Rage Xbox 360
Metascore
81 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 77 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 77
  3. Negative: 1 out of 77
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  1. GameShark
    Oct 6, 2011
    33
    For any oomph it delivers, Rage relies on the same familiar gunshot sound effects and the same ridiculous ragdoll fatalities and the same silly enemies rolling left and right. Rage is a reminder how thin the line is between old school and old hat.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.6 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 462 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 113 out of 177
  2. Mixed: 37 out of 177
  3. Negative: 27 out of 177
  1. thesisko
    2
    Boring. Banal. ID fails to deliver either coherent story or strong gameplay. Carmack has lost his touch in pursuit of $$$ and no longer cares about making good games. Avoid this turd.… Full Review »
  2. Andruson
    9
    I honestly don't understand the negative reviews that this game is getting. I've been playing it a great deal since getting my hands on it and for the first time since I can remember that I've invested in a new IP and ended up with exactly what I was expecting. Rage delivers on almost every level.

    I don't need to get into Rage's graphics or presentation; one look at the game speaks for itself in case you haven't heard id's ongoing rambling about it being one of the best looking games available. id Tech 5 shows off enough power here to impress any reasonable person. That being said, I'm playing Rage on the PS3 (that installation time was a **** and the only graphical flaws are minor but similar to those I've seen in Killzone 3 and Crysis 2. I considered getting this game for the 360 but I was turned off by the need for having to install three discs. I have the 250-GB slim model, but as someone who once had the old (and very limited) 20-GB 360, I feel the pain of those who won't have the hard drive space to install all three at once.

    Audio design is just as well done in every aspect one would expect, but I'll leave it up to you to discover how great it is rather than going into detail here.

    My only legitimate complaint thus far is that the checkpoint system in Rage is basically non-existent. You'll receive auto-saves at the beginning of and just after missions, but that's it. Traveling through one of the game's lengthy city stages and being sent back to outside the city walls upon death was frustrating enough for me to put the game down for a while. I've experienced this type of setback a few times already. This is solved simply enough by saving the game whenever it comes to mind, but I'm generally more focused on trying to immerse myself in the world and the action around me to worry about a feature that's standard in most games nowadays.

    Also, it's worthy of a small note that this is not Shakespeare. Rage has a plot, and as some of it's elements aren't exactly new and exciting, (we've all walked out of a vault, scrounged to stay alive, and spent many hours in futuristic wastelands), the player shouldn't expect a groundbreaking narrative from id Software. I was let down by this, as I hoped Rage would be a rift in the trend of shooters with poor stories. It's not a bad plot, it's just kind of there to get you from A to B.

    Other than my minor gripes, Rage is everything I wanted.

    Enemies are just as brutal and resourceful as we've heard, as Rage features some of the best enemy AI I've ever seen. Mutant thugs dodge your reticule when you go ADS, downed foes crawl to cover as they bleed out, etc. I've already been forced to do some encounters twice (see ****y paragraph above) and can confidently say that other than perhaps boss battles, no two encounters in Rage will ever be the same.

    The arsenal available to the player is also impressive, if not comprised of elements that have been done before. Four weapons can be hot-mapped to the right trigger/R2 menu, with additional weapons available in the game's in-depth and useful Inventory system. Two assault rifles, two shotguns, a pistol, a sniper rifle, a rocket launcher, and yes, a crossbow, are among the main tools that deal out very convincing damage to opponents. Each weapon has various firing modes and ammunition types. Coupled with Rage's stellar opponents, mixing weapons, ammo types, and equipment is what makes the combat fun. It's very much the player's game, and it generally rewards creativity with success in combat.

    Driving across the wasteland has been surprisingly fun and deep to this point. It easily outdoes the fragile and clunky controls of the go-karts in Borderlands. Vehicles are waiting to be unlocked, their weapons upgraded, their bodies painted, and bonus powers are available to turn the odds on the bandits who always outnumber the player.
    id obviously has a lot of faith in their vision for Rage's vehicular combat. Races and unlocking new vehicles are key components of progressing in the campaign. Also, traditional FPS multiplayer components have been scrapped and replaced by Twisted Metal-like car combat. It's not a venue of endless entertainment, but it is a fun break from traditional shooters and is much deeper than most will be expecting.

    I firmly believe that reviews have been unfair to Rage. This is, in my opinion, a perfect example of a game that is fun despite some abstract number some critic picked out. The presentation is gorgeous, the gameplay is tight but expansive fun, and this game does just enough right to warrant a return to the all-too-familiar apocalypse setting.

    Rage isn't a masterpiece; it's a vision.    … Full Review »
  3. geeklactica
    9
    I wasn't going to get this game, but after some careful thought and watching many trailers and game play videos, I decided to go out and give it a shot. I do not regret it one bit. This game is amazing. The graphics, sound, setting, ai, animations, mechanics, everything looks, and feels so good. Any fan of post-apocalyptic games needs to give this game a try. Any fan of shooters will not be disappointed, the enemies are always behaving in different ways, allowing you to utilise your entire arsenal in many different ways. The driving is a welcome addition and I found it a very enjoyable way to get to your quests. I've heard a lot of bad things (from critics and gamers alike), mainly in regards to story, but with a solid set of mechanics and awesome location and graphics, a less than awesome story is fine with me (I've only played 3 hours, so I am unable to give my own comments on the story). This game is definitely worth the money and you will not regret your purchase!… Full Review »
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