RAGE

Rage looks like a launch title for whatever system Xbox is planning for us next. I still can't believe my six year old Xbox 360 is capable of delivering the graphics and the gameplay I've been enjoying for the past week. Rage is much more than just the best FPS experience I've had in 2011; it is a pivotal and redefining moment for the future of game design that will push your console further than anyone though it could go. You don't want to miss this.

RAGE is easily one of the best games of 2011. The game is stunningly gorgeous, the gameplay is incredibly varied, and the entire experience is insanely addictive.

Minor quibbles aside, we here at GamingExcellence have never been so happy to be so enraged. It's a great day for gaming when we can welcome id Software back into our living rooms and computer desks. RAGE is an easy candidate for the best game of the year, and was well worth the wait. Don't miss it.

An outRAGEously fun shooter.

Graphically there is nothing on the console that compares, and in terms of the complete package, it delivers in every way.

While the game doesn't necessarily introduce any kind of ground-breaking gameplay elements, what it does is perform some tried-and-true FPS staples (and some newer concepts too) at a very high level, and hits the mark an overwhelming majority of the time.

In the end, iD have come back with gusto and their latest game Rage is definitely a keeper.

A must have for both fans of FPS and sandbox games because it succeeds in both genres. An addictive and furiously violent videogame that will be breathtaking for every action fan.

While its other elements hep create atmosphere, they aren't as polished as its peerless gunplay. [Issue#77, p.82]

RAGE has certainly delivered as a step forward in first person shooters and is a refreshing change from the same old games that are released year-in year-out

Instead of trying to revolutionize a genre, id has given us another stellar game that's taken elements from a few different games, in many cases improved them, and seamlessly integrated them into RAGE's world.

Despite some issues regarding the Artificial Intelligence and the dullness of the plot, Rage is a truly masterpiece. After 15 years id Software delivers a rock solid IP: a fascinating world meets an interesting gameplay, various as few other titles. Shooting and driving around in the wasteland is an experience every player should give a try.

The gameplay, both driving and shooting, is wild, gory fun; the graphics raise the bar on how a next-generation product is supposed to look; the audio is top-quality; and the multiplayer stuff that does exist is more than enough to keep you and your fellow gamers busy.

RAGE is a giant step for id Software, a team proud of its legacy but brave enough to explore a lot of new ideas. It's a must-have for first person shooter fans and people who enjoy a more classical gameplay.

Rage delivers as an action game, with outstanding graphics and gameplay that is sometimes tactic, sometimes savage and always intense. Some players may expect a sandbox, but the game is really a very classic action shooter.

Rage's story and overworld design feel dated, but its heart-pounding gunplay is a nice change of pace in a market filled with "follow me" and pop-and-fire shooters. While light RPG elements are present, this is mainly a game for players who love challenging combat experiences.

Striding purposefully along the history of a genre it created, id has plucked the best ideas from four generations of first-person shooters and woven them into something not especially original, but truly exceptional nonetheless.

RAGE is an excellent game that combines the pedigree of id's amazing gunplay with an open-world style game that focuses on action as opposed to RPG elements.

All that said, RAGE still offers a ridiculously fun FPS adventure that is exhilarating, satisfying, and capable of living up to the id Software name in nearly everything that it does.

After four years of waiting, id rewards us with a surprisingly deep FPS, that combines the usual expertise of the studio in this genre with a rich and engaging world powered by the powerful id Tech 5.

Do you feel games similar to Fallout 3 are a little too open-ended? Or maybe Call of Duty is too linear? Well, Rage is some kind of happy medium between the two and it's unlike anything id has done before.

We never imagined that the RPG elements would be so vast or deftly handled, resulting in a pleasant surprise. A near-perfect mix of first-person shooting and role-playing, it's a nice fit for those who felt too detached from the gun play in Fallout 3 or Mass Effect.

At its core though, RAGE is a triumph for id Software. The game's strengths far outweigh its shortcomings and for shooter fans looking for a challenging, visceral experience that isn't akin to shooting fish in a barrel, you're going to find it here.

The core gameplay is well designed and executed and there's plenty to do if you fancy a change of pace. With the FPS genre currently defined and dominated by standardised modern-military shooters, Rage comes as a very welcome breath of fresh air.

As a fun and frenetic FPS, Rage delivers in spades. That the same can't be said for the game's story is a real shame. It's especially disappointing as Rage feels like it's building to a strong crescendo, before fizzling out like a damp firework. Rage veers incredibly close to greatness then, but ultimately fails to win itself a cigar.

The are several flaws in the gameplay starting from the light plot to the unusual checkpoints and savegames system and the minimal multiplayer. But at the same time RAGE does its work as a wonderful first person shooter and the racing section works well too.

