- IGN (85/100): "Rage starts to drag toward the second half after most of the mechanics and upgrades are introduced because the fictional world isn't very interesting. Despite the lack of genuinely exciting context, all the content packed into Rage is still a blast to play, including the surprisingly entertaining car combat mode and co-operative challenges. "
- Giant Bomb (80/100): "Even if Rage were the worst game to come out in a long while, it would still arguably be the best-looking one. The sheer complexity of texture and detail packed into every one of the game's environments is nothing short of staggering, especially in the two town hubs that you'll return to again and again between missions."
- 1UP (B): "Rage fits that mold snugly, but 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. "
- Edge (70/100): "In its later stages, Rage becomes a slog. Enemies get tougher, and the repeated pattern of rooms filling with monsters – which must be killed before, say, a door falls off its hinges – begins to drag. Objectives, meanwhile, rarely move beyond simple fetch quests. There's a fine line between sticking to what you're best at and being stuck in your ways, and id occasionally crosses it."
Metareview: Rage
76
For us, Rage was "a scaffolding for a game of bolder ideas, ideas which, for whatever reason, aren't realized." The general feeling from other reviews is that it's a well-made effort from veteran studio id Software, though gameplay isn't anything better than what's out there now. The game is floating a metacritic score in the low 80s, with review scores scattered like buckshot.
Reader Comments (76)
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:05PM sammo21 said
What really has shocked me is the amount of people who think this game sucks...NOT because they've played it and found they didn't like it but because they saw a review that wasn't the obligatory "9 out of 10!" or "9.5 out of 10!" I literally saw on another site where a person said "89/100...I really wish this game had turned out good".
I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
I don't want to live on this planet anymore.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:07PM (Unverified) said
@sammo21 Agree how any one thinks that if a game gets anything other then a 9 means it must suck.
People are dumb.
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People are dumb.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:24PM copa said
@sammo21
I don't believe most people think the game sucks, but there may be a lot of people who are making no-purchase decisions based on the review.
The simple fact is there are a LOT of shooters coming out this season. Gears of War, Battlefield, Resistance, Halo, Modern Warfare, Rage, and many smaller titles as well.
Many of us prioritize, and decide to purchase and play one or two of those titles this year. From the reviews, Rage appears to be good, but probably not good enough to make the cut.
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I don't believe most people think the game sucks, but there may be a lot of people who are making no-purchase decisions based on the review.
The simple fact is there are a LOT of shooters coming out this season. Gears of War, Battlefield, Resistance, Halo, Modern Warfare, Rage, and many smaller titles as well.
Many of us prioritize, and decide to purchase and play one or two of those titles this year. From the reviews, Rage appears to be good, but probably not good enough to make the cut.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:27PM Steel Toad said
@sammo21
It's a 3/10 game built on an 8/10 core.
I played it (PC, and yes, I used the new drivers and did not have technical issues, unlike day 1).
It's a generic shooter that completely lacks originality. It's a cross between Borderlands and Bulletstorm. It bores the hell out of me and I'm only grinding through it because I was stupid enough to pay $60 for it.
Are you happy now?
ST
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It's a 3/10 game built on an 8/10 core.
I played it (PC, and yes, I used the new drivers and did not have technical issues, unlike day 1).
It's a generic shooter that completely lacks originality. It's a cross between Borderlands and Bulletstorm. It bores the hell out of me and I'm only grinding through it because I was stupid enough to pay $60 for it.
Are you happy now?
ST
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:30PM mattand said
@sammo21
Try reading this: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/10/rage-is-the-gamiest-game-that-ever-gamed.ars
It ain't a 89%, that for sure.
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Try reading this: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/10/rage-is-the-gamiest-game-that-ever-gamed.ars
It ain't a 89%, that for sure.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:33PM (Unverified) said
To me, anything between a 1 and a 10 is a "try it for yourself and form your own opinion."
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:34PM (Unverified) said
@sammo21
Basically it went from "must have" to "oh, Black Friday". It's not that it sucks, but that it's something that isn't worth full price since it seems pretty run of the mill solid pretty shooter.
