Rage preview: "Is Rage more than a graphical gem or has the Doom guys several aces up its sleeve?"

Id Software is ambitious in her latest shoot the project, which casts the player on a small guest mild level of mutants and bandits around every corner. Is Rage more than a graphical gem or has the Doom guys several aces up its sleeve? Gamereactor Norway has taken a closer look.

[theonlylolking]

Its not a graphical gem from what I have seen so far. It also just looks like a fallout/borderlands. I dont want fallout but I like borderlands so for me this game could go either way.

[Hellsvacancy]

I was the opposite, i loved Fallout 3 (Plated it) but didnt like BorderLands, i found it too borin

I dont expect Crysis/Uncharted 2's level of graphics when playin a massive open world game like Rage, Fallout looked rather ugly but i loved every minute of it

Ive wanted Rage for ages i shall defo pick it up day 1 same as Fallout: Vegas

[theonlylolking]

True, but with all the hype for this game for the graphics I was expecting so much more. Not gears 3 graphics in 60fps.

[Double Toasted]

Gears 3 already trumped your favorite exclusive(s) so you probably should wait for UC3 cause Rage has already laid claim to 2011.

[Whoooop]

lol

Do fanboys still feed from the illusion that Gears games look good?? 2006 was a long time ago fellas.

;)

@down

Dude watch the screens and the E3 gameplay footage... Looks just as bad as the first 2 games. Why people say Gears games looks amazing is beyond me. In 2006 of course, now?? They haven't aged well AT ALL.

[WrAiTh Sp3cTr3]

Gears 3 hasn't came out yet, so what are you trying to say? Never mind, I'm sure the next thing that comes from you, won't make a bit of sense either, lol.

[WrAiTh Sp3cTr3]

I be damned if I didn't call it, huh?

[caligame]

...

[Chubear]

erm, the game is no longer "massive open world" It's pretty linear now w/ some pseudo open areas here and there but when it was announced it'll use 3DVDs, didn't you already know this will happen?

Many things were cut out of the game, things gamers will never know about which is saddening.

The game looks really awesome but for it to look like it does, many things like open world eliments, all kinds of particle effects (smoke, dust etc) ligthing etc where scraped or tonned down.

... the graphics are pretty but kinda stagnant compared to something like Killzone2. You'll see what I mean.

[Simonkey75]

Pretty much everyone whose seen it in action says its the most stunning looking game on this gen of consoles and running at 60 fps. If nothing else ID do great graphics engines.

[deadreckoning666]

"I've seen a lot of people getting into arguments about why RAGE looks great and some people say that it looks better than Killzone 3 because it runs at 60 fps."

Idk what the point of people getting into stupid arguments like these. If people are so concerned with graphics..they should pop in a Blu-Ray movie. Anyways, I'll be getting both games and it won't matter which one looks better since they both look good judging from the vids I have seen.

"People are just happy that they can finally justify their 360 purchases"

Well, I strongly doubt that since the majority of 360 owners probably don't even know what Rage is. Also, I have many friends who are 360 owners and they are VERY happy playing Modern Warfare 2 for seven hours straight so they justified their purchase a LONG time ago. And..how does ONE game justify a purchase for the 360? Isn't Rage multiplatform??

"As far as 60fps games go, it destroys MW2, is just under MOH, and can't even touch GOWIII."

Did you just compare Rage, an open world post-apocalyptic FPS to a linear Greek mythos platformer/ hack n' slash???? Oh dear...

[DA_SHREDDER]

People are just happy that they can finally justify their 360 purchases.

[MitchGE]

So it's not really a game to justify a 360 purchase.

It looks good, no argument there, and 60fps is wonderful. As far as 60fps games go technically, it destroys MW2, rivals R&CF:ACIT (barely), is slightly under MOH, and can't even touch GOWIII.

[Perjoss]

@ DA shrdder

superior 360 multiplats called and they said hi

[Bobets]

@Perjoss
"Rage Will Look Better on PS3 than 360, Says Developer"

http://www.ps3informer.com/...

