Rage (video game)
Encyclopedia
Rage is a first-person shooter
video game by id Software
which was released on October 4, 2011 in North America. It uses the company's new OpenGL
based id Tech 5
engine. The game was first shown as a tech demo on June 11, 2007, at Apple's WWDC, and was officially announced on August 2, 2007, at QuakeCon
. On the same day, a trailer for the game was released by Gametrailers.com
.
The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic
world somewhat similar to the movie Mad Max 2 and that of other popular video games such as Fallout. In an interview with GameSpot
, designer Tim Willits
revealed that the game is set in the near future following the impact of the asteroid 99942 Apophis
. Matthew J. Costello
, who worked on the plot of Doom 3
, also worked on the Rage plot. Influences on the driving and racing gameplay include games such as MotorStorm
and Burnout
. Players can upgrade their cars with racing certificates won from races.
The game features voice talent from well-known actors such as John Goodman
and Tara Strong
.
impact who has just woken up inside an Ark (part of a worldwide movement which buried VIPs underground in cryo-pods in order to rebuild Earth). The player awakens to the realization that his Ark has malfunctioned and that he is the only survivor. The game primarily consists of driving and shooting segments, with the player using his vehicle to explore the world and travel between missions. Players have the ability to augment their cars with various items and upgrades they can gain by completing races, but the game is not specifically a racing title; there is a strong emphasis on first-person action in addition to vehicular battles and races.
Rage also features some role-playing game
(RPG) elements, including an inventory system, looting system, and different types of ammo. Players have the option to customize their weapons and vehicles, as well as build a wide assortment of items using collected recipes. There are also side missions and a number of other minor exploratory elements. At E3, Tim Willits stated that the game's core is a first person racer with car-combat added in a little - that is, the racing is the sole and central focal point. The world is populated by the human survivors of the impact who were preserved from the asteroid by being buried in the Arks. The world is also populated by mutants, who serve as the player's main enemies at least for the first half of the game, as a major change takes place at the midway point of the game.
The world is populated by human survivors of the impact, who have come together to form settlements around oases and other practical or habitable locations, including racetracks. These fragile homes are diligently defended by the inhabitants against bandits and mutants, which are divided into various gangs and organizations of their own.
The Ark Survivor emerges into this setting 106 years after being put into stasis inside an underground shelter called an Ark. The Arks are the direct result of the Eden Project, a massive international undertaking in which hundreds of Arks containing cryogenic pods were sealed under the surface of the Earth in order to preserve enough of the human population to rebuild civilization in the future. The Eden Project, however, was far less successful than hoped. The Ark Survivor's Ark in particular is heavily damaged, with all of the other residents of the Ark having died (presumably because of the impact), and the equipment of the Ark is destroyed as well, and so the Ark Survivor (player) wakes up alone and uninformed. With no memory of his identity or objective, the Ark Survivor is forced to head for the surface.
When the Survivor reaches the surface, he is attacked by members of the ghost clan. Dan Hagar (played by John Goodman
), a wasteland settler, saves him and brings him to his settlement. Dan informs the Ark Survivor that The Authority, a hostile faction, is looking for him and other Ark survivors for an unknown purpose. The Ark Survivor helps Dan's settlement and the Outrigger settlements by completing a few easy jobs. Because his presence is too dangerous for the settlement, the player leaves and goes to the nearby town of Wellspring.
During his stay in Wellspring, the Survivor helps the town with various problems such as fighting off bandits and mutants and ferrying supplies. Eventually, he comes into contact with Dr. Kvasir, an elderly scientist who used to work for the Authority. Kvasir tells the Ark Survivor about the inhumane experiments the Authority was responsible for, such as the creation of the mutants. Kvasir puts the Ark Survivor into contact with the Resistance, an anti-Authority group. After rescuing their leader, Captain Marshall, the Ark Survivor begins attracting attention from the Authority, forcing him to flee Wellspring and then join the Resistance at their headquarters in Subway City. Like he did for Wellspring, the Ark Survivor earns the trust and gratitude of the citizens of Subway City by assisting them with various problems. The Ark Survivor also learns what had happened in the past century from Marshall, who is an Ark survivor himself. Shortly before Apophis struck, one of the generals in charge of the Ark project sabotaged the operation by ensuring that only the Arks with people loyal to him would be opened, leaving the rest to stay underground in hibernation. These Ark survivors would eventually form the Authority.
With the Authority beginning to forcefully expand its influence on the Wasteland settlements, the Resistance is forced to act. With the help of the Ark Survivor, they are able to recover data that shows the location of every Ark on the planet. Marshall plans to use this data to activate all the Arks and form an army that can defeat the Authority. However, the only way to do this is to transmit the data from Capital Prime, the main headquarters for the Authority. Alone, the Ark Survivor fights his way through Capital Prime and manages to transmit the Ark activation code. The game then ends as all of the remaining Arks simultaneously activate and surface.
The Resistance: A group of freedom fighters opposing the Authority, they enlist the player's help in their war against it.
