Now we like to give you all of the juicy details, but when we are trying to wrap up patch notes made up of 2000 words we are bound to have missed some of the changes which are important to you – so before we get started be sure to check out this link for all the information. id Software has gone into lots of details regarding VSync, the new texture cache and the anisotropic filter which we think 95% of our readers won’t really care about – instead we will tell you about the change and fixes which the update brings.

If you have been witnessing an AMD driver crash right after the game’s intro cinematic you should no-longer get this, in fact there seems to be a few AMD-related issues, so the devs have also disabled UBOs and swap-tear cannot be enabled (for AMD-based PCs only). If you want things to look better you will be glad to hear that lots of changes have been made under-the-hood to ensure that the game delivers the visual experience which your PC is capable of, one example of this is GPU transcode – which should give SLI cards better performance. Finally we can also confirm that the server now forwards text chats to all other clients.

There is a massive section of the patch notes which talks about “Known Graphical Issues”, all of which were found when using the AMD Catalyst 11.10 Version 2 Preview Driver and the GeForce R285 Driver – again id Software goes into huge detail about things the devs have spotted, so check out the link in this post’s second paragraph for everything you need to know.

What graphics-related issues are you encountering?

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You can be sure there are readers of PR that have had no problems with the PC version of Rage, although a few reports we’ve seen and a couple of emails we’ve had point to a few problems. Some people have pointed to the second disc improving graphics a lot, and this same technology is being used for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Battlefield 3, which can be read about here.

One issue posted in a forum, found here, a couple of days ago pointed to some problems with Rage that left “texture popping out” when the player looked left or right, which is known as “screen tearing”. One solution posted by another user said that some configuration files needed updating, which then helps the game look and run better on the PC. The confusion comes when we look at these configuration files, and there seems to be a few questions raised about what they do, and with no benchmarks to compare them to. You can read more on this yourself here, and see a video on YouTube by the same user showing them in action, although it does look a little slow. The same video is posted on this page below the article.

Another report about Rage PC problems has been posted on Kotaku, which shows that it has been officially confirmed by id software that there are driver problems, and these issues are really frustrating PC users. The full interview with Tim Willits can be read here, and shows id software has been working with ATI and Nvidia on these graphics problems, and hopes to have a solution to the driver issue soon.

Have you had any problems with Rage, and if so what platform are you running the game on?

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Three of the game’s easter eggs give us some nostalgic reminders of games which id Software developed in the past, these are Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Quake. If you search around the maps and unravel the easter eggs you get to step into rooms from these past games, but to make things easier we have come across some useful guide videos for you – Before we get started we must thank the GameFront YouTube channel, you can subscribe to this channel here.

You can see a guide which allows you to take a wonder into a small room from Wolfenstein 3D here. Below you can see a screenshot which shows this room, it looks just how it did in 1992! In this room you can pick up an item called the Wolf Goblet, we doubt that this will come in handy later on this game.

You can see similar guides for the Quake room here and the Doom room here, be sure to read the description underneath these videos as they consist of some vital instructions which will come in handy.

If you check our Rage’s Achievements and Trophies you will see one called Dev Graffiti, to unlock this you must locate the secret developer graffiti room, this video will show you how to get to it.

Have you spotted any other easter eggs in Rage, let us know in the comments section below. Perhaps there is an easter egg which you are struggling with, we are here to help….

More About: Bethesda, Bethesda Softworks, id software, Rage

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Initially a tweet was posted which read: “Proper Rage driver should be up in a few hours”, which suggests that this new driver version has been optimized with Rage in mind, the next tweet read: “If you have an AMD/ATI graphics card, the new RAGE Catalyst drivers are out! BE SURE to grab them immediately” – which really does seem to suggest that this game must run a lot better when these drivers are in use.

You can download the AMD Catalyst – Rage Performance Driver here, it is 144MB in size and installation is straight forward (just follow the on-screen suggestions), here’s the official AMD Catalyst Rage Performance Driver Features:

Significant performance gains for single GPU configurations
Compatible with AMD Radeon™ HD 6000, AMD Radeon HD 5000 and AMD Radeon HD 4000 series of graphics products
Includes the latest OpenGL driver component for Rage performance optimization

Some people have suggested that installing these drivers does in fact have an adverse effect on Battlefield 3 beta performance, AMD are said to be working on a unified driver which will optimize performance for both games, this should arrive within a few days – we will keep you posted as we hear more.

We would love to hear from you if you have installed the Rage Performance Driver, if so did you notice better visuals? Feel free to go into details with your answer in the comments section.

More About: amd, AMD Catalyst, Rage

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We have already looked at how the two versions compare with some HD screenshots, but you can never have enough of these, right? NowGamer has taken screenshots from the 720p retail code, and you will agree that these are some of the best shots yet. They have been converted from raw MBP files to the JPEG. There have been no alterations, well only to put PS3 or Xbox 360 in the corner so you can tell which is which.

Upon first inspection there is not much difference, but it is only when you begin to study them that you can see a few issue with the PlayStation 3 version. Edges are not as smooth; this is because the 360 is far better at anti-aliasing. Having said that, there are also problems with both consoles, and that is not their fault but that of RAGE itself.

See for yourself in a few of these screen shots below, and also many more by visiting NowGamer. Reviews have been a little mixed for this new title; we now wait to see what the gamer thinks, as it has all been about the critics. If you are considering buying the game, then you might be interested to know that there is a guide to go with it, although you will have to spend 20 bucks on it.

