 career mode with a very (very) high number of events, with each event giving you rewards (ships, ship modules, cosmetics, stars to advance in the career) depending on your performance, and each event offering a challenge to scratch off an extra reward (challenges such as "arriving 3 seconds ahead of the gold time", "crossing the finish line at over 1250 Km/h", etc.).
Comparison with other games in the genre
Many people compare Redout 2 with WipEout, and I think this is a mistake. Redout 2 has its own style, even though it obviously draws inspiration from the best of the genre.
In your early days with Redout 2, the game will indeed resemble WipEout a little in its "not so fast" and "soap ship" aspects, but I repeat: you have no weaponry in Redout 2.
And the further you progress in Redout 2, the faster your ships will go and the better they'll hold up.
As far as I'm concerned, even though I'm no expert in antigravity racing games, I'm seeing more of a F-Zero GX and Star Wars: Racer feel.
Progression and difficulty
There's a lot to be said on this subject, as it's what can easily turn players off / demotivate them.
The game is demanding from the outset, in the sense that its controls are atypical if you've never played the original Redout. You'll have to spend a lot of time learning how to pilot your ship properly: managing lateral movements, managing boost / hyperboost (you can boost + hyperboost at the same time), managing jumps...
Redout 2 also reveals itself as you unlock new ships and, above all, modules to improve your stats. But to do this, you'll need to progress through the career mode and complete a series of events, over and over again.
If I had to sum up the game's difficulty, it's on the ups and downs, with a tendency to be more difficult in general towards the beginning (few ships, few modules, learning to pilot) and to simplify later on (more ships, more modules, better piloting on your part after several hours of play...), even if the events are supposed to be increasingly difficult as you progress through the leagues.
I recommend that you avoid tryhard challenges too, as some are "wtf, is this possible to do that ?" (and it's someone with all the trophies and 1451/1451 stars who's telling you this), as it's better to progress through the career to unlock as many ships/modules as possible to give you greater flexibility.
Despite everything I've just said, Redout 2 actually lets you choose the difficulty.
First of all, you can select the difficulty of opposing AIs (from "Zero" to "Nightmare"), which affects :
- the performance of your opponents
- but also on the number of "rewinds" allowed in an event: yes, if you fail miserably in a jump, you can click on a button, go back a few seconds before the catastrophe and try your luck again without having to restart your race (note that some events don't allow rewinds, such as time trials).
Another point that lets you gauge the game's difficulty at your leisure: the assists
Redout 2 can assist you with literally everything you need to drive.
My ego is such that I'm playing with the assistance completely deactivated, but I can only recommend that you try to get assistance if you're having difficulty, particularly with jumps and avoiding walls (then you can gradually reduce these assistances over time).
In short, regarding difficulty:
- if you're getting crushed by the AIs: reduce their difficulty
- if you're frustrated by eating walls all the time and crashing on all jumps: try with assistance on these points
Visuals
The game does its job visually. Each environment has its own style (and music, see below) and is pleasant to navigate.
Music
Redout 2's music isn't necessarily all top-notch (although it did allow me to discover a few artists such as Zardonic or Dance with the Dead), but a great deal of work has been done to ensure that all the music sticks to the environments (giving each one its own style) and these tunes are generally cut into 3 parts:
- Before the start (soft)
- During the track (generally hard-hitting electro)
- Towards the end of the track (faster electro)
In short, I'd say that the choice was made to have music that tended more towards the immersive than the artistic (even if there are a few tracks that kick ass), and this fits in perfectly with the gameplay.
Sounds
I wanted to write this chapter on sounds because they play a major role in immersion, and therefore in the enjoyment of the game.
Each ship has its own "engine sound" and hyperboost trigger.
On the other hand, the boost sound is the same for all ships, which is a pity, but I think it's for the best because, boy, what a sound!
And the same goes for the "drift" sound (yes, yes), which you can make by turning in one direction while moving sideways in the opposite direction: what a treat for the ears!
Perfect landings are some kind of a delight too.
Multiplayer
Online only.
Multiplayer is almost deserted, and if you want to see other players, I invite you to join the Redout discord, where that's where things obviously happen. Of course, some of these players are among the best of the best.
DLC
As mentioned above, two environments are available as DLC (each with 3 tracks and their reverse tracks).
The first is a Caribbean-style environment and the other takes place on Mercury (in a particular style)
If you're hooked on the game, I can only recommend that you buy them, as these additional circuits are not at all redundant with the others.
Conclusion
So, Redout 2 is a game :
- Demanding at first, requiring a minimum of effort / time investment
- A pure pleasure to play, both visually and aurally. This pleasure skyrockets as you master your ship and the circuits.
