RAGE is the latest title from the studio that pioneered the first person shooter, six years after their last major release. In it you awake as the lone survivor of an "Ark", a century after 2029's Aphophis asteroid impact turned the planet into a wasteland. The plot is unashamedly unoriginal, but it's not the just the world of RAGE that id Software has been working on for half a decade. But the real disappointment for me wasn't those performance issues, rather the clear lack of consideration for the PC platform from a studio that built themselves upon it. For example, there was no ability to alter graphics settings. You read that sentence right; you couldn't change your graphics settings. Admirably, id Software very promptly got a patch together to address an array of performance problems and empowered users with options such as the enabling of vsync and ability to set a texture cache size.
Once you're actually up and running, the first thing you will notice is how gorgeous RAGE is. Not the finer details - objects are too often smothered with low resolution textures up close - but the overall aesthetic. I found myself snapping dozens of screenshots, some of which you can see below, as I continually fumbled to find my jaw on the table. The environments and their ambiance is remarkable, taking an otherwise clichéd dystopian setting to new heights.
Despite how good RAGE looks, it runs smooth. Real smooth. The goal with id Tech 5 was 60fps on current generation consoles such as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, so if you have built a gaming PC anytime within the last half decade there's a good chance it'll run silky for you as well.
While the world does look very good, id Software only had a halfhearted crack at making the cities dynamic enough to be believable. Citizens will come and go, while those who remain persistent will be in different areas, doing different things. They'll even have different things to say to you as your status amongst the people changes. But it's not quite enough. While this aspect of the game is better than, say, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, the arrangements still do feel too much like static arrangements. It's not a deal breaker, but I was left wanting a little more in this department.
Beyond the aforementioned cookie-cutter plot there is some strength to the story telling experience, which I felt was through the characters themselves. Every one of the key people you interact with is as unique and interesting as the next, brought to life by id Tech 5 and a team of brilliant artists. Most characters are relatively well voice acted, but more importantly are well cast. They're some of the best designed characters I've come across in a first person shooter.The enemies you'll meet are quite a diverse bunch as well: Mutants, Jackals, the Authority and more. Movement and animations are impressive, as is the artificial intelligence in most instances. They run for cover, call for backup, leap objects and attempt to break their fall after you've blown their helmet off in spectacular fashion.
Each brand of bad guy has their own strength and weakness which calls on the use of different weapons or types of ammunition to dispatch them effectively. Because of this, there's a solid offering in the arsenal department as well. My favorites were the classics: the Combat Shotgun and Rocket Launcher, but taking heads off with the boomerang-like Wingstick might have been my most satisfying exploit.
Firefights are always ferocious and tense, helped along not just by the enemies you encounter, but the ambient audio and range of creepy, gruesome, gritty environments that blend horror and sensational action at almost every corner. There are just a few set-piece boss battles, none of which are all that dazzling, but there's a really rich shooter experience to be had wherever the game takes you on the merits of that gunplay and the environments alone.On a final gameplay note, the vehicle combat isn't nearly as bad as I had expected. It never feels necessary, but it wasn't unenjoyable - even the races were somewhat fun, albeit repetitive. Thankfully my 'take it or leave it attitude' was appeased, as jumping in your buggy serves as a mere footnote in the grand scheme of the game. While I didn't hate the driving, I think I would have rather trekked across the Wasteland and done some exploring on foot.
Wrapping things up, I feel obligated to trash-talk RAGE's conclusion, as it's one of the most disappointing I've come across in a long while. Things begin to tire after you reach Subway Town and the final mission is very much an anti-climax. The reward for bringing a close to your story borders on being completely absent. I just couldn't stay angry at RAGE after finishing it, though - I had enjoyed the ride far too much.
RAGE may seem similar to other post apocalyptic shooters, but don't confuse it for one of them, as it's very different. Beyond the story is a riveting shooter experience at RAGE's core, bolstered with incredible environments, exceptional level design and gunplay to be admired. If you love shooters, love sci-fi, and aren't expecting an open-ended or thorough RPG experience, you'll probably love this too.
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