The last time we heard anything about Rage, it was in 2008, when id Software announced that Bethesda would publish it. Since that time, the developer behind such popular franchises as Doom and Quake polished its newest adventure, creating an imaginative world and populating it with a wide cast of bizarre characters. Now, almost three years after revealing it at QuakeCon 2007, this ambitious first person shooter (coming to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in 2011) is ready for the spotlight.

Not exactly our idea of a welcome wagon.Click to see more images from the game...

Rage takes place in a distant post apocalyptic future, after a gigantic asteroid wiped out the majority of the human race. You play as an unnamed survivor of the Ark Program, a worldwide government project designed to preserve the species. A select group of folks were placed into pods and buried deep within the Earth. The rest of humanity faced the destruction head-on, and most of them didn't make it. The ones who did either turned to a life of crime or evolved (perhaps devolved) into disgusting mutants. As expected, these lowlifes don't like you, and even worse, a powerful force known as the Authority wants to get its mitts on you at all costs. Suddenly, remaining inside of the pod doesn't seem like a bad idea.

Unfortunately, you don't have that option. Like the mutants, you'll need to survive in this strange new world, scavenging for supplies and visiting towns where some of the residents will help while others may try to kill you. That's life in the Wasteland, but at least you'll pack serious firepower. You can't have an id game without lots of weapons, and we're happy to report that Rage has a fine selection of boomsticks, including a shotgun, an AK-47 style machine gun and a pistol, among other toys; weapons also have various types of ammo. In addition, you'll come across a variety of neat gadgets, such as the RC Bomb Car. This remote controlled suicide vehicle is the perfect thing for making a huge impact from minimum safe distance. Just guide the sucker into a room and detonate it remotely.

If that doesn't satisfy your appetite for destruction, check out the electro bolts. Whenever someone or something steps into water, firing just one of these electrocutes the enemy. And when things get nuts, drop a few sentry guns to wipe out bad guys. Even if they knock them over, you can salvage the parts and use them to repair/build turrets.

Building stuff appears to be one of Rage's best features. The designers apparently littered the world with various items and blueprints that you'll use to make new weapons and useful items. That should play a huge role with dune buggies, the game's signature vehicle. Since this is an open world game, there's a ton of ground to cover and creatures to run over. Over time, you'll acquire machine guns for the buggy, as well as new parts. To pay for them, however, you'll need to race at the Wasteland Speedway. The more dough you earn, the more upgrades you can buy. There's also a guy named Rusty who'll repair the buggy, most likely for a fee.

Sure, she's hot, but she could still be a mutant.Click to see more images from the game...

For the most part, Rage reminds us (at least in concept) of games like Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas and Borderlands. You explore, interact with different characters and complete missions. What'll separate it from the competition, however, are its graphics. Sure, it sounds like a typical open world video game, but it doesn't look like the other titles on the market. The id Tech 5 technology allows the artists to dream up gorgeous locales, from crudely constructed towns to dingy places like a well and dam facility. Textures pop off the screen, while enemies run through a series of smooth animations that allow them to run straight for you or avoid gunfire and climb along ceilings. There's also a lot happening on screen, from vehicles busting through walls to bad guys jumping all over the place and barrels exploding.

At the same time, it's tough to look at Rage and not see Fallout, albeit a sharper looking Fallout. It seems like a fun shooter full of beautiful environments and much more linear storyline, but the parallels between it and Bethesda's IP make it an odd conflict of interest. That said, Rage should be another hit for id Software and one of 2011's most anticipated games. We'll post new details in the months ahead.

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