Mutants: While not necessarily organized enough to be a distinct faction, mutants are nonetheless a common presence in the wasteland. Although a few have been wrangled for use in entertainment on Mutant Bash TV, plenty remain loose in the wasteland. While the official explanation for mutants is exposure to cosmic radiation from the asteroid strike, the truth is that the Authority inadvertently created the mutants as a side effect of their nanotrite testing on humans. While mutants are not intelligent enough to wield firearms and are not very tough, they carry a variety of melee weapons, are very quick and agile, and almost always attack in numbers.
The Wasted Clan: A dim-witted bunch that enjoys mechanics, home-brewed alcohol and fighting. The Wasted are most commonly found in (what used to be) industrial areas, where more scrap and parts are on hand for their automotive projects. In fighting, they will sacrifice any semblance of tactics for the sheer effectiveness of blunt objects to the face, and prefer to reach for the nearest club and come at the player from any direction they can (although they will use guns on occasion).
The Ghost Clan: Sinister and stealthy, fearsome and fearless. The Ghost Clan is arguably the most id-like of Rage's enemies, dealing in the occult and staging gruesome sacrifices in order to gain a seat in the afterlife. Feared even by the other clans, Ghosts use the environment to their advantage while fighting - climbing around walls, leaps of faith, and hanging from beams are some of the many ways they evade the player, while their boomerangs provide both melee and ranged opportunities for them to cut intruders to ribbons. They also appear to be cannibals, as in a gameplay demo, one Ghost can be seen eating a corpse.
The Scorcher Clan: The asteroid Apophis was the steed of a demigod - so says the Scorcher Clan, who believes that tapping the energy of the asteroid (and thus its supposed supernatural owner) will make them invincible. As their name suggests, the Scorchers like fire - lots of it - and they make this abundantly clear with the amount of it they paint onto their bodies and cars. Their leader, a brutal fellow named Reaver, absolutely despises the Shrouded Clan, and displays his leadership with a picture of the asteroid itself, emblazoned on his car. He likes fire, a lot of fire.
The Shrouded Clan: Behind the gas masks and orange scarves, they are deserters - the Shrouded Clan is made up of those who abandoned their own clans in disillusionment, and banded together to disguise their identity and motives. They are skilled engineers, and use their cunning to booby-trap their lairs, as well as craft RC bomb cars and automatic turrets (like those the player can make).
The Jackal Clan: Howls in the night signal the coming of the Jackal Clan. Part animal and part human, they are a savage group of hunters and combatants. The Jackals act more like a pack of wolves on a hunt than a well-trained military force. They adorn their bodies with bones, furs and animal scalps that give them an appearance more beast than man. They are savage in nature and vicious in combat. They are feared even by mutants, as a group of large mutants (who themselves had just slaughtered a bandit clan) fearfully back down from a fight with only two of them.
The Gearheads: The Gearheads are the most intelligent of the wasteland's factions. Not relying solely on brute force for survival, these bandits have built advanced machinery and weaponry that make them a force to reckon with. These bandits look to technology for their salvation and vow to never let “mother nature” destroy them again. Some believe that founding members of this group may well have been Ark survivors that gave up on society and went their separate ways.
rating, but ended up receiving an 'M' instead. The Windows, and Xbox 360
versions ship on three dual-layer DVD
discs, while the PlayStation 3 version ships on one Blu-ray disc. John Carmack
has revealed that an uncompressed software build
of Rage is one Terabyte in size. The Windows version uses OpenGL 3.2
as the graphics API. While a GNU/Linux version is speculated, there has been no confirmation of an official build, though Timothee Besset
has stated that he will try to make GNU/Linux builds for Rage much as he has done in the past, and is currently expected sometime in 2012.
Id announced its decision to partner with Electronic Arts
for publication of Rage. On March 9, 2009, the company's CEO Todd Hollenshead told GameTrailers TV, "No, it won't be out this year," when asked about a possible release date. A trailer and several screenshots were released on August 13, 2009 at QuakeCon
where it showcased various locations, racing and first-person gameplay, and a brief insight into the storyline of the game. During GamesCom
in Cologne Germany, Electronic Arts
released four new screenshots for Rage.
In 2009, John Carmack stated id Software
is not planning to support dedicated servers for the Windows version, and instead will use a matchmaking system not unlike console games. ZeniMax Media Inc.
, who had acquired developer id Software in June 2009, announced that it had picked up the publishing rights to Rage, and that EA would not be involved in the sales or marketing of the title. The announcement also noted that the development of Rage had not been affected by the new deal. Creative director Tim Willits confirmed to videogames blog VG247 that the game would miss releasing in 2010, and would now launch in 2011. Willits later accepted the award from IGN
Media for "Best Game" and "Best First Person Shooter" at E3. Additionally, the game was awarded Best First-Person Shooter, Best New IP, Best Xbox 360, Windows, and PlayStation 3 game as well as the Game of the Show of E3 2010 by GameTrailers
.
In his keynote speech at QuakeCon
2010 on August 12, 2010, Carmack announced that id was developing a Rage-related game for Apple's iOS. He later described the mobile Rage as a "little slice of Rage ... [about] 'Mutant Bash TV', a post-apocalyptic combat game show in the Rage wasteland", and separately hinted that he might try to port Rage Mobile to Android.
