RAGE

What it DOES do is pretty damn incredible. It features an excellent FPS mechanic, surprisingly solid (if a bit loose) driving control, competent and diverse foes, unbelievably detailed environments, great audio, and an overall combination of multiple gameplay elements that gels into a cohesive, riveting production.

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.

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.

Rage is the complete package that fans of shooters, RPGs, and buggy racers have been waiting for. Combined with its jaw-dropping visual presentation, Rage easily one of the best games of the year.

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.

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.

Rage is an amazing game, but we can't help but feel that it doesn't reach its full potential. While the shooting and the racing often works brilliantly, a rather weak story, repetitive missions and a lot of graphical errors ultimately make for a disappointing game.

RAGE is the new standard of post apocalyptic destruction.

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.

For all of its amazingly fancy graphics and tech engines running the show, Rage still felt delightfully old-school during the action sequences.

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.

While RAGE does have some issues here and there you can rest assure that it does deliver in the end. It has a solid mix of good first-person shooting action, fun driving moments, and solid multiplayer modes. Add to all of this the fact that you're seeing one of the more gorgeous games produced in this generation, and it's a tough deal to pass up.

It's been a long wait for RAGE to finally hit the market, but the wait was worth it. The game may have some weak points, like a speech- and nameless hero or the weak boss fights and ending, but RAGE offers some crazy possibilities to spend your time in this post-apocalyptic world.

There is not a lot of leveling or depth to be found in Rage, but you can have some fun with building your own weapons and toying around with several gadgets. We particularly liked the remote controlled cars that can be equipped with explosives. [Nov 2011, p.82]

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.

Rage is a fun first person shooter, and a marvel to look at. Unfortunately it is let down by a weak story and presentation.

Despite the shortfalls, this is an excellent FPS, raising the art of virtual shooting to a new level with the sort of OTT gunplay that makes other games look watery weak by comparison. That, combined with the exceptional art style, makes this an experience worth having – and id a more relevant and contemporary developer than it's been in years.

Let me be clear here: RAGE is by no means a bad game. It simply lacks the pedigree of classic id Software shooters, and though I absolutely loved the shooting and the light exploration, I needed more to really sell the world itself.

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.

If you think first person shooters take themselves a little too seriously, Rage is the game for you. If you like shotguns, explosions, imaginative ammunition types and crossbows then Rage is the game for you. It's an unapologetic love letter to the classic FPS gameplay that inspired the most popular genre in modern gaming and it updates enough that it doesn't feel in the least bit dated.

A triumphant mix of vintage shooter mechanics and high-octane driving segments. The end result is a title that captures the essence of its genre-defining predecessors while offering fans something new. id's Tech 5 engine ensures that this is the studio's best-look release to date, and the sheer volume of features on offer make it one of the most rewarding.

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.

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

Rage is a beautiful game that looks equally stunning with or without the hefty installation (which reduces the load times and is optional on the 360 but required on the PS3), so regardless of which platform you play on, you'll find a rich and rewarding adventure that sets a new visual standard for the postapocalyptic wasteland.

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

A weak, aimless story and limited freedom to explore betray the fun, varied and creative combat in this beautiful post-apocalyptic wasteland. [Christmas 2011, p.104]

At its best, Rage is the most varied and engaging experience id Software has ever developed. At its worst it feels like mowing the lawn after Saturday morning cartoons. There is so much to love in the wasteland, but quests can feel like they took a back-seat to work on the engine. Games don't have to focus so exclusively on graphics anymore.

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.

Ultimately, RAGE is soulless and short-lived. Jack up the difficulty for more of a challenge, but underneath a few stand-out moments is a shooter that's been outclassed and out gunned. [Dec 2011, p78]

Rage is a quality shooter and a bunch of other things but above all else it stands as a technical benchmark for the generation, showing just how far we've come since Wolfenstein 3D.

It's a feeling that encapsulates Rage: a deeply layered, exhilarating game in parts, but one that never coalesces to deliver a cohesive new experience. [Dec 2011, p.66]

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

One of the most boring games ever to have had half a decade of development poured into it. [Issue#211, p.97]