..RAGE..

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Post-apocalyptic games have been all the rage over the past few years, and the latest addition to the party, Rage, is about to drop another bomb on the gaming world. Well, it‘s technically a meteor, but you get the point. Hopefully you’re not tired of exploring devastated, dilapidated landscapes. Let’s put it this way: if prior apocalyptic games were all part of a dazzling fireworks show, Rage would be the grand finale… if it lives up to all its potential.  

Graphics-wise, the game is virtually guaranteed to drop your jaw. Rage is set in a twisted, dark world (no doubt), but the color palette would tell you otherwise. Traversing sewers, canyons, cities, and settlements, you’ll get to see what the Apophis meteor did to the world from the underground up. The developer built the id Tech 5 engine solely for Rage, and from what’s out there in the media, id Software made the end of the world look good. Just remember you’re glaring at the panoramic views like a hippie on a mushroom trip to focus. There’s almost always someone, or something, trying to add one more person to the apocalypse’s death toll. 

- Apocalypse at its best -

Rage will have at least two main territories: the Wasteland and Eastern Lands. We’ve counted up six clans dotted across the wasteland thus far, and each has their own turf and agenda. This doesn’t include the scores of mutated humans that have become mindless humanoids. But, somebody has to be cannon fodder. With nifty gadgets that’d make MacGyver jealous, Rage should have plenty of variety in the combat department to complement your typical FPS pistol, shotgun, and assault rifle arsenal. id Software has revealed a turret, explosive RC car, and the “Wingstick,” a head-severing boomerang. Needless to say, we‘re downright giddy to see what other gadgets Rage has waiting for us. 

The most exciting part about the gameplay is the heavy use of automobiles. No post-apocalyptic game (and very few RPGs in general) feature cars at all -- never mind making them a major component. Dune buggies, ATVs, and sport cars are all at the body shop, and you can slap on all sorts of weapons and armor to make your Sunday drive a demolition derby the likes of which we haven’t seen since Twisted Metal. 

While id Software has put a lot of firepower behind gameplay, Rage’s story is a little concerning. Apophis, a meteor the size of Manhattan has collided with the moon and Earth, causing all sorts of chaos. The playable character is the lone survivor of the Ark, a project that tried to preserve humanity by sheltering masses of humans underground with resources to preserve life. Amongst all the crazy people, you’ll be tasked with finding worthy allies to save the world, yada yada yada. Does any of this sound like Fallout 3 yet? We’re hoping to see enough originality in details to give Rage a storyline of equal quality to gameplay, but if not, at least there is the promise of stellar action to keep us coming back to its post-apocalyptia. 

- id Software's next foray into the shooter genre will be action-packed -

There have been many great titles that deal with the end of the world, but they all have flaws, whether that be a lack of mission variety, automobiles, or their cumbersome game mechanics. Rage’s story could be the chink in its armor, but everything else looks seriously impressive. One thing that we’d like to see more of is the RPG system. We’re fairly sure there will be a deep skill point mechanic, but id has kept a tight lid on the details so far. We’ll have to wait until September 13th (September 15th in Europe) to find out all the gory details.  

John Arkontaky John loves gaming and loves writing about games. He wants to become a known voice in the gaming community and a game designer one day.

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