At QuakeCon
2011, Carmack offered many technical insights of the development and differences between the three main platforms (Windows
, Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
), noting that it was not easy developing such an optimized engine to be able to smoothly run on consoles and still having the best artistically looking game on consoles. He also affirmed that the PC
platform is as much as 10 times faster than the current generation of gaming consoles, but this did not mean 10x the performance because of the extra layers of abstraction found in PC compatible operating systems.
On September 16, 2011 Bethesda announced Rage had gone gold.
Rage was released on October 4, 2011 and is available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows.
At QuakeCon
2011, Carmack
mentioned a number of additions PC version of RAGE might receive in the foreseeable future. These include unofficial patches as Carmack named them "research engine things, 'far-out technologies'"; such as HMD support, Kinect support, "tracing, splatting, voxels and non-polygonal stuff", "perfect motion-blur" and "perfect anti-aliasing". id Software
is committed to update the id Tech 5
engine past Rages development.
During the keynote, Carmack also stressed a number of times that the PC version would possibly get a "super quality texture pack" to improve low-resolution textures that Rage suffers at the shipping dataset which is identical to console counterparts. He admitted that artists were sad because a combination of multiple professional compression solutions were necessary in order to fit the internal build
, which was approximately 150 GB
, to a shippable product of 25 GB, on three dual-layer DVD
s or one single-layer BD
.
Carmack repeatedly reassured fans via email and interviews that RAGE will have considerable tweaking capabilities, easily editable configurations files and a developer-console for advanced users. During QuakeCon 2011, he also stressed that typing id studio into the console will produce no effect on the 32-bit
version of the game, as the modding tools are only supported on 64-bit
operating systems. He also stated that the tools would be available mere days after the game's release.
On January 20, 2011, Bethesda vice president of public relations Pete Hines told VG247
that a demo of the game is not likely.
On March 11, 2011, Bethesda and Dark Horse Comics
have announced a three-issue comic book series based on id Software's upcoming RAGE video game. This original miniseries is being written by Arvid Nelson
, the acclaimed creator of Rex Mundi
, and penciled by Andrea Mutti. The cover art is being created by Glenn Fabry
, best known for his work on Hellblazer
and Preacher
.
This comic series, developed with the direct participation of RAGE's creative director, Tim Willits
, presents a new twist on the post-apocalyptic near future as one woman discovers that the survival of humankind does not necessarily mean the survival of humanity. The Earth has been devastated by a collision with an asteroid, with a tiny fraction of the population surviving in life-sustaining Arks buried deep below its surface. Those who survive emerge to find a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority. But a rescued scientist learns that the Authority has lied to her and the other survivors about how this new world came to be.
On March 30, 2011, Bethesda has announced that they would team up with Del Rey Books
to create a novel based on RAGE. The novel will be based on the world of rage and its characters. The novel is set for release on August 30 and will be written by author and game writer Matthew J. Costello
.
On April 18, 2011 it was revealed that those who pre-ordered the game would receive an automatic upgrade to the 'Anarchy Edition of the game, which includes four exclusive in-game items (a double barrel shotgun, Crimson Elite Armor, Fists of RAGE (spiked brass knuckles) and a car called the "Rat Rod Buggy").
Tim Willits
confirmed modding tools will be available a couple of days after release.
The game was featured on the fourth season
episodes "Problem Dog" and "Hermanos" of Breaking Bad
. On September 13, 2011, it was reported that Breaking Bad will be referenced in-game in three specific ways.
A Viral Campaign was released that features Los Angeles Clippers
Power Forward Blake Griffin
in which he performs stunts to get himself in the game such as Dunking
over a Tiger to impress the developers.
for the Xbox 360
, PlayStation 3
and Windows
respectively. The game has received high praise for its graphics and shooting mechanics, with criticism mostly leveled at the game's story and poor out-of-the-box PC compatibility.
Electronic Gaming Monthly
praised the game, giving it a score of 9.5/10. They stated that the game features impressive visuals, brutal and satisfying combat, fluid animations and advanced enemy AI, numerous entertaining side-missions, and an addictive multiplayer component. The one complaint they had with Rage was that the final boss fight was unsatisfying compared to the rest of the game's impressive combat scenarios.
Ars Technica
gave a more negative review of the Xbox 360 version, criticizing lack of story, undeveloped characters, uninteresting quests and a "broken save system" (autosave checkpoints being too far apart, forcing frequent manual saves which are slow on the Xbox 360), while acknowledging the quality of the visuals. The Windows version does feature a quicksave function, enabling instant (takes a few seconds, during which the game is paused) saves anywhere at the touch of a button.
Game Informer
gave the game a 9 out of 10, saying that "while most people will rave about Rage's technology, this game's most impressive component is its gunplay...the mutated hostiles of the wastes...crawl out of the woodwork, scamper along walls, and create a sense of absolute terror," and "the challenge posed to the player is to put them down quickly or pray that every close range shotgun blast takes a large chunk of flesh." The soundtrack was described as "appropriately moody," and the animation system as one of the most "impressive" ever made. However, the review also argued that "the driving sections are no more than optional diversions" and "the lack of content in the overworld is disappointing." In conclusion, the story and overworld were described as "dated", but the "pulse-pounding gunplay" was hailed as "a nice change of pace" that "stands out in a crowded market."
IGN
praised the game's graphics, calling them some of the best ever, but criticized the game's story and forgettable characters.
