Rampage 2: Universal Tour
| Company type | Video game developer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Products | Rampage 2: Universal Tour |
Rampage 2: Universal Tour is an action title released in 1999, developed by Avalanche Software and published under the Midway label. This game represents the third entry in the Rampage lineup, serving as a direct follow-up to the 1997 release Rampage World Tour.
Plot
The narrative begins with George, Lizzie, and Ralph imprisoned in prominent global cities: George is held in New York City, Lizzie in Tokyo, and Ralph in London, referencing iconic creatures such as King Kong, Godzilla, and Werewolf of London. Concurrently, an accident at Scumlabs’ newly reconstructed facility located in Salt Lake City results in the creation of three fresh monsters: Boris (a rhinoceros), Curtis (a mouse), and Ruby (a lobster). Players choose from the original trio to embark on a mission to liberate their captured companions by collaborating to demolish structures, vehicles, and adversaries. Upon their release, George, Lizzie, and Ralph become selectable characters. After all monsters have been freed, they face an extraterrestrial invasion endangering Earth. The group then rescues Myukus, a green, cyclopean alien from Area 51, who joins their efforts to pursue invaders across the Solar System, dismantling alien bases and their home planet.
The storyline is presented through a news broadcast chronicling the monsters' destructive path. In the climax, Myukus unexpectedly consumes an alien news anchor.
Gameplay
Players encounter destructible buildings within each stage of Rampage 2: Universal Tour. Damaging these structures sufficiently causes them to collapse, occasionally revealing items and power-ups beneficial to the player. Progression to subsequent levels occurs after all buildings in a city are destroyed. Approximately every five stages, mini-games provide opportunities to earn bonuses such as extra lives, health boosts, or special abilities.
Stages feature real-world landmarks like London's Tower of London and Big Ben, Washington, DC's White House and US Capitol, New York City's Chrysler Building, Empire State Building, and pre-9/11 World Trade Center, along with Chicago's Willis Tower. Some extraterrestrial planets bear names derived from Earth cities.
The PlayStation edition includes full-motion video sequences and distinct musical tracks for Asian and European locations. In contrast, the Nintendo 64 version omits these cutscenes and reuses North American music themes for those regions.
Reception
The Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64 editions garnered mixed critiques, whereas the PlayStation version received predominantly negative reviews according to aggregated scores from GameRankings.
IGN’s Craig Harris labeled the PlayStation iteration as "monotonous" and "repetitive," although he acknowledged improvements over its predecessor, Rampage World Tour. Overall ratings ranged from average to poor among major reviewers, indicating a tepid reception across different platforms.