E3 2010: Rage Impressions

It's rare to see a game that looks so crisp and runs so smoothly on a console, but that's exactly what id Software seems to have accomplished with Rage. It's the studio's first big budget release since Doom 3, and id's commitment to giving gamers a stunning visual experience is apparent. Dusty valleys choked with weeds and crisscrossing rock ridges make the environments seem natural and realistic, and despite the impressive draw distance that lets you see far down arid valleys there's no framerate hitching. The style is certainly something we've seen a lot of recently – an arid post-apocalyptic world that may remind many of Fallout or Borderlands – but in my mind there's no question that RAGE is the best looking of all of them.

While I wasn't able to play the 30 minute demo shown off at E3 2010, I think based on the developer's previous experience we can assume the controls will work pretty well. You know, since they basically started the whole first-person shooter thing. What's interesting this time around, aside from the gorgeous visuals, is how id has built in story, open exploration, and customization elements into the core shooter experience.

If you've been following the game you probably know all this by now, but if you haven't Rage blends the corridor shooting id is known for with driving sequences, quests, and non-player character interactions in large population centers. You'll be able to walk around the world and talk with NPCs who are animated in a surprisingly comical fashion, making exaggerated gestures and speaking in cartoon-like cadences. It's a break from the normally self-serious id products you may be used. Instilling fear is not the primary motive behind this game, or so it would seem on the surface.

id Software talks about Rage.

Instead, you'll do things that would be more commonly found in role-playing games. Exploring one township called Wellspring, a patchwork of rusted metal plates set amidst a network of canyons, uncovered a group of NPCs playing a game on the ground. By moving up to it you can participate, placing a bet to roll dice and determine if one of the little holograms will be able to fend off attackers. Also around town are a number of NPCs who can offer quests and locations to buy and sell your weapons, like in a role-playing game.

The actual gameplay, however, seems just like a twitch shooter in the vein of Ubisoft's Far Cry 2. You descend below the city wielding shotguns and pistols and rocket launchers as aggressive enemies try to tear and shoot your eyes out. All are twisted creatures warped by the cataclysmic events that preceded Rage's events, and will crawl along ceilings and toss fireballs to stop you. To fight back, you'll have plenty of options aside from the standard assortment of weaponry.

By looting those you kill in battle you'll gain components that can be put toward creating gadgets and tools to help you out in a fight. In the demo this was all smoothly integrated into the experience -- there was no menu navigation or loot explosions – you just click on a corpse to retrieve parts. If you've got a blueprint to make something and have the appropriate number of parts to build something, you can make it regardless of where you are. There's no need to find a workbench or return to a safe location.


So what can you make? Seems like you'll get a bunch of cool stuff, from stationary turrets to lockpicking machines to a skittering robotic spider strapped to a gun that can help out in a fight. You've also got a boomerang to wing at enemies, as well as alternate ammunition types. In a very BioShock style, a futuristic crossbow can be loaded with electric ammunition that when fired in pools of water can shock and kill those standing in it.

IGN's Best of E3 2010 Award Goes To…
http://pc.ign.com/dor/objects/926419/id-tech-5-project/videos/e3awards_spc_061710.html

Vehicle sequences will break up the on foot stuff, and in towns you'll find a variety of racing challenges to engage in if you like. Jumping into a buggy isn't just for fun and faster travel, but also for combat, since you'll find enemy vehicles zipping around the environments you'll need to deal with to get through unharmed.

To finish the demo, id showed off a dilapidated urban area where you fought off an assault of manic enemies within a ring of tall, ruined buildings. Eventually a hulking boss character smashed into the arena, carrying with him a giant grenade launcher. As foes assaulted you with clubs it was necessary to be quick and accurate to shoot the weaker mutants while still scoring hits on the boss. Eventually he was taken down, but the fight wasn't over. Within seconds the ground started rumbling at regular intervals like something heavy was slamming into the ground. There was nothing in sight, but dust was billowing out from the shattered glass of the surrounding buildings with each tremor. Then a monstrosity at least four times the size of the previous boss rounded the corner, at which point the demo ended.

Overall the game looks like a mix of Borderlands and Far Cry 2, mixing minimal amount of loot collection with wide open world twitch shooting and a slight bit of Fallout-style item creation. It sounded pretty good to most of us at IGN that saw it, winning game of the show for E3 2010. PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC gamers should tuned for more about Rage on IGN as the 2011 release date approaches.