Many users of the Windows version have criticized the lack of any advanced graphics options within the game, as well as the console-focused game engine. Several reports of the game not running properly have lowered the Metacritic's user score well below the journalist's scores. Both console and PC gamers have been critical of the large amount texture pop-in which can occur, even on high-end graphics cards. AMD has released drivers that attempt to fix the issues with Rage.
On October 10, 2011 a patch for the Windows version was released which added various graphical options to the game and fixed a number of driver-related graphical issues. While it did alleviate various issues for some players, many who attempted to use ATI brand GPUs were left still unable to play the game without experiencing game breaking issues such as missing textures, frequent crashes and low frame rates.
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game by id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
which was released on October 4, 2011 in North America. It uses the company's new OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
based id Tech 5
Id Tech 5
id Tech 5 is the latest proprietary game engine being developed by id Software, currently still being actively upgraded, and follows its predecessors, id Tech 1, 2, 3 and 4. It is a major advancement over id Tech 4. The engine was first demonstrated at the WWDC 2007 by John D...
engine. The game was first shown as a tech demo on June 11, 2007, at Apple's WWDC, and was officially announced on August 2, 2007, at QuakeCon
QuakeCon
QuakeCon is a bring-your-own-computer computer gaming event with a competitive tournament held every year in Dallas, Texas, USA. The event, which is named after id Software's game Quake, sees thousands of gamers from all over the world attend every year to celebrate the company's gaming dynasty...
. On the same day, a trailer for the game was released by Gametrailers.com
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
.
The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
world somewhat similar to the movie Mad Max 2 and that of other popular video games such as Fallout. In an interview with GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, designer Tim Willits
Tim Willits
Tim Willits is the creative director and former co-owner of video game developer id Software.-Early life:Willits is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and a former member of the University of Minnesota Army ROTC program...
revealed that the game is set in the near future following the impact of the asteroid 99942 Apophis
99942 Apophis
99942 Apophis is a near-Earth asteroid that caused a brief period of concern in December 2004 because initial observations indicated a small probability that it would strike the Earth in 2029. Additional observations provided improved predictions that eliminated the possibility of an impact on...
. Matthew J. Costello
Matthew J. Costello
Matthew J. Costello is the author or coauthor of numerous novels and nonfiction works. His articles have appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. He scripted Trilobyte's bestselling CD-ROM interactive dramas The 7th Guest and its sequel The 11th Hour, as...
, who worked on the plot of Doom 3
Doom 3
Doom 3 is a science fiction horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac...
, also worked on the Rage plot. Influences on the driving and racing gameplay include games such as MotorStorm
MotorStorm
MotorStorm is a 2006 racing video game developed by Evolution Studios and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the Sony PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. First announced at E3 2005, the game was released in Japan on 14 December 2006 and the rest of the world in March 2007....
and Burnout
Burnout (series)
Burnout is a series of high-speed racing games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo GameCube game consoles. Also, for the very first time, a PC version of the latest installment in the series, Burnout Paradise, has been released...
. Players can upgrade their cars with racing certificates won from races.
The game features voice talent from well-known actors such as John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
and Tara Strong
Tara Strong
Tara Lyn Strong is a Canadian actress, voice-over artist, singer, who is best known for her voice work in cartoons.-Early life and career:...
.
Gameplay
The user plays as a survivor of the 2029 Apophis asteroid99942 Apophis
99942 Apophis is a near-Earth asteroid that caused a brief period of concern in December 2004 because initial observations indicated a small probability that it would strike the Earth in 2029. Additional observations provided improved predictions that eliminated the possibility of an impact on...
impact who has just woken up inside an Ark (part of a worldwide movement which buried VIPs underground in cryo-pods in order to rebuild Earth). The player awakens to the realization that his Ark has malfunctioned and that he is the only survivor. The game primarily consists of driving and shooting segments, with the player using his vehicle to explore the world and travel between missions. Players have the ability to augment their cars with various items and upgrades they can gain by completing races, but the game is not specifically a racing title; there is a strong emphasis on first-person action in addition to vehicular battles and races.
Rage also features some role-playing game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
(RPG) elements, including an inventory system, looting system, and different types of ammo. Players have the option to customize their weapons and vehicles, as well as build a wide assortment of items using collected recipes. There are also side missions and a number of other minor exploratory elements. At E3, Tim Willits stated that the game's core is a first person racer with car-combat added in a little - that is, the racing is the sole and central focal point. The world is populated by the human survivors of the impact who were preserved from the asteroid by being buried in the Arks. The world is also populated by mutants, who serve as the player's main enemies at least for the first half of the game, as a major change takes place at the midway point of the game.
Multiplayer
Rage has two multiplayer modes: Road Rage and Legends of the Wasteland. In Road Rage, up to four players compete in a free-for-all match that takes place in an arena designed to make use of the vehicles. The objective is to collect rally points that appear around the arena while killing your opponents and stealing their points. Legends of the Wasteland is a series of two-player co-op missions based on stories that are heard throughout the single player campaign. There are a total of 9 objectives in this game type.Plot
In Rage's story, the Apophis asteroid strikes on August 23, 2029, and the few pockets of survivors are forced to begin a new civilization.The world is populated by human survivors of the impact, who have come together to form settlements around oases and other practical or habitable locations, including racetracks. These fragile homes are diligently defended by the inhabitants against bandits and mutants, which are divided into various gangs and organizations of their own.