[Perjoss]

that may be true but there is a large amount of multiplat games that look better in 1 way or another on the 360, i'd say around 90%. Even games that were supposed to be lead platform on the ps3 like Ghostbusters.

[asyouburn]

your just talking graphic performance, though. the ghostbusters dev said if they only had to make the ps3 version, they could've had twice as much going on onscreen. textures and resolution are just one aspect of a game. so you could say the 360 version runs at a higher resolution, but other than that, its the same game

[ProjectVulcan]

PC says hi perjoss. Considering we are debating what platform has the best looking multis....

[rumplstilts]

@ bobbets

I like how the article you quoted doesn't have an actual quote. It is just saying that he said something.

[SOAD]

It is very good-looking. I don't know why anyone would say otherwise. I've seen the demo in HD maybe 4 times. There are a few hiccups though.

I want to make something clear in case this thread gets hot.

I've seen a lot of people getting into arguments about why RAGE looks great and some people say that it looks better than Killzone 3 because it runs at 60 fps.

I do not feel that way. I don't think that a game running at 60 fps necessarily looks better than a game running at 30 fps. That is not what makes a game run well. And personally, I can tell the difference and it actually gives me a headache when I play MW2.

The only reason why I think that RAGE is important is because it looks really damn good running at 60 fps and is relatively open world, and it's doing all this on 360. So, it's very important, I think, because it shows that the 360 can do a lot more than I previously believed. I would not have believed that the 360 could run a game looking as good as RAGE at 30 fps.

To me this means that the 360 can last a few more years, maybe 2, if Microsoft chooses to support Id Tech 5 and get its developers to use it.

[Gran Touring]

A lot of people like to think that a game running faster means it looks better. Compare NFS: Shift to Forza 3 on 360 and most people will say Forza 3 looks better, even though the interiors in NFS have a slight edge with more detail. But no one is really debating Call of Duty looking better than Alan Wake or Uncharted... Well, at least I'm not.

[raztad]

RAGE engine is optimized for rendering nice textures (hand made) but honestly speaking there is nothing dynamic in it. When outdoors you only see indestructible rocks, when inside indestructible buildings. Dead bodies just vanish, damaged cars disappear, explosions are like prerendered. I understand 60fps makes everything looks better, but to sacrifice everything else is not a good idea. In comparison Crysis 2 looks next gen while RAGE is Doom 3.

[SOAD]

The whole point is that rendering good visuals at 60 frames per second is taxing on the CPU. If Id wanted, they could add more particle effects and destructibility to the game and run it at 30 frames per second. Or they could make the game more linear like Halo 3 and make it look really fucking good.

@raztad, enemies disappear because of RAM limitations. You've played God of War 3, haven't you? Enemies disappear in console games, sometimes immediately as a design choice because the developers want to use the RAM for something else.

I agree there's a lot more that iD can do with RAGE if they didn't force the console versions to run at 60 fps but they have their own vision of what they want. The main thing is that the engine is good and it works well for the consoles. It would be cheaper for Microsoft to continue to support the 360 instead of launch a new console, and the iD Tech 5 engine makes the 360 relevant.

[ProjectVulcan]

Looks texture and geometry heavy. Not a huge amount of complex pixel shading going on here. I suspect this method heavily favours 360's architecture and hefty GPU vertex performance advantage, but if anyone can match the console versions up and work CELL's SPEs its carmack's teams. I see the 360 version running with what appears to be a huge amount of geometry which is basically the massive strength of 360's GPU over PS3's RSX and think....Oh. Dear. So there needs to be some serious SPE optimisation on this

Overall the game comes out looking good and well balanced.

[N4g_null]

Thanks for your opinion. Soad.

Rage is not just about what you said or what you though those mysterious people said.

We have a engine way way better than ut3 now that is truely optimized.

It's cool if you guys like slow fps or action games running at 15-30 frames. Most people don't.
It's obvious you guys are judging stuff on a bias and can't see past your fanboyness. Sure you like killzone art more I do also yet you do know what the particle effects are using right? It's nothing but scripts.

