Rage
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There's no denying that Rage is a beautiful game, but are the excellent graphics enough to warrant your hard earned cash? Is there enough content to give the game more than superficial value? Has Id Software created another classic in the vein of Quake and Doom, or is Rage eye candy and nothing more?
Id Software certainly has it in them to make a great first person shooter. Their track record spans decades of popular shooters and, while some gamers may not hold recent releases like Doom 3 and Quake 4 on the same level as the old classics, Id has rarely faltered. Unfortunately, Rage follows the path of Id’s last few games more closely than the classics. Fans that were hoping for a fun shooter will find a lot to like in Rage, but beyond that, the package is unfinished and shallow.
Stepping into the world of Rage for the first time is an exhilarating experience. Sprawling red cliffs stretch to the horizon and intriguing buildings can be seen far in the distance. Rage is Id's poster-child for their new game engine, Id Tech 5, and it represents the potential of the engine well. Detailed textures and shaders paint the environments and characters in a realistic tone. This is one of the best looking games to come out this generation, and it all runs at a solid sixty frames per second. The engine is not without its kinks though. Slow-loading textures are sometimes distracting, and, while the levels look amazing, there is no dynamic lighting in the console version of the game. Overall, the art design and strong technical performance overshadow any minor quirks.
Unfortunately, the graphics are Rage's strongest feature by far. They do a great job of making a small and linear game seem like an expansive world, but they can only mask the truth for a short time. It turns out that Rage isn't the open world game that it aspires to be. You're given a buggy with which you can traverse the wasteland, but there are only a few paths to take and they lead directly to the games dungeons. Dungeons range in look and feel and the level design often provides some fun shooting action, but every mission feels largely the same, with you running through corridors, shooting enemies, and then zip-lining back to the entrance again once you've collected some document or artifact.
Enemies are fun to fight as they dodge and jump around the screen. The frantic gunfights are generally well-designed, but even they get repetitive near the end of the experience. Rage's guns feel great. The staples or your arsenal – the shotgun, sub-machine gun, and pistol – are a blast to shoot, but the more unique weapons and ammo are what sets Rage apart. You'll fall in love with the wingstick, a bladed boomerang that can be upgraded to target enemies' necks. Each weapon has multiple alternate ammo options. The shotgun can fire grenade-like rounds, the crossbow can fire mind control and electrified bolts and the machine guns have heavy ammo types for increased damage. Overall, the gun play feels well balanced and smooth, but the fun wears off as enemies take more and more bullets to kill and you realize that enemy behavior is much simpler than it appears.
By the time the credits roll, Rage will have shown you a glimpse of its world and provided you with some intense battles, but you'll feel like a huge chunk is missing. Every character you meet has a series of fetch quests for you to complete and nothing more. There's a hint of personality in Rage's denizens, but it's never really expanded. The climax of the story provides little satisfaction and it feels like this game was meant to be much more. Rage is a good proving ground for Id's new engine and it's worth a play through, but don't be surprised if the game feels slightly emptier than it looks.
Id Software certainly has it in them to make a great first person shooter. Their track record spans decades of popular shooters and, while some gamers may not hold recent releases like Doom 3 and Quake 4 on the same level as the old classics, Id has rarely faltered. Unfortunately, Rage follows the path of Id’s last few games more closely than the classics. Fans that were hoping for a fun shooter will find a lot to like in Rage, but beyond that, the package is unfinished and shallow.
Stepping into the world of Rage for the first time is an exhilarating experience. Sprawling red cliffs stretch to the horizon and intriguing buildings can be seen far in the distance. Rage is Id's poster-child for their new game engine, Id Tech 5, and it represents the potential of the engine well. Detailed textures and shaders paint the environments and characters in a realistic tone. This is one of the best looking games to come out this generation, and it all runs at a solid sixty frames per second. The engine is not without its kinks though. Slow-loading textures are sometimes distracting, and, while the levels look amazing, there is no dynamic lighting in the console version of the game. Overall, the art design and strong technical performance overshadow any minor quirks.
Unfortunately, the graphics are Rage's strongest feature by far. They do a great job of making a small and linear game seem like an expansive world, but they can only mask the truth for a short time. It turns out that Rage isn't the open world game that it aspires to be. You're given a buggy with which you can traverse the wasteland, but there are only a few paths to take and they lead directly to the games dungeons. Dungeons range in look and feel and the level design often provides some fun shooting action, but every mission feels largely the same, with you running through corridors, shooting enemies, and then zip-lining back to the entrance again once you've collected some document or artifact.
Enemies are fun to fight as they dodge and jump around the screen. The frantic gunfights are generally well-designed, but even they get repetitive near the end of the experience. Rage's guns feel great. The staples or your arsenal – the shotgun, sub-machine gun, and pistol – are a blast to shoot, but the more unique weapons and ammo are what sets Rage apart. You'll fall in love with the wingstick, a bladed boomerang that can be upgraded to target enemies' necks. Each weapon has multiple alternate ammo options. The shotgun can fire grenade-like rounds, the crossbow can fire mind control and electrified bolts and the machine guns have heavy ammo types for increased damage. Overall, the gun play feels well balanced and smooth, but the fun wears off as enemies take more and more bullets to kill and you realize that enemy behavior is much simpler than it appears.
By the time the credits roll, Rage will have shown you a glimpse of its world and provided you with some intense battles, but you'll feel like a huge chunk is missing. Every character you meet has a series of fetch quests for you to complete and nothing more. There's a hint of personality in Rage's denizens, but it's never really expanded. The climax of the story provides little satisfaction and it feels like this game was meant to be much more. Rage is a good proving ground for Id's new engine and it's worth a play through, but don't be surprised if the game feels slightly emptier than it looks.
