It's been over a week since ID Software's new IP, RAGE, hit store shelves and critics are already releasing negative and misunderstanding criticism. Having played the game, there's a couple of game elements I'd like to set straight in the expecting and disappointed minds. RAGE has a lot to offer in 2011 by offering nothing new at all. It is that balance that makes this game one of the best and (to few) disappointing games this year. RAGE has successfully left most of the gaming world confused in how much the game should be praised or cursed. I give this game nothing but praise because I understand what it stands for and what it intended to deliver; good ol' fashion first person shooter (FPS) fun.
What should you expect from this game? Well, if you've ever played an ID Software game, you should know what to expect. ID has shaped the FPS genre to what it so gloriously is today. Most of our most beloved games today only exist thanks to the development team at ID Software. You can imagine that when making some of the first FPS's, ID had a simple idea for the games; shoot the enemies. Since then, with technology advancements, the FPS genre seemed to have outgrown ID with games like HALF LIFE and BIOSHOCK. These modern shooters pushed the genre to different levels of capability and story telling. There is no denying that within the past five years we have stumbled upon some of the most ground breaking and best story driven games in history. So needless to say, ID was being treated like the "old dog" when DOOM 3 was released in 2004. Despite overall good reviews, DOOM 3 was looked at as proof that ID is stuck in the old ways of the FPS; shoot the enemies. It may not be bad, but it isn't innovative. Seven years later, ID's next game (RAGE) is released to the earth with the exact same reaction they got from DOOM 3; "it's not bad, but it isn't innovative." What's an ID game? SHOOT THE ENEMIES. So if ID can perfect that philosophy and make it what video games are all about (fun), then they have done nothing to deserve a negative response. It's a little irritating to think there's quite a bit of people who didn't like RAGE because it didn't follow the status quo of a modern shooter. Modern shooters always bring way more to the table than just shooting. Some of the most important elements of a modern shooter is complex gameplay. Complex gameplay is anything more than shooting. RAGE is, for the most part, simply shooting. People seem to have a problem with that for some reason. What did they expect? It's an ID game.
RAGE never intended to be an open world experience. Yet, one of the reasons this game is being shot down is that the "open world element was not polished." Open world games are typically games that the developers seemed to have focused on the game world first and then sprinkled the gameplay and narrative on top. No levels, no area limits and no straight direction. We have been treated to some of the most detailed, living and breathing open world locales. Liberty City (GRAND THEFT AUTO IV) is a great example of succeeding in delivering a realistic and free form style of the open world genre. RAGE isn't this. RAGE has a traditional game world style, which revolves around actual linear levels. The level layout resembles THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME in that there is a large middle section of your map called "The Wasteland" that is like ZELDA's "Hyrule Field." That section is "open" and has little purpose other than being the game's lobby to the bulk of the game; Settlements (separate sections of interests. Much like ZELDA's "Temples" where most of the gameplay takes place). The fact that ID added optional vehicle battles in-between levels is quite generous and keeps the game's pace set to "high." So I wouldn't go as far as placing this game in the "open world" genre of games. That would be foolish of a regular game player like myself to treat it like one.
Who said RAGE was going to be a role playing game (RPG)? Not ID. The creative director of RAGE, Tim Willits, said himself about RAGE, "It has adventure elements, but I hate to say adventure because then people think of Monkey Island, and it's not an RPG. I wish there was some word in between RPG and adventure, where you have an inventory." RAGE never set out to be an RPG, yet it's being criticized with the standards of one. You wouldn't hold the standards a football game against a shooter. That's foolish. RPG characteristics typically fall in the lines of exploration, collecting, character customization and lots of back story supported dialogue. These characteristics can be found in other genres of video games, but are prominent in RPGs. The characteristic that is closest to the RPG genre that is found in RAGE is the collecting element. In RPGs, collecting is necessary and sometimes crucial to progression. Sometimes you need to be looking for a specific item that is require for a specific objective. Sometimes items you find end up being a large deal to a character you stumble upon later in the game. The items you find may have a purpose or not. A box of nails could be used for building something or could be completely useless by the end of the game. You'll never know the worth of items until the opportunity presents itself to make the item useful. RAGE is very straight forward about the items you collect. You never have to second guess if you need the item or not. There are three types of items you find in RAGE; usable (grenades, wingsticks, etc.), buildable (scraps to create wingsticks and other useful items in combat) and sellable (items that are worth nothing but money so you can buy more bullets and combat items). After you pick an item up, you can check your inventory to see what category this item belongs to. In the end, all items you pick up support one element of the game; combat. You never have to worry about a rare object that might open up another branch in the story arch or anything else of the sort. If you did, this game would be in the RPG category.
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