New details about id Software's Rage has surfaced this week, giving gamers a taste of what they can expect from both single and multiplayer portions of the game. First announced in 2007, Rage is set in a post-apocalyptic world after the impact of Apophis, a real life asteroid that is expected to pass near Earth in 2036. Naturally, the player survives that catastrophe and is left to fend for themselves among other survivors, including eight or more hostile factions comprised of bandits and mutants.
Rage seems to incorporate gameplay elements from many genres. Although the title is primarily billed as a first-person shooter, players can race vehicles to earn money for upgrades, and there are RPG-like features such as an inventory system and side missions. The term "sandbox" is used to describe the gameplay, but we're not sure how open the world is – we picture something like Borderlands. Rock, Paper, Shotgun says Rage has a classic id feel to it, but there's more "complexity and reasoning."
The co-op portion is called Legends of the Wasteland and serves as a prequel to the single-player story. Co-op missions are linked to the main campaign and offer somewhat of a backstory along with the "opportunity to revisit key locations from a different perspective." Meanwhile, the online multiplayer specifically focuses on car combat called "Rage Combat Rally" instead of the traditional foot-bound combat. Vehicles will be customizable via some type of unlock system akin to Call of Duty.
After being delayed, Rage is finally slated to launch for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on September 13. Preorders will be upgraded to the Anarchy Edition, which includes special in-game armor, two weapons and a vehicle. Although it looks like id is pouring a ton of effort into Rage, it doesn't seem to have as strong of a following as you'd expect. We imagine this is partly because some gamers are bored of post-apocalyptic fiction, having played titles like BioShock and Fallout in recent years.