- Unfortunately little-known and shunned by players who might have been misguided/advised
Tips
- Make sure your game runs as smoothly as possible: more fps (> 60) and less input lag, you'll be just better.
- Some challenges are a pain to do: don't hesitate to switch the game to "Zero" difficulty, so you can rewind as many times as you like!
- I think the aim of this game is to have fun / get the thrill of speed. The game will give you the same rewards, whether you're facing "Zero" or "Nightmare" AIs: in short, don't be ashamed to lower the difficulty / use the assists
- In career mode, learn to spot events that prohibit rewind and those that immediately fail as soon as your ship explodes.
- Brakes : use them.
Steam User 18
If you liked the original Redout most of the skills you learned won't carry over. The driving is much tighter, and the tracks generally more narrow. The music is worse, in my opinion, mostly drum and bass, there's not really anything on top of it all. The layout of the tracks is innovative, The tracks within a set use common pieces, using blockers to change the layout of the track. It's clever, especially in making the tracks reversible but it makes it difficult to learn and memorize the tracks.
The AI is much more competent. The goals of each mode and the bonus goals can be trivially easy or frustratingly difficult. It's really inconsistent throughout the leagues. Cosmetics and vehicle upgrades are earned by scoring points in each league event, 1 point for 3rd, 2 for 2nd, 3 for 1st, and an additional point for completing a secondary goal. These upgrades are tied to the events, so if you want everything you need to come in 1st and complete the secondary goal.
Overall it's enjoyable and offers a good challenge, even if some of the challenges are arbitrarily difficult.
Steam User 21
The negative reviews for this game from Redout fans truly baffle me--if you're a fan of the previous game, this is quite literally just more of it and with improved mechanics and physics! I adore the original Redout, it's my fave anti-grav racer of all time, and this is a worthy successor. While it's not *quite* as great as the OG, it has some brilliant physics and incredibly fun track designs, with a killer boost system based on F-Zero's classic "your health is your boost" mechanic.
The only issues with this game are a bloated campaign mode, a weaker OST as compared to the original, and less "unhinged" track designs overall. If they cut the length of the campaign in half, or at least gave it more variety in the missions, I think it would be better for it. As it is, you'll probably get burnt out on it like i did, and come back later to finish it up. However, since all the tracks/vehicles are unlocked for arcade mode from the start, you can always just play the game for fun single player or multiplayer, so it's not really a big deal.
Soundtrack-wise, people are right that it's not quite as good as the OG, but it still absolutely fits the game, and there's still some bangers in there (like the Mars or Tartarus Mines music). There's no tracks that I wanna turn off, there's just less that I wanna jam outside of the game--it's all still well-made and fitting.
In terms of tracks, there's some amazing stuff in here (like Black Hole and Lunar City) but the majority of tracks are missing the utter deranged "you will die at 2000 kmh while hurtling into a planet" design of stuff like Europa and Neptune from the previous game. While this does mean tracks are easier to understand, and require less memorization and practice to win on, you lose out on that incredible, overwhelming feeling of "this is literally insane" that the first game gave so much of (except on Black Hole. that one is still absolutely stupid in the best possible way).
I see a ton of criticism of the difficulty in this game on here, and I don't get that at all. This game has 6 difficulty options, and the lowest ones require very little effort to win on--heck, you can turn on all the AI assists and have your vehicle basically drive itself. I have no clue how someone could call this game "too hard" when all these assists exist, and don't have a single penalty for using them. They even added rewinds so you can try tricky corners or jumps over and over during a race, which is super useful and really makes the game quite forgiving. Overall this game is a lot easier than the original Redout, which was, quite frankly, bonkers hard--but in a way I enjoyed haha. Huge props to the devs for the difficulty options in this game!
Overall, this game is awesome, and if you like the OG, you should def buy this--if you haven't played the OG, go play it first and buy this after if you like that one!
Steam User 18
Redout 2 is an AG Racer for veterans of the genre. If you've never played an AG game and you pick this one up first you are likely to:
- Complain about the track design
- Complain about the controls
- Complain about the repetition and campaign length
- Complain about the progression
- Complain about the difficulty
If you've spent time in other AG racers before, such as Wipeout, Ballistic.NG, etc. then you'll likely find the track design, difficulty, and control complaints irrelevant. If you haven't played other AG racers before, I strongly recommend trying Ballistic.NG, Wipeout, or Fast RMX first. Redout 2 is a refreshing and demanding, yet rewarding take on the genre that veterans are sure to appreciate.
