Rage

[sinij]

/obligatory

I remember when PA actually ripped into bad games for being bad, now they tiptoe around so much you'd think they get paid for... oh, I see.

Let me be clear. The game is not horribly broken. The game isn't even buggy. The game simply doesn't work on any video card with drivers released prior 2012.

What, you actually expected to play it or something?!

[Kageru]

So it combines ID's inability to deal with story or character, an engine designed to cover up for aging console hardware and Betheseda's skill in quality control.

.... I *never* saw that coming.

[tgr]

I'm ~so annoyed~ with the whole staggered regional release crap right now. I want to see if the game really is as shit as is eluded to, with my own eyes.

[sinij]

 

By buying it despite knowing its a shit title you are encouraging release of even shittier titles. If they can get away with shitting in a box and selling it to you, they will! Every time!

[jakonovski]

I kinda want to buy the PS3 version. Sure it has the occasional resolution drop to maintain 60fps, but at least the textures work and you don't have to change discs. It's out tomorrow here so it's going to be a test of willpower when I get off work.

[Azazel]

I'm ~so annoyed~ with the whole staggered regional release crap right now. I want to see if the game really is as shit as is eluded to, with my own eyes.

I'm quite happy with the staggered release (2 days is acceptable). It let me cancel my pre-order early! I'll pick it up in the usual manner on 360, down the road.

[Jherad]

I may end up picking this up down the road.

Once (if) it has been seriously patched, and moved to the bargain bin. You get one chance to charge $50-60, and increasingly for me that window is narrowing.

[Daeven]

"If the graphics driver supports a so called "swap-tear" extension then RAGE will use it and RAGE will V-sync when running >= 60 FPS and RAGE will tear when < 60 FPS. Unfortunately at the release of RAGE, none of the graphics drivers have the "swap-tear" extension enabled."

Yes, the solution for not having a vsync option is "well in theory someday video drivers will have this OTHER option, so we don't let you use vsync!" Thanks!

And here I thought it was because I was running it on an old 8800 GTS. Huh. I guess the important noteworthy bit is that, well, it runs on an 8800 GTS better than most newer cards apparently.

Rock on Id.

[Kageru]

That card would be fairly similar to what is running inside an xbox360 so that might not be a surprise.

[jakonovski]

Welp, I got the PS3 version and it's ok. Texture pop-in is rather noticeable but oddly enough you get used to it. After a couple of hours play, the game is very intriguing, but the on foot areas are so linear and dumb that I'm pretty sure the plot will not live up to the expectations set by the visuals. Gameplay is 60fps and incredibly crisp and responsive, so if the mp is any good there's a real chance I won't trade this in the moment the last boss is down.

[AcidCat]

Welp, I got the PS3 version and it's ok. Texture pop-in is rather noticeable but oddly enough you get used to it. After a couple of hours play, the game is very intriguing, but the on foot areas are so linear and dumb that I'm pretty sure the plot will not live up to the expectations set by the visuals. Gameplay is 60fps and incredibly crisp and responsive, so if the mp is any good there's a real chance I won't trade this in the moment the last boss is down.

Yeah I picked it up on the 360 and the game is a lot of fun. While yes the combat areas are linear, they still aren't quite as bad as the narrow corridors you are funneled through in CoD campaigns. I like that there's no blinking GO HERE handholding once inside the "dungeons", I actually got a bit turned around in the Wasted Garage for example, I had missed a stairway and wandered around lost for a bit wondering where to go next.

I like the way the game uses RPG conventions without being anything like an RPG at heart. Things like travel time, voiced quest npcs, sidequests, inventory, crafting, all exist to provide context to your actions and add atmosphere, and broaden the experience without bogging down the action.  I appreciate immersion and ambiance even if you're a stock-standard Mute Protagonist and the storyline is a vague excuse to keep you moving (Far Cry 2 comes to mind, which I loved). There is just enough freedom of choice in the gameworld that I feel like I have agency, even though of course it's not a true open world game, there is enough going on to suspend disbelief.

[jakonovski]

I'm loving the side missions, they make the world come alive with their little stories. Defending the water pipe repair dude with a sniper rifle was totally Mad Max.

[AcidCat]

Dang I've failed that mission twice. Need to work on my mutant sniping skillz.

[tgr]

Uh.

Right...



I'm sorely disappointed. My view on id Software is hereby degraded to "shit".

[Tarami]

Just enter the code that came with your copy of Rage. Those are part of the first-owner incentives, or atleast Willits said so in an interview. I haven't had time to install my own copy yet...

It being like Far Cry 2 is a good sign for me. I fuckin' loved that game. If Rage is like it but more fleshed out/complete, I'll have a grand time.

