Bethesda Softworks dropped a gameplay trailer for Rage 2 today as promised. It also shed a bit more light on the story behind the game in a blog post this morning and peppered it with a few screenshots.

Rage 2 will be a collaborative effort. Avalanche Studios has been heading up the project with Doom's id Software providing FPS support. Avalanche is best known for the Just Cause franchise, but it is also the developer responsible for Mad Max. In fact, watching the gameplay, I was thinking to myself, "This is Mad Max only in first person." And that is not a bad thing.

The game, which Bethesda describes as an "open-world shooterverse," takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that has been devastated by an asteroid. Eighty percent of the planet's population has been wiped out, and laws are nonexistent. Humanity has become tribal, and gangs rule territories by force.

The player assumes the role of Walker, "the last Ranger of Vineland." His goal is to dismantle the tyrannical gang the Authority that you might remember from the first game, but first, he has to survive the harshness of the wasteland.

Vehicle combat will play a role in the game, and you can expect it to be just as fun as the vehicular combat in Mad Max. However, let us not forget that Rage 2 is a first-person shooter. Walker will have an assortment of weapons at his disposal, which will be upgradeable.

Additionally, the Vineland Ranger is an Arkist --- the last of his kind with special Nanotrite abilities. This heritage is what makes him a target for the Authority, but it is also what gives him the power to "crush enemies into paste from above in a devastating slam attack or send them flying away from him with a lethal energy push."

He can also use his powers to "Overdrive" his weapons giving them powerful attributes.

"Walker will also learn to channel these Nanotrites into his weapons, pushing them into an awe-inspiring Overdrive, a unique skill that lets him push his guns beyond their limits and unleash absolute hell on his foes. While in Overdrive, Walker's guns do more damage, they gain new attributes, enemies drop better rewards, and Walker's health starts to regenerate. When timed correctly, Overdrive is more than enough to tip the scales in a tricky fight."

Rage 2 is not due out until next year on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, but Bethesda promises to bring us "a lot more" gameplay and details at E3 2018. The BE3 Showcase is scheduled for Sunday, June 10, at 6:30 pm PDT. Bethesda will be streaming the presentation live on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and on its own website.