The Ark Survivor emerges into this setting 106 years after being put into stasis inside an underground shelter called an Ark. The Arks are the direct result of the Eden Project, a massive international undertaking in which hundreds of Arks containing cryogenic pods were sealed under the surface of the Earth in order to preserve enough of the human population to rebuild civilization in the future. The Eden Project, however, was far less successful than hoped. The Ark Survivor's Ark in particular is heavily damaged, with all of the other residents of the Ark having died (presumably because of the impact), and the equipment of the Ark is destroyed as well, and so the Ark Survivor (player) wakes up alone and uninformed. With no memory of his identity or objective, the Ark Survivor is forced to head for the surface.
When the Survivor reaches the surface, he is attacked by members of the ghost clan. Dan Hagar (played by John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
), a wasteland settler, saves him and brings him to his settlement. Dan informs the Ark Survivor that The Authority, a hostile faction, is looking for him and other Ark survivors for an unknown purpose. The Ark Survivor helps Dan's settlement and the Outrigger settlements by completing a few easy jobs. Because his presence is too dangerous for the settlement, the player leaves and goes to the nearby town of Wellspring.
During his stay in Wellspring, the Survivor helps the town with various problems such as fighting off bandits and mutants and ferrying supplies. Eventually, he comes into contact with Dr. Kvasir, an elderly scientist who used to work for the Authority. Kvasir tells the Ark Survivor about the inhumane experiments the Authority was responsible for, such as the creation of the mutants. Kvasir puts the Ark Survivor into contact with the Resistance, an anti-Authority group. After rescuing their leader, Captain Marshall, the Ark Survivor begins attracting attention from the Authority, forcing him to flee Wellspring and then join the Resistance at their headquarters in Subway City. Like he did for Wellspring, the Ark Survivor earns the trust and gratitude of the citizens of Subway City by assisting them with various problems. The Ark Survivor also learns what had happened in the past century from Marshall, who is an Ark survivor himself. Shortly before Apophis struck, one of the generals in charge of the Ark project sabotaged the operation by ensuring that only the Arks with people loyal to him would be opened, leaving the rest to stay underground in hibernation. These Ark survivors would eventually form the Authority.
With the Authority beginning to forcefully expand its influence on the Wasteland settlements, the Resistance is forced to act. With the help of the Ark Survivor, they are able to recover data that shows the location of every Ark on the planet. Marshall plans to use this data to activate all the Arks and form an army that can defeat the Authority. However, the only way to do this is to transmit the data from Capital Prime, the main headquarters for the Authority. Alone, the Ark Survivor fights his way through Capital Prime and manages to transmit the Ark activation code. The game then ends as all of the remaining Arks simultaneously activate and surface.
Factions
The Authority: The world's strongest faction and the de facto government body of the new world. While their motives are unclear, they offer rewards to anybody who turns in an Ark Survivor. Obviously, avoiding them is in the player's best interest. It is also hinted that the Authority has been experimenting on the mutants, resulting in such beasts as the giant mutants. Later it is revealed that the authority is a group of Ark survivors led by General Cross who reprogrammed all other Arks except theirs to keep their occupants in suspended animation indefinitely as part of their plan to have his group take control of the world by themselves.The Resistance: A group of freedom fighters opposing the Authority, they enlist the player's help in their war against it.
Mutants: While not necessarily organized enough to be a distinct faction, mutants are nonetheless a common presence in the wasteland. Although a few have been wrangled for use in entertainment on Mutant Bash TV, plenty remain loose in the wasteland. While the official explanation for mutants is exposure to cosmic radiation from the asteroid strike, the truth is that the Authority inadvertently created the mutants as a side effect of their nanotrite testing on humans. While mutants are not intelligent enough to wield firearms and are not very tough, they carry a variety of melee weapons, are very quick and agile, and almost always attack in numbers.
The Wasted Clan: A dim-witted bunch that enjoys mechanics, home-brewed alcohol and fighting. The Wasted are most commonly found in (what used to be) industrial areas, where more scrap and parts are on hand for their automotive projects. In fighting, they will sacrifice any semblance of tactics for the sheer effectiveness of blunt objects to the face, and prefer to reach for the nearest club and come at the player from any direction they can (although they will use guns on occasion).
The Ghost Clan: Sinister and stealthy, fearsome and fearless. The Ghost Clan is arguably the most id-like of Rage's enemies, dealing in the occult and staging gruesome sacrifices in order to gain a seat in the afterlife. Feared even by the other clans, Ghosts use the environment to their advantage while fighting - climbing around walls, leaps of faith, and hanging from beams are some of the many ways they evade the player, while their boomerangs provide both melee and ranged opportunities for them to cut intruders to ribbons. They also appear to be cannibals, as in a gameplay demo, one Ghost can be seen eating a corpse.