Compare screenshots for PS3 and Xbox 360 below

More About: id software, Rage

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RAGE Prima Official Game Guide was written by David Knight and will be like a bible for those who wish to fully immerse themselves in the game. This is not a stab in the dark guide, the author worked with id Software so that gamers are not walking around endlessly, clueless of what to do. With so much to do in the game it can all get overwhelming, which is why the developer felt that a guide was the way to go.

The book focuses on key elements of RAGE, such as a detailed walkthrough from the start, maps of the wasteland, learning friend from foe, vehicle and strategy stats, as well as customization tips for every weapon in the game. There are three modes for the game, single-player, two-person co-op and multiplayer, this guide has them all covered.

There are two types of gamers, those who just want to complete the missions as fast as possible, and those that want to explore a game in its entirety. Thankfully this book will help if you are the latter, as you will get to learn every last side quest, mini game etc. It does not matter how good you think you are in a game, if you ever hope to get your money’s worth from the game, then you really should invest in this guide, which can be purchased here.

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Joystiq gets right down to it when saying that RAGE is a little confusing, as it is not an RPG, even though Id says that it kind of is. We do like the story behind the game, where the main character falls unconscious when an asteroid hits, and wakes up 106 years later to a very different world. The scenes in which you have to walk around look huge and impressive, but it is not until you get close that things begin to go bad.

RAGE is more of a novelty, as things start of well, but it does not take long before it all gets a bit tiresome. Id could be in trouble here, it just doesn’t deliver, which is bad when there are a few big titles coming to market in the coming months.

You would have thought that IGN had been playing a completely different game, as they believe that it is “visually stunning.” They say that the new Tech 5 engine used has set new standards in the industry, as it is fast, smooth and has great animation. While Joystiq only gave RAGE 3 stars out of five, IGN has given the game a total of 8.5 out of 10. What could shock you the most is the fact that they have given the graphics a 10 out of 10.

GameSpot explains that RAGE has some compelling characters, along with a superb range of weapons. However, this is let down by a few issues, such as a weak story, and the fact that you have to manually save your progress. It’s for these reasons that they have only given RAGE an 8 out of 10. See how the Xbox 360 and PS 3 versions compare against each other.

Have you managed to play RAGE, if so what is your verdict?

More About: id software, Rage, Review

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Following on from this article we wanted to show you a quick Rage review that compares the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, which is done by showing you HD screenshots in an interactive way. You can see screens in the double figures via this article here on Lens of Truth, and by sliding the mouse over the images you get to see differences between PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

We should see the full detailed Rage reviews hitting tomorrow because this is the U.S. release date, although Europe is expected to get the game 3 days later. There will also be an Apple iOS version of the game, but this will not use the new id Tech 5 game engine technology as in the PS3 and Xbox 360 games.

You’ll not find a much better screenshot comparison than found on Lens of Truth, these guys really give you a sleek interface to use with clear images. So with that in mind, which version do you think looks better, Xbox 360 or PS3?

Update: One of the first detailed Rage reviews has just gone live on Game Reactor.

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The jury is still out on the game, but we should know the verdict very soon, so for now we ask what your expectations are for the new game from iD Software. The game has been a long time in the making, a little like Diablo III in that respect, so has the wait been worth it? The game needs to deliver, as it is up against some tough releases.

The likes of N4G, CVG etc cannot wait to give you their full reviews, so we thought you might want to learn what we can expect from the game with a video that we have embedded for you below. The game was on show at Eurogamer, but sadly we never got a chance to play with it – damn those long queues. iD has taken a huge risk with Rage, as they have not only developed a new franchise, but also a new engine while they were at it – you have to love the risk.

We have heard from some readers that Rage lacks weapons, which means that the game could be boring due to limited firepower. The other burning question that needs answering in the soon to come reviews are the differences between the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions?

More About: Bethesda Softworks, id software, Rage

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According to this article it has been confirmed by id Software’s John Carmack that the game will not offer any form of partial install option, therefore you either play it straight from the disc, or install the game locally in full. Installing the game in full will utilize between 21 and 22GB of your 360′s free space. Below you can see the exact quotes which revealed this news.

“On the 360 we don’t have a partial install option; it’s all or nothing, which is kind of unfortunate,” and added “It means you have to install 21/22GB of stuff which takes a long time but if you’ve got it and you play it on the 360 that’s the way to go.”

As you will probably know this will be a long process, however if you choose to install the game you should experience better performance because a hard disk drive has much faster access times than a DVD, let’s just hope you don’t own the 4GB or 20GB models! Unlike L.A. Noire you will not be able to delete one disk at a time, this means that it may also cause headaches to those of you who have 60GB models if you have plenty of games / DLC already installed.

Previously John Carmack has revealed that an uncompressed software build of RAGE was a terabyte in size, the fact that compression methods have managed to shrink this down to 22GB is very impressive, we just wonder how expansive the game will be. We remember when Final Fantasy VII was spread across three discs for the original PlayStation, depending on how you played the game you could easily spend in excess of 100 hours playing it, even experienced RPG gamers would struggle to complete it in less than 50 hours. Could RAGE actually be a game which gets you thinking rather than run’n'gun?

We think that the fact that some of today’s top-end games require 20GB of hard drive space suggests that next-gen consoles will need to exceed what today’s current consoles offer in terms of local storage, 250GB will not be enough in our opinion, what do you think?

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More About: Bethesda, id software, Rage

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