In the end, Rage plays similar to what may be a cross between Red Dead Redemption, Red Faction and a (not red) racing title, but it does so in traditional Id Software style: unique gameplay, tonnes of re-playability, over the top weapons, vehicles and destruction all wrapped up with a story second to none (believe me, there are some twists but the advancement of the story becomes just as intriguing as the gameplay itself).

The house of Doom delivers a masterful single-player shooter with top notch gunplay, let down by a disappointing final third.

A very good shooter with great visuals and some interesting RPG contaminations. But the dull story and lack of real innovation in the FPS missions keep it from being the great id Software comeback we were expecting.

id's back with a funny shooter, filled with content and good ole first person shootin' made in Texas. It could've been much better with more polish and fewer half-cooked ideas though, probably a sign that 5 years out of a fast growing market is way too much.

Although Rage has some cookie cutter moments, and the fetch quests can feel a bit too much, the visuals, control, and sound make up for this in spades.

Some aspects of Rage leave you with the feeling that there could have been more. More open world, more story, more driving. More meaning. Still, Rage is a brilliant shooter from people who know exactly how a perfect shoot-out needs to be. If you love a good gunfight on your screen, this game is for you.

It's such a great change of pace from the Modern Warfares and Battlefields that occupy the gaming landscape, and the shooting gameplay only serves to remind us about how well suited id is at developing FPS titles.

RAGE is the new standard of post apocalyptic destruction.

The shooting is good and the driving/car combat/racing aspects offer a lot of potential to fill out the world even more. As is, Rage is still recommended.

RAGE is an ambitious game that brings you a destroyed open world you want to keep coming back to. It's a shame this game suffers from occasional unloaded textures and a longer single player adventure would have been nice. The sheer amount of fun you will find in RAGE however, make this game a must buy for fans of the better shooter and role-playing games.

As I mentioned above, Rage runs incredibly smooth on the 360 and it is definitely one of the most beautiful games to hit the console. I enjoyed the variety the gameplay had to offer and I thought the game was paced pretty well. Id Software has created a fun new universe and I can't wait to experience the next chapter.

The great controls and useful weapon upgrades help make Rage's shooting parts a lot of fun, but the storyline fails to create any real tension and the game's characters, friendly and hostile, never do or say anything memorable.

A game of two halves - starts brilliantly but fades. Nice vehicular combat though. [Dec 2011, p.84]

In the end, Rage reminds me a lot of Borderlands, another game that, while uniquely awesome in its own way, ultimately left me disappointed: same basic locale, same silent protagonist, same pseudo-open world, same focus on driving to missions, same side quest driven, bare-bones story. To be honest, the fact that Rage is a better shooter with much better vehicle controls is tempered by the lack of RPG elements that would allow you to invest in, or "own," your character. Instead, you're just sort of... there.

The most compelling aspect of Rage is the combat, which is undoubtedly id's forte, but its partly open world, storyline and characters feel diluted and inferior when compared to the big hitters in the action RPG genre. Those hoping to see the developer finally break out of the corridor will have to wait a little longer.

If you're looking for another post-apocalyptic shooter that offers an interesting take on both the racing and shooter genre, RAGE is the place to look. Though I understand why some may be disappointed after such a long wait with no real revolution here but instead a continuation of what id Software are known for.

It's not quite the evolution we hoped it to be, but on the other hand Carmack and his team show how guns on an FPS should really feel like, showcasing amazing A.I. and stunning graphics that never fall below the mark of 60 fps.

Rage starts out slow and ends rather bad, but it grows upon you as the game progresses. Id Software really nails the gunfights (as expected) and Rage is loaded with extra content such as races, card games and Easter eggs.

Rage is a strange beast, at once very deep and very shallow. Though unlikely to win game of the year, there is still much to like about what is on offer. There is heart here, and there is fun to be had, but unlike in the past this most recent release by id Software is not going to change the world.

This is meat-and-potatoes action game design with a few antiquated quirks, but it does what it does well enough--and looks legitimately stunning while doing it--to deliver a satisfying experience, all told.

Rage is an old school shooter, but a fun one. The enemies are varied and there's lots to do.

Rage is a technical powerhouse, and if you can overlook the bits that don't quite work, you'll find one of the most exciting shooters we've had in years.

Rage is many things: open-world driving and racing game, meticulously designed first-person shooter, stunning realization of a living post-apocalyptic wasteland, and it does all of these things well. It ends just as the party is really getting going, but even the pre-party is fantastic.

As a whole, id Software's game is more than solid, but it still lacks a decent third act, with a scenario that would have focused a little more on the mystery of the apocalypse for example - but more importantly, its underwhelming (to say the least) ending sequence is a stain on an otherwise brilliant world, atmosphere and game design. Controller in hand, it still is a great game to play, with a brilliant gameplay mashup and various neat ideas. This time though, id Software delivered "only" a great game, not a masterpiece.