Go and get rages tools and I'll show how to make killzone. Yes the engine is going to be that good. I won't say if it's going to be better but seriously brink beats them all and I'd love to see brink using this engine.

I'd rather have lots of 3rd party games running at 60 frames with a great engine like this rather than not. ID has always been the king of optimization since we've been using bSP and cull brushes. I'm sure that's Greek but believe me this is good for gaming and no one cares if you buy the game it's the engine where hyped about.

I mean it's safe to say you guys will only like killzone or uncharted. I'm the same way with my favorite games. It's all opinions.

That's fine and that is why people post. Yet my perspective is based on what this means to every one who can afford this engine to make 3rd party games with this is the new quake engine.

I'm sure you don't have the spec sheet for this engine also. Saying it's not really using complexed shaders is laughable. Every game almost has them.

So let's get to why most of you are even down playing it. It's on the xbox and the pc. So far ps3 is selling because it's so powerful right bit that's true then why even bother to post here against this game?

So you just want to down play this game and every one should get the new ps3 exclusive cool we got it. But when and if you ever see this game running you will be made to look foolish. ID has always had the most flexible tech also.

This also goes for cryteks stuff yet people don't like that art also. No one cares yet we can buy that engine. I'm sure killzone has a great scripting system for all of those particles. That's cool but not every one wants to make a game like that.

[Akagi]

It's gonna be a gameplay gem. The graphics are just a delightful bonus.

[jjohan35]

I'm pretty sure Rage will look great on consoles, but I think the 'graphical gem' that most people refer to belongs on the PC. And in that regard, I'm sure Rage will blow other PC games out of the water.

However the creative geniuses that made Doom have all left ID software a long time ago. John Carmack is a technical genius, but many of his other games lack strong gameplay, creativity, or simply put, fun. If John Carmack is responsible for the gameplay and artistic direction, then Rage will undoubtedly be disappointing. I just hope they have other great minds at ID software to design Rage and its story.

[N4g_null]

You are so right I dare not say his name though lol. They really need to make up and get back to being badazz again. Every one laughed at what he was trying to do yet if he was still making stuff he would be pushing stuff so much more it seems.

Any way this is why I like splash damage iD lays the golden egg and SP makes it fly. Quake wars is so much fun.

[Greywulf]

It happens EVERY SINGLE multiplatform release. Its always hyped to take on PS3 exclusive performance (never 360 exclusive performance for some reason? hmmm?) But it always ends up a few things:

1. The Multiplatform game never comes close to the PS3 exclusive.

2. 360 fans move onto the next Metro2033..

3. Someone mutters that graphics don't matter.... and it alllllllll about gameplay, yet they never understand that PS3 exclusives always offer both. And win awards for gameplay and visuals. And they are the ones arguing to death that 1 pixel makes a game superior. Right??

Rage is no different. Its multiplatform, MP games can't by nature equal/compete PS3 exclusives. The reason is because the PS3 has Killzone2-3/Uncharted/GranTuri smo/Mag/etc. Those games have no equals on the 360, so how can you ever claim to make a game that is superior to one of those titles mentioned, and have it run on the 360, which best effort is Alan Wake, or Halo, and all SubHD. You can't have graphics/lighting/dynamics/ani mation/stream loading with any 360 title. yet...

rage is going to do it? And run on a 360 without a HDD...

Righht...

[iFLOWLIKEWATER]

hanks for typing all of that, for me to disagree lol.

[Proxy]

Greywulf is an ignoramus.

[michaelscarn]

SOAD, bubbles

[gobluth]

Stumbling into Greywulf's post is like stepping on a turd while walking.

Quit being a douche, Greywulf.

Bubbles SOAD.

[Lyesoap]

Well said, soad.

