id Software's long and storied history in the first person shooter genre is one that goes all the way back to the company roots. The development house

The Short Version: RAGE isn't an unassailable return to dominance for one of gaming's most respected development titans... but it is a remarkably solid and brilliantly visceral shooter that delivers a whole mess of brutal gunplay.

Hectic; inventive; unpredictable and excellent combat; Fun vehicle segments; id Tech 5 delivers slick visuals at a consistent 60FPS

Hectic; inventive; unpredictable and excellent combat; Fun vehicle segments; id Tech 5 delivers slick visuals at a consistent 60FPS; Hectic; inventive; unpredictable and excellent combat; Fun vehicle segments; id Tech 5 delivers slick visuals at a consistent 60FPS; RPG elements cloud and confuse the...

Do you realize it has been since 2004 since id Software has released a game? Doom 3 was handled by the folks at id, but Quake IV and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars was handled by Raven and Splash Damage, respectively. Doom 3 was very well received by the press and public alike.

It does seem like Relentless Software are trying to extend to the Buzz template a little bit more with the user generated rounds and the Move controller mode, but they end up being under developed gimmicks.

Plenty of variation in the music trivia; The Paper Face feature is fun; if a little creepy; Well presented in its tongue-in-cheek way

You need to like and know about music; Move inclusion is a gimmick; Simply more of the same

You're told only that you and your fellow Ark survivors are "special." You're never quite told how, besides the fact that your body is coursing with nanotechnology that allows you to defibrillate yourself back to life if you die. But by the end of Rage, we'd figured it out.

+ Gorgeous graphics; + Satisfying weapons; combat; and controls

? When you click on some sewer areas in the Wasteland; you're told to buy DLC to unlock them?!?

There's a point, around five or six hours into RAGE, when you feel like you're playing the best game in the world. You've just added a wheel spikes and a ramming bonnet to your buggy.

Smooth shooting; Entertaining; Brilliant for around ten hours

Fuzzy close-up textures; Rushed ending

The postapocalyptic future looks better than ever. From the moment you step out under the brilliant, cloud-studded sky of a ruined world, Rage proclaims its technical and artistic mastery.

Remarkable visual design; A host of charismatic characters; Enjoyable array of weapons and items; Speedy and gratifying vehicular action

Story isn't strong enough to make you care about the primary conflict; You must remember to save manually or risk losing significant progress

Remember how promising the beginning of this generation was New franchises popped up everywhere. Gears of War , Resistance , Assassin's Creed , Wii Sports , and Uncharted headlined a large list of brand new IPs across multiple platforms. Fast forward to 2011, and things aren't quite so rosy.

As a fun and frenetic FPS, Rage delivers in spades. That the same can't be said for the game's story is a real shame. It's especially disappointing as Rage feels like it's building to a strong crescendo, before fizzling out like a damp firework.

You'll be enRAGEd if you don't experience id's latest gaming opus

Fantastic shooting action that id software is famous for; great driving mechanics with a fully fledged racing game included; subtle RPG elements allow for character growth without being overwhelming; astounding graphics with buttery smooth frame rate; superb AI; excellent multiplayer

No map or customizable waypoint system; a few minor graphics glitches; open world isn't as large as others in the genre; no competitive FPS multiplayer; some long load times