id Software's Rage combines first-person shooting, vehicular action, and "open but directed" exploration in a post-apocalyptic world, to tell the story of Earth's wretched civilization after a cataclysmic meteor strike. Militaristic authority figures, freedom-fighting rebels, criminal raiders, and twisted mutants battle each other for control of the barren wasteland Earth has become. This is the first game to feature the new id Tech 5 engine.
+ Beautiful aesthetics with great models, textures and animations.
- Unfortunately the world feels static and lifeless. Characters don't really do anything. The world can't be interacted with in any way.
+ Getting quests is very easy, as is dialogue with characters.
- Story and quests are a forced and awkward, with the player having little reason to care what's going on. You only do what you're asked because there's no other way to progress. Even mandatory quests are given the illusion of being optional.
+ AI behaviours are interesting and fun.
- Simple and, at times boring, gameplay. A rail-shooter with invisible walls everywhere and no opportunities for emergent gameplay or interesting tactics.
- It gives the illusion of a sandbox but doesn't want you to do anything other than walk forward and shoot things that move. Gameplay is basically Doom and Quake with some extras tacked on to add minor choices.