The control scheme is as unique as it is gratifying, as gratifying as it is responsive; strafing forces a complete re-write of racing fundamentals. Where in a normal game you'd likely brake before a sharp turn, in Redout 2 you oftentimes do not have to break at all, but instead counterstrafe to widen your turn whilst losing minimal speed. This leads to a sense of fluidity that traditional racing games do not provide. And while other AG racers also take on a unique approach to steering in the form of air breaks, those are really just an extension of the traditional steering approach. You really feel the anti-gravity in Redout 2, and a skilled pilot can glide through a track in an immensely satisfying way.
There are also two types of boost. Both raise your heat gauge, which, when full, will eat into your hull (which quickly regenerates when not taking damage). Boost timing and hull management, when paired with the unique handling mechanics, result in an insanely high skill ceiling in controls alone.
Sense of speed is absolutely bonkers in this game.
The ship variety is good, but progression can be a frustrating barrier to unlocking the most satisfying ships. Many of the first ships you unlock focus on tankiness, something that I find antithetical to the aura of the game. However, the base ship is quite good and nine times out of ten picking it until you unlock some of the quicker, nimbler, more fragile ships is a safe bet. Cosmetic progression is equally held back, but performance progression is acceptable.
Track design is absolutely incredible, with so many brain-melting turn sequences that really reward track memorization and quick reflexes. Any complaints about track design are in my eyes unsubstantiated because people aren't willing to memorize tracks and expect everything to be easy from the get go, as is the case in many traditional racing games.
Track variety is in a similar boat to the design. There is a sufficient quantity of tracks and styles, but many might be deterred by re-used portions shared between tracks. I personally appreciate these re-used portions, as they act as a "safe space" in which I can maximize speed due to their familiarity.
The most divisive thing about the game, even among experienced players, are the air controls. They are janky for sure, but once you become familiarized with the courses, you can control the chaos enough to survive any jump.
The last thing worth noting is that the game is effectively dead. Portions of the main menu are greyed out, and I don't expect that ever to change. If you want an online race, you'll have to find people on Discord, and they will probably be way better than you. However, there is more than enough content in what is available to justify a purchase at full price.
In conclusion: If you're tired of blazing through every traditional arcade racing game without any challenge, pick up Ballistic.NG or Wipeout. If you've already played either of those, and are looking for a modern take on the genre, play Redout 2. It breathes new life into the dying genre of AG Racers, and has unprecedented depth.
Steam User 11
Game runs great, looks great, feels great.
On a 6700XT I get 110fps @ 1440p avg on max settings with no pop in when going at high speeds. Sound design is incredible, you need to hear it to appreciate it.
They got rid of the worthless powerups from Redout 1, except they kept the turbo boost which everyone loved -- now it comes standard on every ship and you can STACK IT with your regular boost. Insanity.
In place of powerups you now have a pretty impressive ship customization tool. You can tune the performance and appearance of each ship to your liking and the stats actually matter unlike RO1.
Controls are more complex and tracks demand lightning fast reflexes. Many of the negative reviews for this game can best be summarized as "game's too hard". Like yeah, if you struggled with the 1st game you're gonna struggle with this one, it's not any easier. I will say some jumps are total bullshit in that they basically require memorization of where the hell you're going. You will absolutely die on some jumps which is why there is a rewind mechanic in most campaign races on new tracks. Every turn, chicane, and ramp is far more clearly conveyed than in Redout 1, however, with a constant stream of visual feedback indicating upcoming maneuvers.
The "sacrifice health as boost" mechanic is awesome. Looks cool visually with the ass end of your ship catching on fire and burning to a crisp, and on Tartarus it leads to some surprisingly complex decision making regarding how much you wanna abuse this mechanic, lest you explode due to ambient heat. It's all about being *just* greedy enough.
The game's campaign is extensive, which makes sense because you exclusively unlock new parts/ships/cosmetics thru the races -- there is no more in-game currency to manage.
Great game. If you enjoyed Redout 1 you will probably love this. I went into this game expecting to be disappointed due to the lower Steam score, but it turns out the majority of the negative reviews are just people malding that the game is too hard for them.
Steam User 33
Step 1. Set Music Volume to 0%
Step 2. Queue Up Redout 1 Soundtrack
Step 3. Blissfully Enjoy Redout 2
Steam User 11
A marked improvement on the first game. Feels incredibly fast and fluid. Tracks are gorgeous. Races can reward the player with new ships, a great range of visual customization and performance upgrades. Progression is a much tighter gameplay loop than in the first installment.
Difficulty settings are comprehensive and it was easy to dial in a challenging difficulty where I could still win with a hard enough push on the track.
The music is more generic than the first game, but I find it an improvement as there were a few tracks in the first game that I found unpalatable.
Most of all, though, the speed feels so good.