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Developer: 34BigThings
Publisher: Saber Interactive
Switch Release Date: June 16, 2022
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One
Reviewed On: Xbox Series S

Are you a fan of the F-Zero franchise, or the futuristic/anti-gravity racing genre it spawned? Redout II will satisfy that need for speed and get you flying through 36 high speed tracks on your own or against friends!

Synopsis:

Strap on your seat belts; Redout II is an outer space thrill ride, spanning dozens of unique exotic locations. This game is all about high speed and poppy neon visuals. Joining the ride is a nice, simple electro soundtrack. After a surprisingly challenging tutorial, this game will get your heart pumping with all the excitement it has in store.

Analysis:

The biggest quality of Redout II is its speed and how you harness it. Control of your racer is done by using both analog sticks to steer. One stick strafes while the other changes your craft’s pitch. Fly through these racetracks at the fastest speeds your reflexes can handle and focus on not crashing. Timing is key to accomplish each strafe in order to initiate a turning correctly. A standard boost gauge will pour some adrenaline on, but could easily cause you to collide with an obstacle. Taking damage affects your boost which is a key component to winning races, so try to stay in your lane and avoid crashes. Boosting will be crucial to landing some of the long deadly jumps that help define Redout II‘s tracks.

Some tracks have gut wrenching twists and loops to run through over 600mph! Like most games of the genre, boosting too much can result in your ship overheating, or worse: exploding, So, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your heat meter. There are 36 tracks to race through, and all tracks can be played in reverse. Another of Redout II‘s signatures is a boss mode that combines multiple courses into one megatrack. As always in racing games, you will unlock new ships and upgrade with parts for better stats to help get through some of the harder events as you progress. I was unable to play online against human opponents, but I know how fun racing against friends can be, especially given how engaging single player is. Multiplayer allows for up to 12 pilots in this high speed galactic paradise! So, talk to some friends about playing Redout II together.

Final Score: 3.0

Redout II is perfect for fans familiar with the first game, the anti-grav racing genre, or anyone up for a difficult racing challenge. The tutorial system doesn’t do much to teach you the game’s intricacies, but the ship’s movement is spectacular. The mechanics for strafing, altering pitch, and boosting make for nice, tight and responsive controls. Tackling tracks at the speed and precision needed to win, takes a lot of practice, so expect to spend a lot of time getting through the learning curve. The visuals are exotic and breathtaking at times. which makes crashing worth it while mesmerized by the scenery. This game may be difficult, but it is an absolute blast and will satisfy your need for speed.

Will you be picking up Redout II? Let us know in the comments, or hop on over to the Boss Rush Discord!