Musings about Rage

Been eating up some of the Rage preview stuff. It just looks cool, and it looks like it could be fun. I'd hate to learn that the components that make up the game wound up lacking flesh, but I'm hoping that, say, the driving game will be fun enough on its own that you can play that for hours without worrying about the main game, and that the enemies don't wind up feeling samey after a while. I also wonder just how much exploration you get to do in the main world, or if it's a big hub with a series of unlocks that progress alongside the story. There's an arcade sensibility to it, and while I'd hate it if all games were like that, I'd welcome a bit of eye-candy blasting as long as it played smooth and had a lot of nice stuff to chew on. This is Id Software we're talking about, so at least some of that will likely be delivered, along with a promised high framerate and intuitive controls.

On weapons, I noticed a pre-order DLC includes a sawn-off shotgun. Would it be a worthwhile weapon? In games like this, a wider arsenal means more game texture in terms of how you tackle a certain area, so I think it's a bit odd and hope that people who don't buy that DLC or get the pre-order won't feel cheated. Thinking back, even Doom had a sort of DLC moment where you could play the shareware for free, but you'd only get the later levels (and the weapons that use power cells) if you ponied up the dough. But since the game was free I guess that doesn't quite fit. You pay once and get everything, and get a very generous package for free to test it out.  DLC stuff has increased massively since I fell out of the gaming race, and I'm not sure how I'd feel seeing a game I like withhold content from me and expect me to pay more to get it.  I imagine it's in place because people pay for it, I just hope it doesn't affect the core games you're supposedly buying.

One standard weapon is the no-ammo wingstick, which in the preview movies seems to be this one-shot, one-kill device. Would it be such a good alternative that you'd lean on it more heavily than the other weapons? I'm not sure how it works, but I've read that you actually have to catch the thing when it flies back to you, so there may be a potential to lose it. Reminds me of throwing frisbees in the back yard as a kid-- not sure if the neighbor's dog appreciated all the presents I accidentally gave him.

Looking forward to the next gameplay preview; may type more when I see it.