[hoops]

Greywulf as of now, Crysis 2 a multiplat game is debunking your theory that "The Multiplatform game never comes close to the PS3 exclusive."
Not only is Crysis sporting the most advanced game engine so far (Full destructible enviroment with those graphics) the sheer amount of action on the screen is on the level of Killzone 2 and Killzone 3 and Halo Reach.
Now the game is not out as of yet but looking at what this game is shaping up to be, its going to make a lot of those PS3 exclusives take a back seat in graphics. Now this is N4G.COM so I expect to get bubbled down for saying this, but if you look at what this game engine is doing even for consoles, its quite impressive and ranks easily with any PS3 exclusive.
Now you can bubble me down and disagree for me daring to say a multiplat game can look as good as a exclusive game. The N4G.COM way of doing things...
BTW. Metro 2033 for the PC if you have the system to run it is by far the most impressive looking game out now.

[Inside_out]

Rage is doing things that few games can claim. Here's a demo from 2008...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Here's the E3 demo with voice overs...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Here's some great footage and tech info from there presentation with some PC footage...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

This trailer has some great footage with in and story elements...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

ID claims that their game will do things no other game is doing. 2011 will be very interesting. I hope the PS3 port doesn't turn out like RDR.

As for all the talk about graphics, no game does or has ever done what Gears of War does. Awesome graphics and physics that no game can duplicate. I would love to see ID, Guerrilla, ND...anybody copy what Gears does in 3 mins in this vid...not possible, if so prove it. I don't want to see pre-rendered crap ( UC and GOW ) or screens...in REAL time.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Here's the same vid from a different perspective...Watch when cliff plants the grenade in the locust's head and kicks him towards the Boomer...good luck finding that in any other game...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Here's the new Beast mode multi-player...play as the enemies...Watch for the new mech suits...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

And finally some awesome picks of new weapons and enemies...Look at the digger LIVE grenade feature in the live demo...lol

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[iamnsuperman]

Gear of war is good but not as mind blowing as you are talking about. Rage looks better, Infamous 2 looks better, uncharted 2 looks better, heavy rain looks better. Killzone 2 physics are really good
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[Alos88]

The title is kinda confusing. Do they mean "little more than a graphical gem"?

[TheDeadMetalhead]

It was translated into English by Google. Google translations are about Zero Wing-quality

[quadalupeupe]

They make great looking games but average gameplay (usually)

[Pandamobile]

Are talking about the same id here?

[quadalupeupe]

Doom 3 was awful but looked great

Quake 1 and 2 were good games but were still the same Doom style games they've done in the past...

they haven't done anything revolutionary story wise for games they release, they make great game engines that other companies buy

Call of Duty1-4, Half-life, team fortress, Left 4 dead use an engine all based off John Carmacks/ID software work

[zagibu]

I have to agree. Their game-design is pretty bland. They DO make great engines, though.

[Dellis]

This will be a boring game, you can tell all the focus when into making it look good.

[DA_SHREDDER]

Yeah, it looks good, but looking at Id's track record, they haven't made a decent game in almost 10 years. We will see if its any good. I dont believe other peoples hype like I used to.

[Eiffel]

Doom 3 wasn't decent? I was around in 2004 last time I checked and I remember it sold 4 million copies, praised by reviewers, and many critics loved the game for it's dark and unique atmosphere. It was a financial success in most regards. I still have the PC copy on my shelf, one of my favorite games of the past. Hell even back when it released most in line PC's couldn't even run it.

I have a lot of faith in ID Software, they put a lot of quality into their games.

[SOAD]

On the internet people speak in absolutes.

Because Doom 3 wasn't given 50 GOTY awards Da_Shredder thinks he can say it wasn't a decent game, and hopes no one really thinks about his post.

[zagibu]

Doom 3 was okay, but really nothing special, gameplay-wise. The weapons were standard id arsenal, the monsters had no AI to speak of, the storytelling was, as is typical in this genre, subpar. Map and monster design, as well as the eerie atmosphere, were pretty cool, though, and combined with the spectacular graphics, it was enough to woo most people.

[Hacker]

By far the best graphical game this Gen also VOTED best looking jaw dropping graphics at E3 competing against games like KZ3,Crysis 2,Halo Reach lol.

