When id Software and Avalanche Studios made Rage 2, they decided to keep the weapon count low to ensure that each weapon was well made. That has proved controversial for players more accustomed to shooters with a staggering number of guns like the Borderlands series, but there’s no denying the guns handle well and some are ludicrously fun to use.
That being said, not every gun is all that enjoyable to use and you’ll find yourself wishing you could handle the more entertaining weapons on a more frequent basis. Here’s what to expect from the guns in Rage 2.
10 Sidewinder Pistol
A standard pistol granted to the player at the beginning of the game. You will use this a lot in the start, but later on, as more weapons become available and ammo exceedingly plentiful, this will be something you only resort to when bashing crates or if you’ve exhausted all other ammo types.
It’s not a bad weapon by any means, it is just there are so many better and more interesting weapons in the game. You can throw a few upgrades at this gun if you have absolutely nothing else to improve, but even fully upgraded you still won't use it much.
9 Settler Pistol
The Settler Pistol is a weapon only available to those who have pre-ordered the game. It’s obtained after completing the interesting "Cult of the Death God" mission but, despite its bonus status, it is surprisingly a lackluster weapon.
It can lock onto targets when aimed and it fires powerful explosive rounds, but the fire rate is a bit sluggish and reload times seem a tad slow. If the gun was a little stronger or had a better fire rate it may have ranked higher, but it feels like a rapid-fire flare gun without any cool fire effect.
8 Ranger Assault Rifle
This gun is also granted to the player as soon as they dive into the game. It’s a very versatile weapon that works at long and close ranges. You’ll use this quite a bit during the early to mid game, but like the Sidewinder Pistol, there are just too many better and more interesting weapons to justify using this one for long.
Nevertheless, do not completely discount the Ranger Assault Rifle, as it is a good fallback weapon that’ll keep you alive in most situations. You’ll find yourself using it when better ammo runs out or if you don’t want to waste good ammo on mediocre enemies.
7 Charged Pulse Cannon
The Charged Pulse Cannon can be found in the Shrouded Vault Park. It shoots heated energy rounds that increase in damage as the gun heats up. Although it should be noted that if the weapon overheats the player will have to wait for it to cool down before using it again.
It packs a good wallop, but it feels just a little too sluggish to be much fun. It’s sort of like the Plasma Rifle in Doom 3, but slower and clumsier. There’s also the temperature micromanagement that makes this gun more of a hassle than a go-to weapon.
6 Firestorm Revolver
After finding this gun in the Dank Catacomb Ark, you’ll have a weapon that packs a powerful punch and has a fun secondary effect. The gun fires incendiary rounds that, after a delay, set the enemy ablaze. It sort of feels like a cross between a standard revolver and a flare gun and it’s every bit as entertaining as that sounds.
The reason it doesn’t rank higher is that reload times and fire rates are a tad slow; consequently, the Firestorm Revolver is not ideal for group fights. While singular tough opponents are no problem, for groups, it would have been better if the incendiary rounds caused a status effect like fear on those in the immediate vicinity.
5 Hyper-Cannon
Players can find the Hyper Cannon in the Greenhaven Ark and it’s worth tracking this amusing weapon down. It can fire at a long range and its rails are devastating when charged up. This is by no means a weapon for crowd control, but it can operate as a pseudo sniper and is great for putting a chink in an opponent’s armor before starting fights.
It doesn’t rank higher because it requires being fully upgraded to really get good use out of this weapon, but even then it’s highly situational. It performs its specific role well, but its too niche to demand lots of use.
4 Smart Rocket Launcher
The Smart Rocket Launcher is obtained by finding the Strongbox Ark in Torn Plains. It has two firing modes, the first being a standard long-range rocket that can be detonated by impact or the player, and the other is a smart mode that allows you to lock onto multiple enemies and fire small homing missiles at them.
Fully upgraded this thing packs a punch and Overdrive allows you to fire multiple little rockets to sweep groups of enemies with explosives. It’s everything you want in a rocket launcher and more.
3 BFG 9000
The BFG 9000 is a phenomenal weapon only available to those who’ve bought the Deluxe or Collector’s editions of the game, to find it follow the meteor north of Vineland to its crash site. The BFG 9000 projects a gob of green energy that shreds opponents with a massive explosion. This will one-shot almost every opponent found in the game and groups will absolutely melt.
The only reason this gun sits firmly in the number three spot is due to the weapon only holding a total of seven bullets and new ammo requiring paying $1,000 per round. Enemies can also disrupt (and outright cancel) the charging sequence before each shot, so you better have a few seconds to fire the gun. For those who can afford the ammo and time the shots, this is easily your number one gun in the game. For most players, this is a special treat that largely sits empty in the inventory.
2 Combat Shotgun
This weapon is obtained early on when the player completes the first mission assigned by John Marshall. For such an early weapon, it’s surprisingly powerful when fully upgraded and loads of fun. It’s a pump shotgun that can deal a devastating buckshot blast or fire a kinetic burst that shreds enemies and their armor.
The Overdrive mode is ridiculous, allowing you to fire round after round into enemies in rapid succession. There are few things as satisfying as firing this weapon on Overdrive and watching enemies get shredded.
1 Grav-Dart Launcher
Hands down the most entertaining weapon in the game, the Grav-Dart Launcher is obtained by finding the Needle Falls Ark in The Wilds. The player can fire multiple darts at an opponent and then aim at a separate location and trigger the gravity effect of the darts. These darts will fling the victim to the new destination with a hilarious ragdoll effect and Overdrive allows you to grab large groups and send them flying.
The practicality of this gun is also surprisingly high. Players can slingshot enemies into explosives, off cliffs, other enemies, and an array of other creative combat scenarios. Admittedly it’s a little lackluster against bosses or tough enemies, but you'll be unholstering this weapon with a grin on your face whenever human-sized opponents appear on the horizon.