E3 10: RAGE Preview

Rage is a promising title that will hit shelves in 2011 on the Windows PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is developed by id software, also known for their titles such as Doom and Quake, and published by Bethesda Softworks, famous for RPG titles such as Elder Scrolls Oblivion and more recently Fallout 3.

The first thing you’ll probably notice about Rage is its stellar graphical prowess—Rage looks amazing. The environments are highly rendered and expansive, and being able to drive around in an RC bomb car while you see the landscapes sights just allows the player to appreciate how great the graphics are that much more.

In Rage, an asteroid has hit the earth in a distant future. The setting is akin to Fallout 3; a post-apocalyptic world. You take on the role as a survivor of the Ark, which was a group of people that planned to preserve themselves so that they would be able to rebuild the world following the destruction of the asteroid.  Bandits and mutants ravage the barren world that you must explore as a sole survivor. As a member of the Ark, it is your duty to try to preserve society, however a government agency known as the Authority stands in your way—they have paid assassin’s a great deal of money in order to prevent anyone from rebuilding civilization for unknown reasons.

Ready to kick some mutant ass?

Rage is more of a first person shooter than a RPG; however it still retains some RPG characteristics, such as looting corpses for items and currency and making certain decisions. In combat you can switch to any weapon on the fly by opening up a radial menu. There is also a cover mechanic during combat. You won’t just be using guns, though; you can also use a boomerang during combat as well as a weapon that fires electro bolts. Players will be able to upgrade their vehicle as they win races, as well as earning respect from others. The RC bomb car just isn’t to traverse the land and race, though; it is also used during sections of combat. While in your car, you must swerve and dodge oncoming fire while retaliating all at the same time, providing an exhilarating experience. Enemy AI is impressive— while on foot, they will slide and shimmy to get in your face and kill you, so you must stay on your toes.

The environment is open ended, allowing the player to simply drive through the wasteland while killing bandits and mutants for hours and selling loot, or conversing with travellers in order to advance in the main story. The release of Rage feels close but also so far away—I don’t know about you, but I’m eagerly awaiting more news on this title. Stay tuned for more info as we approach a release date.