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Basically it went from "must have" to "oh, Black Friday". It's not that it sucks, but that it's something that isn't worth full price since it seems pretty run of the mill solid pretty shooter.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:34PM PR0F3TA said
@sammo21
and What really shockes ME (not really)... is how blind gamers can be with games they have been hyped up all year for, when they finally read that its a pretty mediocre game and not that end-all-be-all FPS game that expected they start lashing out at anyone who says otherwise.
3/5 isn't a bad score, but you blind fanboys don't see that, all you see is that it isn't a 5/5 and people saying how it might be a let down for them (Keyword: FOR THEM) and they start spazing out with tears in their eyes calling everyone
lets all agree that its pathetic for both parties, but the offended gamer whos game didn't win GOTY is the most pathetic of all
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and What really shockes ME (not really)... is how blind gamers can be with games they have been hyped up all year for, when they finally read that its a pretty mediocre game and not that end-all-be-all FPS game that expected they start lashing out at anyone who says otherwise.
3/5 isn't a bad score, but you blind fanboys don't see that, all you see is that it isn't a 5/5 and people saying how it might be a let down for them (Keyword: FOR THEM) and they start spazing out with tears in their eyes calling everyone
lets all agree that its pathetic for both parties, but the offended gamer whos game didn't win GOTY is the most pathetic of all
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:36PM NaeemTHM said
@sammo21
I've actually read comments like "It only got an 8.5! Pre-order cancelled!" and "This is one of the biggest failures of 2011"
Not even sure how to react to that.
Yeah it's not breaking any molds or redefining the First Person Shooter, but you know what? It's FUN! We've all become so used to competition based shooters that we've forgotten that these games used to be a ton of fun. I haven't had this much fun playing a FPS in quite sometime (probably since the release of TF2).
Rage is one hell of a polished video game. I don't really get the lower range of scores honestly. I'm guessing some reviewers feel let down by all the hype. It's a real shame gamers are willing to pass on Rage because it's not a 10/10. Hopefully it will still be a success because I for one would love to see more of the world of Rage.
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I've actually read comments like "It only got an 8.5! Pre-order cancelled!" and "This is one of the biggest failures of 2011"
Not even sure how to react to that.
Yeah it's not breaking any molds or redefining the First Person Shooter, but you know what? It's FUN! We've all become so used to competition based shooters that we've forgotten that these games used to be a ton of fun. I haven't had this much fun playing a FPS in quite sometime (probably since the release of TF2).
Rage is one hell of a polished video game. I don't really get the lower range of scores honestly. I'm guessing some reviewers feel let down by all the hype. It's a real shame gamers are willing to pass on Rage because it's not a 10/10. Hopefully it will still be a success because I for one would love to see more of the world of Rage.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:57PM singleandlovinit said
Youre confusing how games should be rated and how the rating system actually works. 8/10 is a good score on paper and with nothing to put it in perspective but with todays score inflation an 8 isnt that great.
Honestly I cant think of any newer games that Ive enjoyed enough to think it was a good buy that scored an 8. I can think of a lot of older games that got 8's that I loved, but that was way before the score inflation when games were scored accurately. 9 seems to be the new 8, 8's now tend to be the threshold reviewers use between playable and regretful.
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Honestly I cant think of any newer games that Ive enjoyed enough to think it was a good buy that scored an 8. I can think of a lot of older games that got 8's that I loved, but that was way before the score inflation when games were scored accurately. 9 seems to be the new 8, 8's now tend to be the threshold reviewers use between playable and regretful.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:07PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
@Copa
I'd say those reviews are wrong if the picture they paint is that it doesn't make the cut. I've been playing Resistance 3 and the BF3 beta and I think Rage is better than both. I'd say it's a must buy. Just my opinion.
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I'd say those reviews are wrong if the picture they paint is that it doesn't make the cut. I've been playing Resistance 3 and the BF3 beta and I think Rage is better than both. I'd say it's a must buy. Just my opinion.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:11PM sammo21 said
@Steel Toad Why are you being an ass about this as if I said "What really annoys me if Steel Toad".
No, I'm not happy now because people are still being childish about this. Remember all the anger over Brink and it's review? Yeah, 90% of the complainers haven't even rented the game and tried it and are saying a game that is a good B or B+ isn't good.
Are YOU happy now?
