Rage is a first-person shooter set in a brutal post apocalyptic world. It is also a brave attempt of a once legendary studio to modernize its game design and return to the top. The end result doesn’t quite manage to deliver on that, but Rage is still a surprisingly modern and enjoyable first-person shooter.
The player takes on the role of a nameless Arc survivor who was sent into space before the asteroid hit and turned the planet into a wasteland. Arc survivors were supposed to recreate life on Earth after the disaster. However, things didn’t quite pan out and now the planet is scattered with settlements trying to survive the never ending onslaught of various bandit factions and roaming mutants.
The game world is interesting and unforgiving. It borrows liberally from other sources most notably Mad Max, but that doesn’t make it any less compelling. The first part of the game revolves around getting things that are essential in such a world such as a more powerful weapon or vehicle which creates a great sense of meaning. It’s a shame that it later dissolves into the standard “do this because I tell you to” mission design with no real purpose.
Even though the world structure is open ended, the main story progress is wholly linear. There are side missions, but these mostly revolve around going back to bandit/mutant hideouts you already cleared and clearing them again which makes them completely worthless. All missions basically boil down to getting to a designated place and killing everything that moves. While the shooting is strong enough to carry the design, it does get repetitive after a while.
Speaking of the shooting, it is just great. The weapons feel great, the controls are slick, the movement feels good. The AI is pretty good, the mindless melee rushing enemies will change direction, roll forward, use walls and ceilings and pretty much do everything in their power to dodge your bullets as they try to reach you. Ranged enemies will take cover, try to flush you out with grenades and will even retreat when most of their squad is dead.
The driving, racing and car combat segments are good enough and bring a much needed break from the shooting. Apart from just driving to a location and fighting with bandits along the way, you can also take part in races which will grant you upgrades for your car.
The graphics are great, especially the art style which truly brings this desolate wasteland to life. The atmosphere manages to strike the right chord that so many post apocalyptic games miss. It’s a dangerous world, it’s a brutal world, and just like everyone else, you will do everything it takes to survive in it. It’s truly a shame that the story didn’t explore this further instead of going with a wholly uninteresting “save the world” thing. The sound design is absolutely stellar. The music and the sound effects effortlessly get your blood pumping.
id might have been about 10 years late with Rage, but whatever its status might be, it is still a very good, modern first-person shooter.