Most surprising are the vehicle-based sections of the game. In a word, they're fantastic.

Judged on game design and content, then, it's slightly anachronistic, but as a toy box full of things you can only do in games, Rage is warm-hearted and refreshing. It's not going to change the world, but it does serve as a timely reminder of that other thing id Software games always did besides smashing through some new technological barrier.

A decidedly mixed affair. It isn't perfect, some of it feels quite antiquated, and it is by no means the high-water moment in the FPS genre that Doom and Quake were in their day. But it is still a very eye-catching and incredibly fun shooter, and in its best moments, it can't be matched for pure entertainment value.

For ten hours, longer than many entire games, RAGE feels massive, open and beautiful. It's crushing to discover that it's all smoke and mirrors, but while the illusion lasts, it's brilliant.

Rage creates an engrossing world full of dazzling detail and entertaining shooter action.

Solid FPS mechanics mixed with funny and entertaining combat-driving sections. Maybe RAGE won't stand out as a new id Software masterpiece, but certainly it's a very good piece of software.

Shooter fans will like RAGE, but it's lack of story or really innovative elements won't attract new players that didn't love other id games. I hoped for more, guys.

Puzzlingly, Rage even lacks a competitive FPS multiplayer mode - the very thing id Software is best known for. Instead, you get nine two-player co-op side stories (they're decent 20-minute missions worth rolling through once) and a suite of lackluster six-player buggy-racing modes in which you shoot at someone for a while before someone else swoops in and steals the kill at the last second.

It's nothing revolutionary. It comes from a different kind of Id, one that would rather play with existing conventions than reinvent them. Conversely, it's the same Id that puts look and feel on the same high pillar, and it's impossible to call Rage badly-composed. I just don't think it's going to be remembered as anything but a sleeper hit of the fall of 2011.

Vision of the future, relic of the past - after such a long wait, Rage turns out to be both a triumph and a tragedy. In 2011, this just doesn't cut it. [Christmas 2011, p.104]

Rage is a beautiful game set in a vivid and believable world. The old-school id-polish is present, and the weapons and items at your disposal make for a solid shooter. Sadly, the experience is somewhat thwarted by a severely crippled story arc, repetitive gameplay, and a lack of innovation and lasting multiplayer.

Quotation forthcoming.

Rage is a stunningly rendered FPS, but one that seems caught between a desire to innovate and the desire to be true to the template its creators defined.

Rage is a game that would have benefitted from being streamlined, with additional FPS levels replacing the awkward driving. It should have been an id game. Instead it occupies this weird halfway-house between Borderlands, Motorstorm and Doom, not quite an RPG, not quite a racer and not quite an FPS.

By no means is RAGE not worth your time -- it looks stunning, the combat on both wheels and foot is fun, and there's a tremendous sense of atmosphere that deserves to be experienced. However, RAGE's quality only makes its lack of ambition more painful in the long run, as it could easily have been better than it is. It's a good game, most definitely, and one that id fans will enjoy ... just don't expect it to do half of what it looks like it can do.

Rage is flawed from the get-go, and by the time it finds its legs, its all too little, too late.

It's a beautiful pretender; but ultimately, beauty is only a surface attraction.

My advice would be to rent Rage, it can be completed within a weekend and has a few great moments, just keep your expectations to a minimum.

The knuckle-whitening, often horror-infused experiences inside of RAGE are essential to the vernacular of modern shooters. The pretty case they come in is not.

Disappointingly mundane first person shooter from the creators of the genre, with only a few interesting ideas and far too many overfamiliar ones.

There's just not a lot of "there" there - my first playthrough, which included every side-mission and several job board assignments, took me 9 hours and 15 minutes. My second, where I completed every side-mission, every job board assignment, every courier mission, and most of the races, took eight hours and 50 minutes. RAGE ends so abruptly that I didn't realize it was over until the final cutscene began. I was left wondering what had happened.

Huge swaths of Rage are lifted wholesale from Fallout 3, Borderlands, and BioShock, making Rage forever veer between loving homage and blatant plagiarism. In the end, Rage is an insecure, overly busy game that tries too hard to be too many things, and winds up with a greasy sheen of flop-sweat on its brow.

Rage starts to wear out its welcome about 3 to 4 hours in. That's the point where it started to feel like the promise of an open world shooter was more of an illusion than reality.

Rage is a beautiful, totally decent first-person shooter with some driving elements thrown in to spice it up a bit. Based on it's developer's pedigree, the fact that it's not more than that is exceedingly confusing. There's really no obvious attempt at innovation here minus the marrying of Doom to Twisted Metal.

When it comes down to it, Rage is a pretty-faced attempt at combining elements done better in other games.