Post-apocalyptic Video Game: RAGE

Set for release in September 2011, Rage embraces the notion of a chaotic, violent and indulgent future. It has a similar vibe to the Max Max or A Boy and His Dog universes. It’s some how dark and dangerous while still being light and fun.

Rage has been compared to 2009’s Borderlands, which was developed by gearbox and published by 2k games. This game, however, was developed by id software, the makers of Doom and Quake. The gameplay, setting and art style are very similar, but that’s okay because they’re all great elements so that’s not a bad thing.

The games will be different though. There’s only so much you can learn from a trailer and a few gameplay videos. By the time we get closer we’ll see more differences than similarities. If anything, I’m sure the fact that Rage has a storyline will set it apart.

The game is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland created by an asteroid impact, based on the real life asteroid Apophis, which is on track to pass near Earth in 2036. In Rage’s story, the asteroid strikes on August 23, 2037, 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. These fragile homes are diligently defended by the inhabitants against bandits and mutants, which have organization of their own. Bandits and mutants serve as the player’s main enemies for much of the game, although id Software has hinted at some sort of significant change around the halfway point in the storyline.

The player emerges into this setting after being preserved 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 (cryogenic pods) were sealed under the surface of the Earth with twelve people inside each. Each passenger possessed a special talent or trait that, combined with those of the other members, would help them rebuild mankind. The Eden Project, however, was far less successful than hoped. The player’s Ark in particular is in sorry shape upon the start of the game – all of the other residents of the player’s Ark are dead (presumably because of the impact), and the equipment of the Ark is destroyed as well, and so the player wakes up alone and uninformed. With no memory of his identity or objective, the player is forced to head for the surface to find sustenance and allies. (source)

Rage will be out starting September 13th on PC, PS3, Xbox 360, and Mac. It will have a Mature rating (all the gameplay videos are age restricted.)

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