The Scorcher Clan: The asteroid Apophis was the steed of a demigod - so says the Scorcher Clan, who believes that tapping the energy of the asteroid (and thus its supposed supernatural owner) will make them invincible. As their name suggests, the Scorchers like fire - lots of it - and they make this abundantly clear with the amount of it they paint onto their bodies and cars. Their leader, a brutal fellow named Reaver, absolutely despises the Shrouded Clan, and displays his leadership with a picture of the asteroid itself, emblazoned on his car. He likes fire, a lot of fire.
The Shrouded Clan: Behind the gas masks and orange scarves, they are deserters - the Shrouded Clan is made up of those who abandoned their own clans in disillusionment, and banded together to disguise their identity and motives. They are skilled engineers, and use their cunning to booby-trap their lairs, as well as craft RC bomb cars and automatic turrets (like those the player can make).
The Jackal Clan: Howls in the night signal the coming of the Jackal Clan. Part animal and part human, they are a savage group of hunters and combatants. The Jackals act more like a pack of wolves on a hunt than a well-trained military force. They adorn their bodies with bones, furs and animal scalps that give them an appearance more beast than man. They are savage in nature and vicious in combat. They are feared even by mutants, as a group of large mutants (who themselves had just slaughtered a bandit clan) fearfully back down from a fight with only two of them.
The Gearheads: The Gearheads are the most intelligent of the wasteland's factions. Not relying solely on brute force for survival, these bandits have built advanced machinery and weaponry that make them a force to reckon with. These bandits look to technology for their salvation and vow to never let “mother nature” destroy them again. Some believe that founding members of this group may well have been Ark survivors that gave up on society and went their separate ways.
Development
RAGE was originally intended to have a TeenEntertainment Software Rating Board
The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings, enforces industry-adopted advertising guidelines, and ensures responsible online privacy principles for computer and video games as well as entertainment software in Canada, Mexico and...
rating, but ended up receiving an 'M' instead. The Windows, and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
versions ship on three dual-layer DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
discs, while the PlayStation 3 version ships on one Blu-ray disc. John Carmack
John Carmack
John D. Carmack II is an American game programmer and the co-founder of id Software. Carmack was the lead programmer of the id computer games Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake, Rage and their sequels....
has revealed that an uncompressed software build
Software build
In the field of computer software, the term software build refers either to the process of converting source code files into standalone software artifact that can be run on a computer, or the result of doing so...
of Rage is one Terabyte in size. The Windows version uses OpenGL 3.2
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
as the graphics API. While a GNU/Linux version is speculated, there has been no confirmation of an official build, though Timothee Besset
Timothee Besset
Timothee Besset is a software programmer currently employed by id Software who is most well known for creating and supporting Linux, as well as some Macintosh, ports of id Software's products. He has been involved with the game ports of various id properties over the past ten years, starting with...
has stated that he will try to make GNU/Linux builds for Rage much as he has done in the past, and is currently expected sometime in 2012.
Id announced its decision to partner with Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
for publication of Rage. On March 9, 2009, the company's CEO Todd Hollenshead told GameTrailers TV, "No, it won't be out this year," when asked about a possible release date. A trailer and several screenshots were released on August 13, 2009 at QuakeCon
QuakeCon
QuakeCon is a bring-your-own-computer computer gaming event with a competitive tournament held every year in Dallas, Texas, USA. The event, which is named after id Software's game Quake, sees thousands of gamers from all over the world attend every year to celebrate the company's gaming dynasty...
where it showcased various locations, racing and first-person gameplay, and a brief insight into the storyline of the game. During GamesCom
Gamescom
gamescom is a trade fair for video games held annually at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is organised by the Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware...
in Cologne Germany, Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
released four new screenshots for Rage.
In 2009, John Carmack stated id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
is not planning to support dedicated servers for the Windows version, and instead will use a matchmaking system not unlike console games. ZeniMax Media Inc.
ZeniMax Media
ZeniMax Media Inc. is an American media company that develops and publishes computer and video games through its subsidiaries. ZeniMax is known as the owner of id Software , Bethesda Softworks , Arkane Studios , Tango Gameworks and...
, who had acquired developer id Software in June 2009, announced that it had picked up the publishing rights to Rage, and that EA would not be involved in the sales or marketing of the title. The announcement also noted that the development of Rage had not been affected by the new deal. Creative director Tim Willits confirmed to videogames blog VG247 that the game would miss releasing in 2010, and would now launch in 2011. Willits later accepted the award from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
Media for "Best Game" and "Best First Person Shooter" at E3. Additionally, the game was awarded Best First-Person Shooter, Best New IP, Best Xbox 360, Windows, and PlayStation 3 game as well as the Game of the Show of E3 2010 by GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
.
In his keynote speech at QuakeCon
QuakeCon
QuakeCon is a bring-your-own-computer computer gaming event with a competitive tournament held every year in Dallas, Texas, USA. The event, which is named after id Software's game Quake, sees thousands of gamers from all over the world attend every year to celebrate the company's gaming dynasty...
2010 on August 12, 2010, Carmack announced that id was developing a Rage-related game for Apple's iOS. He later described the mobile Rage as a "little slice of Rage ... [about] 'Mutant Bash TV', a post-apocalyptic combat game show in the Rage wasteland", and separately hinted that he might try to port Rage Mobile to Android.
