I remember when Rage came out in 2011, was given mild praise, and promptly faded from memory. After finishing it I really can't work out why - I had so much fun with it. If you mix Mad Max with Borderlands (especially the pseudo cell-shaded aesthetic that keeps the game looking fresh after all this time, although you should expect pretty awful texture pop-in) and fold in a villain that may as well be the Combine from HL2, you end up with Rage. Thankfully the gunplay is better than any of those titles, and the famously realistic and unpredictable Rage AI reactions (where bullet impacts send enemies sprawling, and melee AI uses terrain to move erratically) made most fights a treat - and forced you to use your entire arsenal of weapons and gadgets to survive. Speaking of which, the quirky combat gadgets and minigames give Rage it's own personality, much like Borderlands. The whole thing feels strangely like an indie open-world game: while you do have an overworld, you aren't encouraged to explore it beyond the scope of story missions (a story which itself feels rather small and linear), and the ride is over within 15 hours or so.

A final word about the level design, which is excellent - Dead City is one of the best horror levels I've ever played. Amongst a sea of post-apocalypse games, Rage stands out. Heartily recommended.

I remember when Rage came out in 2011, was given mild praise, and promptly faded from memory. After finishing it I really can't work out why - I had so much fun with it. If you mix Mad Max with Borderlands (especially the pseudo cell-shaded aesthetic that keeps the game looking fresh after all this time, although you should expect pretty awful texture pop-in) and fold in a villain that may as well be the Combine from HL2, you end up with Rage. Thankfully the gunplay is better than any of those titles, and the famously realistic and unpredictable Rage AI reactions (where bullet impacts send enemies sprawling, and melee AI uses terrain to move erratically) made most fights a treat - and forced you to use your entire arsenal of weapons and gadgets to survive. Speaking of which, the quirky combat gadgets and minigames give Rage it's own personality, much like Borderlands. The whole thing feels strangely like an indie open-world game: while you do have an overworld, you aren't encouraged to explore it beyond the scope of story missions (a story which itself feels rather small and linear), and the ride is over within 15 hours or so. A final word about the level design, which is excellent - Dead City is one of the best horror levels I've ever played. Amongst a sea of post-apocalypse games, Rage stands out. Heartily recommended.