Rage - Xbox 360

A first person shooter, but with driving elements.
A stunning looking game that really pushes the IDtech engine to limit.
The FPS engine is very well done and the gunfights are very satisfying. The variety in the weapons and the customisation is excellent. If you like pistol fights then you can trick out your pistol to make it the best weapon you can.

What surprised me was that the game was available cheap second hand within months of its release. So what is so bad about the game that has players dumping it in droves. I hope to identify the key issues.

The Missions
The game sets you off on the typical fetch and return missions but does this by sending you to "dungeons" you've already visited for a second try. Now I dont have an issue with recyling levels, its just that this game does it at a higher level that any game I've ever played before. It disguises the fact that it doesnt have many levels by making you revisit the same ones again.

The game has main missions and side missions. The side missions are essentially grinding missions on the same level and get boring very quickly.

The Driving
The driving element was something new for ID to undertake, and while the graphic engine handles the driving perfectly it just doesnt sit right in an ID game. The driving between levels, the driving action you encounter en route and the specific racing levels are very well done, but they are just not welcome in a FPS. Its this sudden addition to the gameplay that can ruin a game such as Brutal Legend. An action third person game suddenly becomes a strategy war game.

The Sound
The sound is an issue in the game, but Im reviewing the Xbox version which has serious sound issues.
(a) the sound cuts out in the middle of a level, and if you save the game and reload, it reloads without the sound element as well. The only way to correct the sound bug is to reload a previous save where the sound does work.
(b) the vocal talent used for the NPCs sending you on missions are the same people from Doom 3, very lazy.
(c) during gunfights the conversations between enemies is humourous but also misleading. It happened to me once, and now is a huge issue for me. If I know there are 3 enemies in a room and I hear them chatting to each other how they are going to flank me, I change my fighting position and style to prepare for a flank. But if I kill 2 of the enemies, the conversation still remains, i.e. the 1 remaining enemy is still discussing with his dead comrades strategies that involve more than 1 person. Its misleading as it doesnt given you any audio clues as to how many of the enemies remain.

All said, the game does have some truly brilliant moments, the graphic engine is solid and robust, I have a dislike for the "bosses" in this game, but overall Id still give this game an 8/10 despite being "dumped" by ID and its fanbase. I cant comment on multiplayer as yet.