If you're looking for a true open-world experience, you won't find it here. What RAGE offers instead is proof that id still understands the fundmentals of designing delightfully well-tuned shooting mechanics to a degree that's rare to see these days, despite the bajillions of shooters being released every year.

There's many parts of FEAR I think are middling at best, yet it's still some of the most pure fun with a shooter I've ever had, because the shooting itself is absolutely sensational, and that's the part that matters most. There's not a single weapon that's unsatisfying to shoot, as the visual and audio impact of every round fired is delightfully over the top, whether it hits an enemy or leaves a crater in a nearby wall. The excellently executed Slo-Mo enables you to pull off feats like shooting an enemy's grenade in mid-air, encouraging you to fight with the aggression of a classic action hero, and it's a valuable tool for survival, as the enemies, perhaps the most intelligent in the genre, will do their best to keep you pinned and outflanked.

Also, the shotgun's amazing, seriously.

I've always enjoyed RTSes, but I never got particularly deep into the multiplayer side of things. This game changed that. The focus on intense micromangement and constant action over base building and economies, combined with the fantastic presentation won me over.