[tgr]

I probably won't see it since I bought Rage through steam, but a friend of mine (who took that screenshot) bought it retail. He's even less impressed than I am.

I'm going to just assume that we'll see the same sort of bullshit in Skyrim. Sigh.

[AcidCat]

It being like Far Cry 2 is a good sign for me. I fuckin' loved that game. If Rage is like it but more fleshed out/complete, I'll have a grand time.

It is not a big open world like FC2, just know that going in. But it has more variety in terms of missions, weapon customization, crafting, and racing/vehicle combat/customizing your ride.

It also has nice enemy AI/behaviors, which I've come to appreciate as I get further into the game.

[Engels]

I'm wagering that the first DLC is going to be the multiplayer FPS arena.

[jakonovski]

6 hours played and I just got into the Dead City. So atmospheric I want to cry.

[Rokal]

I didn't see that message (enter code) when I did the sewers with my Steam copy. So far, I'm digging the game and it runs flawlessly on my 5870. Haven't had any crashes or weirdness yet, so maybe they've fixed most of the issues with the recent patch. Texture pop in was much less visible when I increased the texture cache, which was a regular option in the settings menu. Gorgeous game. The gameplay is pretty simple so far, but the speed of the combat is pretty spectacular.

[tgr]

The option to increase the texture cache came a day or two after the initial game release here in Europe, and it more or less removed all texture popin beyond the first time I see it. Now, the only thing I wish for, are crisper textures. An awful lot of them are just too compressed, which ends up making the whole game look sort of bleh-ish compared to what I was hoping it would. I realize this is a disk space issue, but it would be nice if there'd been a HD version.

[Severian]

it would be nice if there'd been a HD version.

How To Unlock Rage's High Resolution Textures (GeForce.com)

"Be aware, however, that you will almost certainly require a video card with 1.5GB of Video RAM to enable 8K textures, other graphical niceties and GPU Transcoding, though it may also work on systems with just 1GB of VRAM if said options are toned down"

[Mrbloodworth]

So, why play this over borderlands?

[jakonovski]

Because we played Borderlands two years ago?

[Kail]

Haven't had any crashes or weirdness yet, so maybe they've fixed most of the issues with the recent patch.

Not for me.  Still crashes to desktop, plus I get jittering polygons and flickering textures when it does run.  It seems more stable than it used to, but I still get a 100% consistent CTD every time I try to drive my buggy out of the garage.

I'm kind of concerned about my video card drivers, now.  The new "Rage hotfix" ones seem to have fucked things up with my other games, so I tried to reinstall the old ones, but things remain persistently fucked in an upwards direction.  Uninstalling and reinstalling two or three times a day isn't fixing anything.  Frustrating.

[kildorn]

So, why play this over borderlands?

Gunplay and world art direction seem better in Rage. NPC character development is actually decent.

Borderlands has far better rpg elements, equipment development, PC character development, and (yes, seriously) vehicle sections.

Rage makes me want Borderlands 2 more.

[Rokal]

So, why play this over borderlands?

Shooting feels a bit better, graphics and art direction are better. Ultimately I'll probably prefer Borderlands, but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy Rage.

[Nightblade]

http://www.ag.ru/reviews/rage_2011

[Azazel]

Don't post naked links. Especially to shit in Russia or China.

[Surlyboi]

Don't post naked links. Especially to shit in Russia or China.

Normally, I'd agree, but that was well worth it.

[Tarami]

I don't know in what sense it was worth it? He's unimpressed. It's not even an entertaining rant, it's indifference.

That's not to say I don't agree. Rage is pretty, smooth and has some rather great shooting sections. The rest is obnoxious though. They could have removed everything but the shooting and had a much better game. The racing, the "mutant bash," the economic system (although the crafting is sort of nice) are all superflous and in the way for the fun (killing shit.)

What amazes me the most is that someone can design something this bland and not take notice. There's nothing characteristic about it.

Rage is rather unique in one way though: It's one of very few FPSes I've started that I know I won't finish.

[Surlyboi]

You obviously missed the joke...

Protip: try scrolling up and down the article a couple of times.

[Tarami]

NoScript. :P Ok, that's pretty funny eventhough I never had the issue myself. :)

[Ginaz]

I'm having a bit of a graphical error whenever I turn or move.  When I do it, theres a bit of a blur type effect (hard to describe) going across the screen in a straight line.  I've tried to make adjustments to my settings but I haven't had any luck yet.  Anyone know what causes this or how to fix it?  Thanks.

[rk47]

All this raging has made me buy Borderlands GOTY at $7.50 on Steam instead. Cry more, Carmack!