Rage started out rather promising, as in, having the potential to being an above average shooter; maybe even a great one. When you are thrown in the apocalyptic wasteland for the first time, there is a definite sense of awe and dread. You feel a legitimate sense of relief to be in the hands of a kind individual, and tension mounts. As the game progresses, however, problems rear their ugly head and by the game's (abrupt) end, you really could care less about the story.
Of course none of this would be an issue if the gameplay was excellent. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Rage plays fine; it's a decent shooter, it's pretty, and wingsticks are fun to use. The problem, however is, that's where it ends. From the start, you'll find you have to patch the game to avoid annoying pop in issues. After that, you'll realize that the maps are extremely rigid; that is, invisible walls galore. After playing games like Far Cry 3 and 4, everything feels incredibly restrictive. This applies to the driving as well, which really would have benefited from some sort of 'turning' function with the mouse.
The UI is really...'clunky' and cumbersome. The guns are OK, but shooting isn't all that satisfying. The assault rifles feel like pea shooters, and the melee is soft and ineffective. It's also hard to tell when an enemy is 'downed', and sometimes, it can be confusing with regards of where to go. There is no map, mini map, or compass, so sometimes it's really just up to you to figure out where to go. I understand that more 'hardcore' gamers might enjoy this, but not everyone has a great sense of direction, and this can actually get somewhat nauseating and headache inducing if navigation isn't your strong suit. Side quests are uninteresting, and basically repeats of the same areas.
All in all, Rage isn't a bad game. It's just that compared to other shooters in similar genres, it really does fall flat in terms of 'satisfying' that shooter sweet-tooth.