Rage, the newest first person shooter from id software, is an over-the-top visual feast. Rett and I got a chance to sit in on a live demo of this visceral first person shooter set in a mutant-plauged wasteland. The demo, which lasted around forty-five minutes, took us around the wasteland to a couple of settlements, two gang hideouts, a TV station, and an urban landscape called “Dead City.”
Rett’s Impressions: The first aspect you noticed in the demo was how open the world felt, especially for a company more known for dark hallways. For easy transport around the wasteland, you can grab a four-wheeler or a buggy, and then scoot around the world. The vehicles are customizable, and we saw around three different versions, ranging from light with no weapons to a tank-like buggy. The demo showed off the new engine really well, and with so much time before release the game looks like it will easily be one of the best looking games around. The mutants also had nice variety to them, with different weapons, sizes, and looks helping to mix up the mutant side of the enemies. The game also has many other enemies, and shooting gangs in the head looks equally as satisfying as shooting mutants in the head. The demo also showed off a lot of fun gadgets you can create by picking up parts around the wasteland. One of my favorites was a door lock bomb that would drill into the door before exploding to let you in. The final area in the demo, “Dead City” really stood out. Taking place amongst the abandoned ruins of skyscrapers the sense of size and scope in this area was fantastic and also featured some of the most impressive mutants in the game. I can’t wait for this game.
JJ’s Impressions: Rett mentions how vast the world of Rage is. I agree, but for me what stands out are the little things. The amount of detail in the art design of the world of Rage is fantastic. The world truly looks like it has been lived in. The details can be appreciated from the aging skyscrapers to the newly formed settlements built together from scraps from the old world. Furthermore, and I know that it sounds cheesy, but seeing the sun break through the clouds and the light hitting ground is just a spectacle itself. You feel as if you could step outside in the world of Rage and take in the sights, but that’s no way to travel. Cars and other motor vehicles are the main modes of transportation. At one point, the reps at PAX East demonstrated vehicular combat. After the player’s car took a hit from an enemy buggy, the players then hopped out of the car to show the damage. The passenger door was gone, and the engine was smoking and spitting out sparks. Next, the attention to gore is extreme. Shooting an enemy will cause blood splatters on the background, and grenades leave nothing left but meaty chunks. Finally, due to the carefully crafted facial animations it truly feels like the player is talking to a living breathing person. I cant wait to explore the world of Rage later this year.