RAGE PC Game by id Software, some musings

At Benchmark reviews, we thought it might be interesting to offer a light hearted article on the new PC version FPS/RPG hybrid game RAGE, from id software, the creators of DOOM. I've played a lot of PC games since I started using computers. I'm not saying I'm a "gamer," because I'm not. But, I have a good feel for how games have matured since DOOM, which was my first PC game. I've been luke warm with the entire genre of FPSs, MMOGs, and RTSs for a long time, with few exceptions. RAGE is one of those exceptions. Aside from video driver troubles early on, RAGE has a lot to offer and seems like a game inside of a game, inside of a game. This isn't a review, but more of a personal musing on the game itself. So, take off your armor and come on in for some fun.

First, let me say this is not a walk through, how to play, or strategy guide. It's, for lack of a better term, a "How to play RAGE to enjoy it and make it last" musing. If you're like me, I usually get a FPS and play like a bat out of hell until I finish it. It's a diversion and since I'm not young anymore, I can't enjoy week long, time stopping diversions from other responsibilities. That's why my friends and I have virtually stopped playing MMOGs, although we still have old accounts on many games, including Dark Age of Camelot (Since Beta), EVE (4 years now), and the relative new comer, Mortal Online (about a year). In any event, id software has another winner under its belt. How far have games come graphically since Doom? Below you'll see a DOOM vs RAGE screen shot. Also, this game isn't DX, it's Open GL, which is kinda cool in a open source way, but the graphics are still as good as any.

The image above really brings back memories of the days of head to head DOOM, and yes, those "cutting edge graphics" by John Carmack. So this is how far we've come in 16-18 or so years of graphic improvements.

RAGE is a FPS for sure, but it's also a RPG, although less so than moves my emotions, since RPGs for me means MMOGs with real people. However, that's me, and there are lots of people out there who play single player RPGs and love them all the same. Games have been moving towards a multi-gaming experience, rather than a DOOM or Quake like linear FPS, for some time.

My first experience with a hybrid was probably some iteration of Unreal, where you're a space marine with a space ship as a home base, and the RPG aspect was several characters that you talked to throughout the game. I was impressed and enjoyed the game. Then came Far Cry 2, and I got bored fast. RAGE, although not ground breaking (how could it be when it started development in 2007), for me, shows how games are maturing, and now, thanks to RAGE, I really like the fushion and sandbox reality. For instance, RAGE offers a plethora of diversions away from the main plot line. These diversions are like their own games inside of a game. I'll list them for you on the next page.

Full Disclosure: The product used in this article has been self-supplied.

The Mini Games of RAGE

Gambling. Rage has two games you can play that you might dismiss as gimmicky, but after you play them, you get a little hooked; at least I did.

The first is a holographic board game. You make a bet, roll the dice (It's actually more like a slot machine effect) and wait for the outcome. Totally luck, but with odds in your favor, or so it seems. It's still good enough to fool you into thinking you might lose. I never did, however, and the longer I played, the more up I get. It's still fun.

The second game is called RAGE Frenzy, and it's a card game. You actually choose which cards you want to play, and then the game takes over, so it's less chance driven than the dice game. It's a little like a turn based RTS. It would have been nice if the developers had built in the ability to choose which cards are played first, but unless I'm missing something, that option isn't available. Too bad, because if you could choose when you want your cards played, that is, in what order, RAGE Frenzy could have been a really good turn based RTS game on its own. To play, you need to purchase a starter deck, but you must collect the bulk of cards as you pass through your main plot line. Some instances allow you to go back and find the cards, and some do not. So, if you want to play the card game well, you really need to make sure you find those cards. At 225 a pop at the highest bet setting, it can be a real money maker for you too, probably the best way to earn money in the game. Plus, it's really fun.

This idea would be good in MMOGs too. Imagine playing real people as a turn based RTS, like RAGE Frenzy, for in-game money with other players. I actually think this might have already been done to some degree in some MMO, if I remember correctly, but it was more like a real card game than a turn based RTS.

