ID Software released a new trailer showing off a mission in Rage that takes the player deep into the bowels of The Well. The player is tasked with stopping a group of banding from poisoning the water supply of the town of Well Springs. This involves killing dozens of bandits in incredibly gruesome ways, and I’m glad for that as it gives us a chance to see a slew of weapons in action. We get to see multiple types of bolts for the crossbow, including an electrified bolt that the player shoots into a pool of water with bandits lurking in it. We also get to see a bolt that acts as both a brief mind control device, and explosive as well. Shoot a person, steer them into a group of their banding friends, and BOOM! We also see the double-barreled shotgun, and the surprise appearance of a certain energy weapon that some of you may recognize from other ID Software titles. I’ll leave that one as a surprise.
Now, in terms of visuals, the game looks gorgeous. The town of Well Springs reminds me of how I imagine cities in The Dark Tower books to look; they have a very western aesthetic. The lighting is rich and varied, and the violence looks pretty as well – if a person can say such a thing. The use of physics play a big part in why I feel the death sequences look so good. Blowing out a person’s leg causes them to fall in a very convincing way, as one example, and it’s these little details that count for a lot, at least for me.
Rage is scheduled for release later this year on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.
