Rage is a Good Shooter with a Weak Storyline

If you've been waiting for a fantastic video game set in a post-apocalyptic future, then Rage might be for you. The game looks awesome but does it go deeper than surface appearances to really make a great, long-lasting game? I had to check it out and find out.

My general, overall impression of the game is that it had amazing, cutting-edge visual design. The characters are fun and easy to relate to. There are a lot of fun weapons and items to choose from- a must with a game of this type. The vehicle elements are also a lot of fun.

The pitfalls- the story is weak. I never really felt like I got "into it" enough to care about the main conflict. I felt like it was taking me somewhere but then I wasn't sure where or if I would ever get there. Another major flaw: you have to save manually. I discovered this after losing a great deal of progress, unfortunately.

Appearance/Graphics: The graphics are really what this game has going for it. It looks awesome. There are environmental elements that look so real it's scary at times and the characters are so realistic, it's nearly like watching a movie. The facial expressions are fitting to the situation and the storyline. It's a rich, exciting game world but don't waste time exploring off the main areas because there is little to be found outside of the main landscape.

Storyline: This is really where I felt the game lacked depth. It looked great but the story doesn't draw you in. It feels cliché and predictable and falls a little flat. There is a lot of room for adventuring in the vehicles and various areas but all in all, the story just wasn't good enough to keep me motivated to pursue the rest of the game. As a basic shooter, it's great but don't expect the story to really draw you in.

Gameplay: The gameplay is interesting. While Rage is primarily a shooter, there are also vehicles, mini-games, side quests and even racing challenges that give you plenty of other things to do. Like many traditional shooters, it has a smaller zone of combat instead of wide open spaces the likes of Farcry 2. The weapons are powerful and in-game effects really help that point hit home with loud noises, blown up body parts and all the good stuff you love in this type of shooter. Combat is fairly simple but mixes it up and forces you to be creative by mixing up the difficult levels of the enemies you encounter. The enemies are also varied and creative so you don't feel like you're repetitively killing the same thing over and over.

While it's visually appealing, I'm glad I only rented this one instead of buying it. It's not a bad shooter but I prefer games with a little more depth in the story than Rage.