Review: RAGE

Step into the beautiful and terrifying world of Rage where you must fight every second to survive within this deathly post-apocalyptic environment. Be it from the unspeakable horrors that lurk in the darkness to the psychotic murderers that terrorise the wasteland, you will find yourself running, shooting and driving to the point of insanity in order to save yourself and the rugged survivors that you encounter throughout your perilous journey.

A terrible catastrophe has befallen the planet which has resulted in global fallout. During the golden age of civilization where the human race revelled in their technological advancements and marvelled at the infinite possibilities, a lone asteroid dubbed, Aphophis, completed it’s long journey towards the solar system crashing into the moon and finally impacting with Earth obliterating cities, drying up lakes and oceans and ultimately wiping out the majority of the human population and creatures alike. Before the meteor fell however, scientists came up with a plan they named the Eden Project where they had advanced Ark facilities built deep underground holding hundreds of cryogenic stasis pods in a hope to preserve human life and all its history, which now takes us to the present day.

106 years has passed since impact and the world has finally begun to settle, unknowing if it will ever truly heal. Remnants of the human population have been found holed up in make-shift towns where new civilizations have been brought to life and new lives have brought new opportunities to once again make the world a sustainable environment to live. As one of the few survivors of Apophis you have now awoken from your stasis to find yourself alone in a dead post-apocalyptic setting where towering buildings sit in ruin, monstrous creatures roam in solitude and tribes of savage men battle one another in the endless wastes of the desert. But monsters and savages aren’t the least of your troubles. The highly dangerous Authority who act so as their name states, are a ruthless group of soldiers who despise all other life and aim to turn Earth into their ideal world where they are the supreme rulers. As an Ark survivor you instantly become their top priority, as their unending thirst for knowledge (history) has driven them across the world for your kind and will likely dispose of you if they can’t take from you the knowledge of the past. During the past few years however, Authority have increasingly expanded their influence upon the various human settlements of the wasteland which has no doubt ignited many fuses, giving rise to the rightfully named Resistance, a band of wasteland survivors who fight only for freedom, and being the person you are, you may be just the person to help them obtain it.

As soon as you start up the game you find yourself dropped into the world without a great deal of knowledge or purpose and with such a huge environment to engross yourself within, it can be easy to become a little lost. However id Software has done a great job to combat that and have implemented a number of ways to keep you on the beaten track. As the main story goes, you are pretty much the main centre of attention which will keep you on your feet as you will have people from all corners of the game asking you to do all sorts of odd jobs for them which can sometimes get in the way or at least remove you from the compelling narrative. However the same thing goes for the storyline which will also features a huge variety of colourful and bland character (depending on how you see them) to interact with and gain their trust which will of course then have you running errands in order to further the story.

That said, the open world of Rage isn’t there for you to simply trek around in, shooting bandits in the face but for you to blast around with your dune buggy, taking out other four wheeled psychos with your mini-guns and rockets. And with so much off road terrain to race around in there will no doubt be some awesome jumps to gain some height from. Not only do the jumps provide you with some quick and simple fun but they each ask for a certain amount of speed to reach the hovering nodes that float close by waiting for you to smash through them. There is also some fun to be had in the multiplayer modes which will pit you against a number of other competitive drivers all itching to blow each other to bits while you race around the selected maps, unlocking various new weapons, upgrades and vehicles. While cruising around the wasteland you will notice that your car isn’t invincible and that it will soon start losing parts or even set aflame if you’re not careful. Luckily this can be combated with the help of some friendly locals who will gladly fix up your wheels and even let you buy upgrades depending on your racing skills. In certain towns you can participate in competitive combat races and time trials which if you win, you will be rewarded with certificates that you can exchange for upgrades such as extra boosters, larger engines or even a nice change of paint if you’re feeling in the need for some change.

It’s too bad there aren’t as many customisation features with the weaponry as there are others, but with so many different weapon types I’m sure that factor will soon leave your mind. Not only are there a heap of guns and other ranged weapons to pick up but each of them have their own selection of ammunition, each carrying their own perks such as the explosive shotgun shells or the humorous exploding arrows that will have your foes running around in despair moments before they become mince meat. There are also other helpful ammo types that do more than peak your destructiveness such as the electro bolts that can silently remove multiple enemies at once, working more effectively if they’re standing in water of course. Additionally Rage will have you constructing various objects to help you during your journey that can to help reach new areas or just give you that extra firepower if you’re in a tight spot. No wonder you are prompted so early on to pick up everything in sight since each material you find can be used and combined to create certain items such as lock grinders, sentry turrets or even explosive RC cars that will no doubt give your enemies a fright once they see it rolling in beside them.

The combat system utilized throughout the game is simple, easy and downright fun which only helps to make the game an even more enjoyable experience no matter how many times you play. The enemy encounters have been designed very well to provide you with memorable battles throughout while almost showing off to you what the game can really produce. The bulk of the game revolves around the intense firefights which is an area that id Software have truly poured their expertise in as every time you find yourself blasting metal at your foes you honestly feel like a part of the game simply because every time you pull the trigger or send a grenade flying, you immediately see and understand the cause and effect factor that has been perfectly implemented within the game’s mechanics.

It’s no mystery to why Rage asks for so much memory on any console but I’m positive it is the same reason that makes this title so amazing. The detail id have injected into Rage is beyond measure, sure there may be some texture popping here and there and only for a second or two but all of that quickly fades from memory once you gaze open-jawed at the stunning beauty that thrives within every inch of the game. Everywhere from the loneliest dusty alleys of Wellspring to the towering and decayed buildings of Dead City can you find layers upon layers of colour and detail that drench the landscape in fascinating elegance, giving the game its own sense of personality that only pulls you deeper into the narrative. The character animations featured throughout have also been implemented and infused with great detail as each and every survivor, savage and mutant you come across carries their own demeanour within the game and whether they are fighting or just conversing with one another it makes them feel like a substantial part of the story. And with a range of great voice acting roles such as actor John Goodman, you feel like you are there with them, acting as you would in the various situations you are presented with.

As amazing as the game looks, we must also give equal praise to the deep and engaging soundtrack that plays a massive part within the game from start to finish. Each environment the game places you in holds its own theme and background that can easily transform a cautiously peaceful trek through the wasteland into an intense fight for survival as each score that plays cunningly describes your journey with great detail and accuracy. Some of the most memorable parts in the game come from the soundtrack alone as the tranquil towns scattered across the wasteland make you feel at home with the warm and inviting music that makes you almost forget about the reality of the wastes or even the eerie abandoned cities that continuously put you on edge as the music shifts and changes to imply caution or danger around every corner.

As you may have guessed, Rage isn’t just your standard run of the mill fps, with its huge selection of rich open world themes, intense firefights and fast paced pedal to the metal driving, the various action-adventure aspects pose as a constant reminder of the overall direction id Software were taking with the game, providing us with more than just a genre focused title but a dynamic and diverse experience that persistently expands allowing for different play styles and preferences that help make the game a hugely immersive experience all together. While many of the characters found in the game provide you with the opportunities to continue your journey, they don’t always make a huge impression on you and therefore seem to fall a little shy of expectations. That said, when Rage wants to impress – it will – as everything from the various combat features to the open world car battles to the elegant detail consuming the landscape, all truly shine with brilliance which will no doubt have players coming back time and again for more of this stunning and professionally crafted game.