RAGE - followed by disappointment....
However, RAGE is not nearly as much of an open-world as Fallout is. Rather than having a vast landscape for you to roam around in, filled with plenty of things to discover and experiment with, RAGE is very closed in. High mountains line the roads which despite being wide at various points, have nothing to deserve your attention. In addition there are also only 2 main settlements which again seem to lack the depth of cities in games like Oblivion and Fallout. Granted they look very nice and the attention to detail is remarkable but nowadays I think it takes more than nice graphics to catch the attention of your average gamer. Also, the way in which the residents of the towns move around in a very obvious set path does nothing except remove your attention from the fact that your playing a game.
Possibly the most disappointing aspect for me though was the lack of player customization. You have no control over your character's physical appearance, nor do you have any control over what kind of person you choose to be. With the game being called RAGE I found it incredibly ironic that you have no choice but to be a relentless charity case who will do anything for anyone. Sure, you can refuse to do missions but eventually you have to do them anyway otherwise you can't progress within the story.
One thing I did enjoy about this game is the gun battles. Each of the weapons you use has a satisfying balance to it and you really feel the power of your gun when you hit an enemy. Also, driving in the various vehicles is fairly good fun and once you mount machine guns and rockets on your car of choice, it is rewarding when you destroy enemy vehicles that are chasing you.
Overall, RAGE is a mediocre game which isn't really open-world. Sure, you can go wherever you wish but with it's astounding lack of places to visit and things to see, what's the point?... You will most likely find yourself just forging your way through the main quests. The graphics are lovely and some of the game mechanics are to be praised but personally, I wouldn't rush out and by this game if you haven't already. Furthermore, don't buy it with the hope that it is like Fallout, because it just isn't...