Then we have the races. You race in order to get money and upgrades to your vehicles, but vehicle upgrades can only be purchesed with race credits. (You can get some credits doing other things, but the bulk are from racing.) So RAGE actually forces you to race in order to upgrade your rides, and the races are fun. Once you win the races, you can still go back and play for fun, and you still get some reward for winning, like a usable item or two.

Here's one of the two places you sign up for races. RAGE has two main towns where you spend most of your time, Wellspring and Subway Town, each having one race stand.

Last, you can also get side jobs. Side jobs come from NPGs walking around the game, so ask around, or a "jobs" board. These side jobs help with your economic situation as well as just being fun. The last thing I want to talk about is weapons and supplies, because RAGE allows, and in some instances, demands that you craft items (if you want elite stuff).

Supplies and Weapons

Weapons: RAGE has 'em! I was impressed with the detail and playability of a unique weapons array. You get a lot of choices and the weapons are fun to use and ass-kickers too. Near the end of the game, you also get the BFG made infamous in DOOM. I think the best weapons are the pistol, wing-sticks, and the shotty, with my preference being the Wingsticks, not because they are the most practical, but because they are the most fun.

The pistol. I know, pistols are usually the first thing you dump, but not in RAGE. This thing kicks ass, but you'll need the crafted Fat Mama Rounds to bring out the ass kicker in it. Buy the "half binoculars, the good half" early on. They aren't just a spotting glass, but also dual as a scope for your pistol, which seems to have no range limitations. So, you can snipe with it too. You can put most humanoid enemies down with two shots from this little bad boy, when loaded with Fat Mamas.

Advanced Wingsticks. These are like razor boomerangs. They're really cheap to build, and, well, you check them out. They're really fun to throw and have excellent animations and sound effects, and they're deadly.

The shotgun, with a serving of "pop rockets." "Pop rockets" are id's name for a grenade launcher on a shot gun.

The least useful weapon, believe it or not, is the Authority Machine gun or the AK. They just don't have much punch, even with advanced rounds, and both eat ammo like a tank eats fuel.

Conclusion: RAGE, the PC Game

RAGE is a sort of safe style of game. There aren't many surprises, like false doors, porting enemies, hidden items, or trip wires. It's all served up pretty straight forward. This has the downside of not getting your adrenaline fix on as much as it could, but also allows for a smoothly paced game where you don't go ballistic because you fell off a slippery iron beam for the 200th time trying to cross an acid bath. RAGE is also not a jumping game, like Half-Life or Crysis is. I think I had to jump twice during the entire game. RAGE does have an immersive quality to it, though, in that it always feels good to get back to base, chat up the locals, play some of the minigames, and then go back and talk with the resistance about your next assignment. Or, go to the races first. All in all it's a pleasant game to play.

My only point, really, is to take your time to play this game. Play cards, gamble, take side jobs, go out into the wastelands and drive your car around looking for bad guys—they're there waiting for you—and go racing, instead of blasting through the main plot line. I'd say fully 50% of the fun comes from doing side stuff, and not the main plot. My only gripe is that on the normal setting, the game isn't much of a challenge.

The good part is that for the first time in my life, I plan to play the game again on the next setting up, and I've never playing a single player FPS type game twice, ever. So that's saying a lot for this game. I want to play it again because I can see that if you are forced to use all of your tricks, like sentry guns, sentry bots, exploding RC cars that you drive remotely—really, no kidding—the game could be a lot more fun. Overall I'd rate the game up there with the heavy weights as far as joy of playing goes, like Crysis and Half-life.

If you have a nVidia card and you're playing on a single monitor, I'll leave you with some information that might save you some stress:

In the nVidia control panel, go to “Manage 3D settings", and from the list, choose RAGE:

Multi-Display/mixed-GPU acceleration: Single Display performance mode

Triple Buffering: On

Vertical sync: Force on

Since this isn't really a review, and RAGE wasn't supplied by the developers, there are no ratings nor pros and cons. It is what it is. It's a fun game and draws you in and it has a lot of diversions to play with, plus some really unique weapons. So take your time and enjoy it.

Benchmark Reviews invites you to leave constructive feedback below, or ask questions in our Discussion Forum.

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