Review: RAGE

[xy_game]When Bethesda first unveiled RAGE back in January, gamers were stunned by its outstanding visual detail. After seeing so many gameplay videos released while leading up the launch of the game, players were quite certain it would be an experience to remember. We’ve had a go with RAGE and would like to share our thoughts with you.

RAGE isn’t exactly your contemporary shooter. In fact, it’s probably the furthest thing from it. The game mixes elements from a variety of popular games including Gearbox Software’s Borderlands, and Bethesda’s own Fallout series. Although you can easily point out where certain mechanics in RAGE are taken from, they mix in a way that makes RAGE feel like its own experience, and not 100% like anything else you’ve played. Sometimes this is a good thing and not so much at other times.

From the very moment you start the game, you’ll know you’re in a vast wasteland littered with small settlements and various areas to explore. Missions are presented to you in a similar fashion to Borderlands, and you’ll talk to various NPC’s who present you with tasks to complete. The game doesn’t have an experience system though, and you upgrade your strength by purchasing items and weapons as you progress through the game. Engineering recipes can also increase the stats of equipped items so that should be one of your main focuses during the game. Of course you’ll need cash to buy these upgrades and you can earn it by completing a selection of side quests, some of which can reward you with useful items.

The feeling of being alone in the wasteland could not be designed any better, but this may be a downside for some players. Whether you have your trustworthy buggy or not, the distance in between point A and point B can seem rather lengthy at times, and it’s sometimes downright boring to make the trip. At times you’ll encounter enemy patrols to mix things up a bit, but for the most part it’s truly a barren wasteland. I see what id Software is going for and while they seem to have achieved what they have aimed for, it’s going to impact every player differently.

Missions will take you to various bandit outposts most the time and when you first get introduced to the gunplay in the game it will feel awkward. It feels similar to Fallout 3 in terms of the aiming/handling, but it performs more fluently. You’ll start with a very basic handgun that doesn’t feel overly powerful or impressive, but once you get your first “Fat Boy” slugs the gun becomes quite effective it speeds up the pace of the game too.

The weapons are pretty standard in any shooter, but it’s the upgrades and add-ons that really change things up for the better. “Pop Rockets” can turn your regular ‘shotty’ into a devastating weapon that tears through enemies, but without that add-on it’s just another gun. Creating new types of ammo and changing up your arsenal is a big part of RAGE and it’s one of the features I loved to play around with because there are so many possibilities. You can have various weapons set to quick selection, along with various styles of ammo so you can quickly adapt to any situation you encounter. One unique weapon in RAGE is the WingStick – basically a bladed boomerang that homes in on enemies and can easily behead them. Wingsticks can easily save your life due to being able to throw them quickly at any time, making them a must-have item in this dangerous world. The homing feature is a lifesaver because enemies in RAGE aren’t always predictable and they’ll perform cartwheels and somersaults to avoid your gunfire, but the Wingstick isn’t so easily avoided.

A large part of RAGE is the racing which features time trials, combat races, standard races, and a variation on checkpoint races. Racing is by far the most enjoyable activity you’ll participate in and it’s been designed into the core of the game. Racing is primarily included to earn upgrades for your buggy, and while upgrades are really required for game progression they add to the fun factor of being able outrun or destroy enemy vehicles in the wasteland. Standard races and combat races are the most enjoyable and the AI seems to be able to keep up with you most of the time and it makes for a fast-paced and fun race. Combat isn’t too advanced and you’ll be able to take out enemies with your standard rockets and machine guns, and the explosions from a destroyed combatant are gorgeous.

RAGE does have a multiplayer aspect that includes some co-operative missions, but it plays second fiddle to the combat racing portion of game. There are some unique modes that set it apart from other games including “Meteor Rally”, one of enjoyable modes you’ll get to play. It requires players to collect ore from one point in the map, and deliver it to another point that would randomly spawn during the game. It’s different and it’s refreshing to have some different objectives that we don’t see in every multiplayer mode available in gaming today.

The aforementioned co-op missions are decent fun, but they just put you and one other player into the environments from the single player campaign to complete basic objective together. If there was any part of RAGE that feels ‘tacked-on’ then these missions are it.

Let’s move onto the most notable feature of RAGE – its graphics. Using a brand new engine and technology, id Software has managed to surpass all competition and they’ve delivered the best looking console game to date. Skylines and detail to actual world itself are on a whole new level from start to finish RAGE runs at a smooth 60 frames per second and doesn’t appear to have any drops in the framerate whether you’re in a large battle sequence or racing at high speed through the wasteland. Fiery explosions have never looked so great!

There are some pop-in effects in both the 360 and PS3 versions, but it seems to be more noticeable on the PS3 version. The 360 version of RAGE will take 25GB of space to install, and if you’ve got the space it’s highly recommended. Not only will it perform slightly better than the PS3 version (despite its mandatory installation), but it will considerably cut down on load times.

On the sound side of things I’ll say one thing – John Goodman! Fred Flintstone, King Ralph, however else you may remember him… John voices the character of Dan Hagar, the first person you’ll meet in the wasteland. As for the soundtrack itself, it fits the environment of RAGE, but it’s quite forgettable to be honest.  Ambient sound effects fill in the gaps while you’re traveling across the land, along with added in pops and cracks of gunfire when enemies are in the vicinity.

RAGE isn’t exactly what I expected or even what I personally wanted, but for the target group of players it’s a fantastic title and id Software has achieved greatness. It’s not your typical shooter yet it offers some familiar mechanics mixed with completely new features and it keeps RAGE feeling unique. The ending was rather abrupt and can be reached in approximately 8-12 hours depending on how much time you focus on the storyline. For those looking for a stunningly beautiful game with fun weapon customization, vehicular combat and a high level of customization, RAGE delivers.