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No, I'm not happy now because people are still being childish about this. Remember all the anger over Brink and it's review? Yeah, 90% of the complainers haven't even rented the game and tried it and are saying a game that is a good B or B+ isn't good.
Are YOU happy now?
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:14PM Aceofwilds said
@sammo21
The economy is crap and you can't play these games without spending $60 on them (unless there's a demo).
I think people are just being more stingy with their money as they should be. I don't want to spend money on something that *might* be good - even though I know I'll miss some great games that way.
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The economy is crap and you can't play these games without spending $60 on them (unless there's a demo).
I think people are just being more stingy with their money as they should be. I don't want to spend money on something that *might* be good - even though I know I'll miss some great games that way.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:16PM sammo21 said
@aceofwilds Blockbuster and Gamefly both disagree with your $60 a month statement. Hell, most retailers will sell these games for $35-45 about 2 weeks after their launch in many cases not to mention if you aren't a sheep and get your game somewhere other than Gamestop you can get $10-20 to spend on the next game...
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:35PM Aceofwilds said
@sammo21
Fair point, but at the end of the day you are still paying something to play the game. Whether that's $10 a month for a rental service, or a discounted price at a retailer - it isn't free unless it's free.
And for myself personally, I only buy new games and usually from bestbuy. I won't buy anything from gamestop, and I don't support the current used game model. I don't argue that you could get it cheaper than $60, but that wasn't my point.
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Fair point, but at the end of the day you are still paying something to play the game. Whether that's $10 a month for a rental service, or a discounted price at a retailer - it isn't free unless it's free.
And for myself personally, I only buy new games and usually from bestbuy. I won't buy anything from gamestop, and I don't support the current used game model. I don't argue that you could get it cheaper than $60, but that wasn't my point.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:44PM jwan830 said
@sammo21 What do you think these reviews are made for? Not everyone has the buy power to try every single game then make their judgement. Besides did you really do a research which led you to "that amount of people" or you were just assuming based on fanboism?
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:50PM sammo21 said
@jwan830 Again, you're missing the point. Thinking a game sucks if it doesn't get 9/10, 5/5, etc being dumb as my point.
And yeah I've seen plenty of comments on this site and others to formulate my opinion. Also, I have no idea what "fanboism" is, and if you meant "fanboyism" then no as I couldn't give a shit how the game does. Also, my comment was speaking in generalities of reviews as a whole not just RAGE, so yeah you can eat shit now.
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And yeah I've seen plenty of comments on this site and others to formulate my opinion. Also, I have no idea what "fanboism" is, and if you meant "fanboyism" then no as I couldn't give a shit how the game does. Also, my comment was speaking in generalities of reviews as a whole not just RAGE, so yeah you can eat shit now.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:54PM ShadowXIII said
@sammo21
Well, for me, I'm not getting it because its yet another damn FPS. Has nothing to do with review scores.
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Well, for me, I'm not getting it because its yet another damn FPS. Has nothing to do with review scores.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 4:11PM Hunter141072 said
@sammo21
I´ll wait for joystiq review, if they say it sucks then it´s probably a very funny game, if they like it then we are in trouble.......
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I´ll wait for joystiq review, if they say it sucks then it´s probably a very funny game, if they like it then we are in trouble.......
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 4:28PM DangerMouse001 said
@sammo21
It's Doom 3 all over again. It got similar scores, maybe even better. Soon people started to realize that it's a poor game wrapped up in a great visuals. I don't know how this game will be looked upon in the future, but FPS genre is extremely crowded right now.
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It's Doom 3 all over again. It got similar scores, maybe even better. Soon people started to realize that it's a poor game wrapped up in a great visuals. I don't know how this game will be looked upon in the future, but FPS genre is extremely crowded right now.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 4:53PM kentuckyfried said
@sammo21
You know what this gen of games is plagued by?
Scrubs. And worse yet, whiney ones.
Ya cheap bastards, just STFU.
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You know what this gen of games is plagued by?
Scrubs. And worse yet, whiney ones.
Ya cheap bastards, just STFU.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 4:55PM kentuckyfried said
@NaeemTHM
I think some reviewers were expecting something genre-defining, or at least something new to the mix.
From the previews, I didn't see that at all. It wasn't until some of the later trailers came out that I wanted the game just b/c it looked fun, although not original.
