Redout 2
The sequel to the best racing game you haven't played.
Redout 2 is a spiritual successor to the F-Zero and Wipeout series in the anti-gravity racing game genre. In real life a "Redout" occurs when pilots encounter a negative g-force and the blood starts to flow from the lower body to the brain. Taken this as the title inspiration, the game forces you to countersteer against the g-forces. Just like it's predecessor, you have to steer this game with both left and right stick simultaniously, flying across 9 (or with the DLC 12) different biomes, with three tracks each.
While the carreer mode doesn't offer much in terms of story, it allowes the player to unlock different ships, ship parts and design options. Similar to other racing games it starts you out on tutorial levels and then offers a league that increases steadily in difficulty and velocity.
The game has different types of challenges, from speed trials to races against NPCs to the so called boss tracks, where the race changes it's course ever so often, and you have to react to the long winding environments. Of course, playing Redout 2 in multiplayer is always an option!
Ship Customisation
There are 12 fictional racing teams in the game which each offer a unique ship chassis. Those don't only differ in how they look but also in how they handle, how fast and durable they are, and how quick they accelerate. With the parts you unlock in the carreer mode, you can increase the stats of any of the ships until you get to the S-rank modules, which are the fastest in the game.
The game also has a boost mechanic that is easy to learn but hard to master. Or rather, getting to know the tracks and subsequently learning when to actually use the boost is a bit of a challenge in itself. The same goes for learning to navigate the environmental hazards. Driving in hot areas, for example surrounded by lava, makes your ship more prone to overheating while driving underwater cools you down and gives you more opportunities to boost.
The music is now more in the style of EDM and less electronic pop-based like the first instalment. While I slightly prefer the soundtrack of the first game, Redout 2 offers some great background tracks and since different artists have worked on different songs for the game, there is still some variety depending on the biome you drive in.
Redout 2 currently sits around 19.99 € on steam for the base game with 17.99 € for the season pass which includes all DLC environments, but it goes on sale for half the price fairly often. As of June 11th 2024 all global leaderbords have been wiped due to a rollout of a new balancing patch. If you haven't tried the game before, this is literally the best time to start playing.