At QuakeCon
QuakeCon
QuakeCon is a bring-your-own-computer computer gaming event with a competitive tournament held every year in Dallas, Texas, USA. The event, which is named after id Software's game Quake, sees thousands of gamers from all over the world attend every year to celebrate the company's gaming dynasty...
2011, Carmack offered many technical insights of the development and differences between the three main platforms (Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
), noting that it was not easy developing such an optimized engine to be able to smoothly run on consoles and still having the best artistically looking game on consoles. He also affirmed that the PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
platform is as much as 10 times faster than the current generation of gaming consoles, but this did not mean 10x the performance because of the extra layers of abstraction found in PC compatible operating systems.
On September 16, 2011 Bethesda announced Rage had gone gold.
Rage was released on October 4, 2011 and is available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows.
Post-release support
Content DLC was already mentioned to be planned for all platforms, without providing further details.At QuakeCon
QuakeCon
QuakeCon is a bring-your-own-computer computer gaming event with a competitive tournament held every year in Dallas, Texas, USA. The event, which is named after id Software's game Quake, sees thousands of gamers from all over the world attend every year to celebrate the company's gaming dynasty...
2011, Carmack
John Carmack
John D. Carmack II is an American game programmer and the co-founder of id Software. Carmack was the lead programmer of the id computer games Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake, Rage and their sequels....
mentioned a number of additions PC version of RAGE might receive in the foreseeable future. These include unofficial patches as Carmack named them "research engine things, 'far-out technologies'"; such as HMD support, Kinect support, "tracing, splatting, voxels and non-polygonal stuff", "perfect motion-blur" and "perfect anti-aliasing". id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
is committed to update the id Tech 5
Id Tech 5
id Tech 5 is the latest proprietary game engine being developed by id Software, currently still being actively upgraded, and follows its predecessors, id Tech 1, 2, 3 and 4. It is a major advancement over id Tech 4. The engine was first demonstrated at the WWDC 2007 by John D...
engine past Rages development.
During the keynote, Carmack also stressed a number of times that the PC version would possibly get a "super quality texture pack" to improve low-resolution textures that Rage suffers at the shipping dataset which is identical to console counterparts. He admitted that artists were sad because a combination of multiple professional compression solutions were necessary in order to fit the internal build
Software build
In the field of computer software, the term software build refers either to the process of converting source code files into standalone software artifact that can be run on a computer, or the result of doing so...
, which was approximately 150 GB
Gigabyte
The gigabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage. The prefix giga means 109 in the International System of Units , therefore 1 gigabyte is...
, to a shippable product of 25 GB, on three dual-layer DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s or one single-layer BD
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
.
Carmack repeatedly reassured fans via email and interviews that RAGE will have considerable tweaking capabilities, easily editable configurations files and a developer-console for advanced users. During QuakeCon 2011, he also stressed that typing id studio into the console will produce no effect on the 32-bit
32-bit
The range of integer values that can be stored in 32 bits is 0 through 4,294,967,295. Hence, a processor with 32-bit memory addresses can directly access 4 GB of byte-addressable memory....
version of the game, as the modding tools are only supported on 64-bit
64-bit
64-bit is a word size that defines certain classes of computer architecture, buses, memory and CPUs, and by extension the software that runs on them. 64-bit CPUs have existed in supercomputers since the 1970s and in RISC-based workstations and servers since the early 1990s...
operating systems. He also stated that the tools would be available mere days after the game's release.
Marketing
On November 18, 2010, id Software released the mobile game, RAGE HD, for iOS devices. John Carmack also hinted that he intends to release another iPhone app based on the Rage universe that focuses on the racing aspect of the game.On January 20, 2011, Bethesda vice president of public relations Pete Hines told VG247
VG247
Videogaming247 is a video game blog published in the United Kingdom, founded in February 2008 by industry veteran Patrick Garratt...
that a demo of the game is not likely.
On March 11, 2011, Bethesda and Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
have announced a three-issue comic book series based on id Software's upcoming RAGE video game. This original miniseries is being written by Arvid Nelson
Arvid Nelson
Arvid Nelson is an American comic book writer, best known for Rex Mundi.-Biography:Nelson started writing comics while at Dartmouth College, where he also converted to the Baha'i Faith...
, the acclaimed creator of Rex Mundi
Rex Mundi (Dark Horse Comics)
Rex Mundi is an American comic book series published by Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics , written by Arvid Nelson and drawn by Argentinian artist Juan Ferreyra...
, and penciled by Andrea Mutti. The cover art is being created by Glenn Fabry
Glenn Fabry
Glenn Fabry is an Eisner Award-winning British comics artist known for his detailed, realistic work in both ink and painted colour.-Biography:...
, best known for his work on Hellblazer
Hellblazer
Hellblazer is a contemporary horror comic book series, originally published by DC Comics, and subsequently by the Vertigo imprint since March 1993, the month the imprint was introduced, where it remains to this day...
and Preacher
Preacher (comics)
Preacher is a comic book series created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, published by the American comic book label Vertigo , with painted covers by Glenn Fabry....
.
This comic series, developed with the direct participation of RAGE's creative director, Tim Willits
Tim Willits
Tim Willits is the creative director and former co-owner of video game developer id Software.-Early life:Willits is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and a former member of the University of Minnesota Army ROTC program...