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I think some reviewers were expecting something genre-defining, or at least something new to the mix.
From the previews, I didn't see that at all. It wasn't until some of the later trailers came out that I wanted the game just b/c it looked fun, although not original.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 8:16PM MAINEiac4434 said
@sammo21 So I guess what you're saying is that video game reviewing is horrendous right now.
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Posted: Oct 6th 2011 11:19AM DaDiddles said
@MAINEiac4434
Absolutely. I miss the days when Joystiq did not provide a number for their reviews.
Judging by the Ars Technica review, it sounds absurd that the game received as high a marks as it did. Basing a review on a single "overall" score means the game is artificially boosted by things that don't matter quite as much, like graphics.
Just look at the quote from Giant Bomb, that even if the game were the worst to come out in a long time, it would still be gorgeous. What that says to me, is even if the rest of the game were 2/10, they'd still give it a 7/10 for the visuals alone. And that ain't right.
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Absolutely. I miss the days when Joystiq did not provide a number for their reviews.
Judging by the Ars Technica review, it sounds absurd that the game received as high a marks as it did. Basing a review on a single "overall" score means the game is artificially boosted by things that don't matter quite as much, like graphics.
Just look at the quote from Giant Bomb, that even if the game were the worst to come out in a long time, it would still be gorgeous. What that says to me, is even if the rest of the game were 2/10, they'd still give it a 7/10 for the visuals alone. And that ain't right.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:06PM (Unverified) said
See and all that bitching over Arthur's review. Seems the reaction all over is "It's good, not great."
Just like he said, hmmmmm.
Just like he said, hmmmmm.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:06PM echerringtonYAHOOCOM said
Got this game for the PC.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:10PM Tradio said
people get so butthurt when reviewers criticize big release titles. the point of a review is to determine whether or not it is worth a $60 purchase. thats a lot of money
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 8:25PM Chareth Cutestory said
@PR0F3TA
I think it's exactly that price point that causes this. PSX was the only console that really had "cheap" games, before our modern superphones.
People have always had to throw down considerable chunks of money to get brand new games. When they do so before the game is even out, they feel that monetary investment- and that's all they feel.
They spent $60 already, so it must be worth $60. That leaves them with the options of hating whoever "tricked" them in to spending $60, or hating whoever is telling them they spent too much.
In this age of pre-order bonuses and day 1 DLC, reviews are largely justification for actions already taken.
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I think it's exactly that price point that causes this. PSX was the only console that really had "cheap" games, before our modern superphones.
People have always had to throw down considerable chunks of money to get brand new games. When they do so before the game is even out, they feel that monetary investment- and that's all they feel.
They spent $60 already, so it must be worth $60. That leaves them with the options of hating whoever "tricked" them in to spending $60, or hating whoever is telling them they spent too much.
In this age of pre-order bonuses and day 1 DLC, reviews are largely justification for actions already taken.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:14PM xreadmore said
You left out the other 26 (out of 50) critic reviewers that gave it higher than 85.... trying to hide some shame?
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 5:28PM MystcLazrDragon said
@xreadmore
Yeah the entire article was full of negative connotations for the game, especially the "scattered like buckshot" part when damn near every review is positive.
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Yeah the entire article was full of negative connotations for the game, especially the "scattered like buckshot" part when damn near every review is positive.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:14PM originalzombieslayer888 said
Dude i love the car combat its soooo fun.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:15PM (Unverified) said
Game Informer (90/100): "its heart-pounding gunplay is a nice change of pace in a market filled with "follow me" and pop-and-fire shooters"
GameTrailers (90/100): "We never imagined that the RPG elements would be so vast or deftly handled, resulting in a pleasant surprise. A near-perfect mix of first-person shooting and role-playing . . . "
GameTrailers (90/100): "We never imagined that the RPG elements would be so vast or deftly handled, resulting in a pleasant surprise. A near-perfect mix of first-person shooting and role-playing . . . "
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:38PM PR0F3TA said
@(Unverified)
didn't GameTrailers loos cred when they used a Xbox360 game and reviewed it as a PS3 game, even going as far as saying that it looked worse compared to the 360 version, when in fact it WAS the 360 version.