[MariaHelFutura]

LOL, you added Halo:Reach into that group, your toooooo funny.

As good as Reach might be for Halo fans, is not even in the range of any of the games you mentioned, at all.

[palaeomerus]

Yes it is.

[MariaHelFutura]

In Graphics? LMAO

[Megaton]

Looks exactly like Borderlands on a good engine. If it plays just like Borderlands, then it needs co-op. That game was painfully boring alone, but a fuckin' blast with friends.

[oldjadedgamer]

Is this just a graphically enhanced Borderlands (which I loved, dont get me wrong) or is there more to this than that. All I hear about this game is graphics

[oldjadedgamer]

I don't want a agree or disagree. I'd rather someone answer. Is this borderlands 2.0 or is there more to it than that?

[Spenok]

You seem to be right, the most there talking about with this game is graphics, though if you want to know more about the game go here

http://ps3.ign.com/articles...

or

http://xbox-360.nowgamer.co...

OR

http://www.1up.com/do/previ...

Those should give you a general idea of what the games about. And you can judge for yourself if its a Borderlands style of game. It does have that post apocolyptic feel to it. More are calling it a Fallout style more then borderlands though.

[Eiffel]

There is more to it. Rage features a lot of interesting things thrown in. Most notably is the mad max style races as well as destructible derby additions. Also note that RAGE has been in development far longer than Borderlands was so in all fairness neither are a carbon copy of the other. There really isn't a lot of info offered this thus far,ID Software is pretty tight on information released on games in development, no doubt we'll get a more in depth look near the holidays.

[punisher99]

These guys pretty much invented the FPS genre. My expectations are big for this game.

[RandomGamer]

I just hope it isn't just another pretty fps for the graphics whores out there that can be beat in just a few hours and actually has a long single player experience,at least around the 20 hour mark.I think it should be possible since it's an open world from what I've seen.

[SSKILLZ]

dang this game looks insanely awesome, just hope it also translates the feeling and that game play turns out great because this keeps looking like a day 1 buy.

[NnT3291]

Looks like a graphically superior Borderlands

[callahan09]

Excited for this game. Can't wait to see how it looks on my computer. Going to run it in 1080p and hopefully I can max out the settings and still get 60fps. Might have to leave AA off, but at 1080p and maximum detail and texture quality AA is usually not that important.

[NnT3291]

I think this game and Crysis 2 will be the system killers in 2011, and there'll be a lot of comparison between these 2 games

[Whoooop]

I know I won't be able to max out mine, but I'm sure I will be able to play it on high with some adjustments here and there.

[callahan09]

Yeah, I dunno if I'll be able to max it and get 60fps. It depends on how crazy the reqs are, of course. If I put everything to Very High and turn AA off, I run Crysis in 1080p at about 45fps. Don't really need AA, personally, and Crysis, while beautiful, was a pretty poorly optimized game (as evidence by how much prettier Warhead is and how much better it runs on the same computer), so I'm hoping that I'll be able to get 60fps out of RAGE. I also just got a new iZ3D polarized 3D monitor. It's kind of interesting. Not the best image quality, as it only has a 700:1 contrast ratio and the color reproduction isn't perfect, but I like the 3D with polarized lenses better than the active shutter style, it's less straining on my eyes personally speaking. I'm excited to try it out with Crysis 2, which is supposed to be getting optimized for 3D.

[pixelsword]

I'm calling it now; Wardevil.

I got this funny feeling...

[palaeomerus]

Vaporware is vaporware.

[Belasco]

I have to say, (and yes this is relative to the topic) that I am currently playing KZ2 for the first time, and while its a good looking game, I dont understand what all the hype was about. Havent played GOW3 yet, but I never enjoyed that series so I probably wont. Having seen footage of Rage I believe it already looks better than KZ2, but not quite the level of Uncharted 2 mainly because of artistic style and not pure graphics.

[webeblazing]

i haven't seen anything in this game that looks open world looks good tho not gonna jump the gun like the usual suppects