, presents a new twist on the post-apocalyptic near future as one woman discovers that the survival of humankind does not necessarily mean the survival of humanity. The Earth has been devastated by a collision with an asteroid, with a tiny fraction of the population surviving in life-sustaining Arks buried deep below its surface. Those who survive emerge to find a wasteland controlled by a global military dictatorship called the Authority. But a rescued scientist learns that the Authority has lied to her and the other survivors about how this new world came to be.
On March 30, 2011, Bethesda has announced that they would team up with Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books
Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn since 1998, by Bertelsmann AG. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It specializes in science fiction and fantasy...
to create a novel based on RAGE. The novel will be based on the world of rage and its characters. The novel is set for release on August 30 and will be written by author and game writer Matthew J. Costello
Matthew J. Costello
Matthew J. Costello is the author or coauthor of numerous novels and nonfiction works. His articles have appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. He scripted Trilobyte's bestselling CD-ROM interactive dramas The 7th Guest and its sequel The 11th Hour, as...
.
On April 18, 2011 it was revealed that those who pre-ordered the game would receive an automatic upgrade to the 'Anarchy Edition of the game, which includes four exclusive in-game items (a double barrel shotgun, Crimson Elite Armor, Fists of RAGE (spiked brass knuckles) and a car called the "Rat Rod Buggy").
Tim Willits
Tim Willits
Tim Willits is the creative director and former co-owner of video game developer id Software.-Early life:Willits is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and a former member of the University of Minnesota Army ROTC program...
confirmed modding tools will be available a couple of days after release.
The game was featured on the fourth season
Breaking Bad (season 4)
The fourth season of the American television drama series Breaking Bad premiered on July 17, 2011 and concluded on October 9, 2011. It consists of 13 episodes, each running approximately 47 minutes in length...
episodes "Problem Dog" and "Hermanos" of Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is an American television drama series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad is the story of Walter White , a struggling high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with advanced lung cancer at the beginning of the series...
. On September 13, 2011, it was reported that Breaking Bad will be referenced in-game in three specific ways.
A Viral Campaign was released that features Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
Power Forward Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin
Blake Austin Griffin is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association . Griffin had a renowned high school career at Oklahoma Christian School, winning state titles each of his four years under his father, Tommy Griffin, who was the...
in which he performs stunts to get himself in the game such as Dunking
Dunking
Dunking is a form of torture and punishment that was applied to scolds and supposed witches.-As torture:In a trial by ordeal, supposed witches were immersed into a vat of water or pond, and taken out after some time, thus and given the opportunity to confess...
over a Tiger to impress the developers.
Reception
Rage has received positive reviews from critics, with a score of 81, 84 and 79 on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
respectively. The game has received high praise for its graphics and shooting mechanics, with criticism mostly leveled at the game's story and poor out-of-the-box PC compatibility.
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
praised the game, giving it a score of 9.5/10. They stated that the game features impressive visuals, brutal and satisfying combat, fluid animations and advanced enemy AI, numerous entertaining side-missions, and an addictive multiplayer component. The one complaint they had with Rage was that the final boss fight was unsatisfying compared to the rest of the game's impressive combat scenarios.
Ars Technica
Ars Technica
Ars Technica is a technology news and information website created by Ken Fisher and Jon Stokes in 1998. It publishes news, reviews and guides on issues such as computer hardware and software, science, technology policy, and video games. Ars Technica is known for its features, long articles that go...
gave a more negative review of the Xbox 360 version, criticizing lack of story, undeveloped characters, uninteresting quests and a "broken save system" (autosave checkpoints being too far apart, forcing frequent manual saves which are slow on the Xbox 360), while acknowledging the quality of the visuals. The Windows version does feature a quicksave function, enabling instant (takes a few seconds, during which the game is paused) saves anywhere at the touch of a button.
Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
gave the game a 9 out of 10, saying that "while most people will rave about Rage's technology, this game's most impressive component is its gunplay...the mutated hostiles of the wastes...crawl out of the woodwork, scamper along walls, and create a sense of absolute terror," and "the challenge posed to the player is to put them down quickly or pray that every close range shotgun blast takes a large chunk of flesh." The soundtrack was described as "appropriately moody," and the animation system as one of the most "impressive" ever made. However, the review also argued that "the driving sections are no more than optional diversions" and "the lack of content in the overworld is disappointing." In conclusion, the story and overworld were described as "dated", but the "pulse-pounding gunplay" was hailed as "a nice change of pace" that "stands out in a crowded market."
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the game's graphics, calling them some of the best ever, but criticized the game's story and forgettable characters.
Many users of the Windows version have criticized the lack of any advanced graphics options within the game, as well as the console-focused game engine. Several reports of the game not running properly have lowered the Metacritic's user score well below the journalist's scores. Both console and PC gamers have been critical of the large amount texture pop-in which can occur, even on high-end graphics cards. AMD has released drivers that attempt to fix the issues with Rage.
On October 10, 2011 a patch for the Windows version was released which added various graphical options to the game and fixed a number of driver-related graphical issues. While it did alleviate various issues for some players, many who attempted to use ATI brand GPUs were left still unable to play the game without experiencing game breaking issues such as missing textures, frequent crashes and low frame rates.