Yeah GameTrailers, they know how to review games.
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didn't GameTrailers loos cred when they used a Xbox360 game and reviewed it as a PS3 game, even going as far as saying that it looked worse compared to the 360 version, when in fact it WAS the 360 version.
Yeah GameTrailers, they know how to review games.
Posted: Oct 6th 2011 11:32AM DaDiddles said
@stiqlol
While sometimes I agree Joystiq can be a bit "off" with their reviews, I still find it sad that whenever a critic reviews a game more poorly than his/her peers, they get eviscerated for it.
Why are so many review scores inflated? Because reviewers probably subconsciously make the score higher just so people don't piss and moan about it, and call them biased.
Joystiq doesn't seem to give in to those shenanigans. Shouldn't that be applauded, even though sometimes they go off the deep end?
I've definitely disagreed with some of their past reviews, but I'd rather have an independent, though admittedly sometimes wacky, voice rather than a forced, overly optimistic one.
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While sometimes I agree Joystiq can be a bit "off" with their reviews, I still find it sad that whenever a critic reviews a game more poorly than his/her peers, they get eviscerated for it.
Why are so many review scores inflated? Because reviewers probably subconsciously make the score higher just so people don't piss and moan about it, and call them biased.
Joystiq doesn't seem to give in to those shenanigans. Shouldn't that be applauded, even though sometimes they go off the deep end?
I've definitely disagreed with some of their past reviews, but I'd rather have an independent, though admittedly sometimes wacky, voice rather than a forced, overly optimistic one.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:17PM foofighting86 said
so far it is a good game. I definitely wouldn't say it's amazing, but as a shooter i am enjoying it.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:23PM Noveli said
I think this game will make a great weekend rental. I can crush it in 12 hours or less and I've got a long weekend too!
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:23PM (Unverified) said
I have to admit I was totally blown away at the sheer gorgeousness upon exiting the vault. I found 2 flaws almost immediately though. My joystiq center drifts in this game and only this game. It's annoying that every time I stop the screen slowly moves to the left. Also the first group on enemies you encounter are really lacking any hit detection. Their bodies just don't seem affected in the least by the gunfire, that is of course until they are dead.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:32PM (Unverified) said
@(Unverified) are you sure your controller not messed up. if you hold the stick a bit when you turn it on. you can make the system think that is center when it is not.
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Posted: Oct 5th 2011 3:03PM mirage said
@(Unverified)
I have the same issue with the drifting reticule. It is to the left as well. I have had to replace controllers in the past due to this issue so I think it may just be more sensitive than other shooters. My guess is that we both will need to replace our controllers soon.
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I have the same issue with the drifting reticule. It is to the left as well. I have had to replace controllers in the past due to this issue so I think it may just be more sensitive than other shooters. My guess is that we both will need to replace our controllers soon.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:28PM FakeJamaican said
The shooting in this game isn't perfect, and it lacks the depth of the games it competes with. Sorry, but this is a pretty tech demo for a new engine.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:30PM (Unverified) said
Game's a riot, some of the most fun I've had all year.
Posted: Oct 5th 2011 2:33PM (Unverified) said
I agree on some of the points reviewers have pointed out regarding the flaws in this game or how it didn't live up to what some people were expecting, believablity, storyline, etc
These problems exist, and for the first hour I couldn't shake the notion that I had played this game when it was called Borderlands.
Despite all of this, I can say that I am having an absolutely wonderful and enjoyable time playing RAGE. The environment is one of the most artistically detailed worlds I've played in, the gun combat thoroughly enjoyable, and the driving a pleasant surprise.
When I bought this game, I wasn't expecting a Fallout 3/Borderlands clone. I was expecting a First Person Shooter from id Software. That's what I got, and it's real fun.
These problems exist, and for the first hour I couldn't shake the notion that I had played this game when it was called Borderlands.
Despite all of this, I can say that I am having an absolutely wonderful and enjoyable time playing RAGE. The environment is one of the most artistically detailed worlds I've played in, the gun combat thoroughly enjoyable, and the driving a pleasant surprise.
When I bought this game, I wasn't expecting a Fallout 3/Borderlands clone. I was expecting a First Person Shooter from id Software. That's what I got, and it's real fun.








