Greetings! AR here with my WAY overdue review of the second RAGE DLC. Lets go ahead and begin..
STORYLINE In The Scorchers, you once again reprise the role of Nicholas Raine, a survivor of Apophis (the meteor that brought humanity to the edge of extinction). This time, Raine is on a quest to quell the plans of the Scorchers, an insane group of bandits who have recently migrated to the Wasteland. The 4-5 hour campaign will take you to several new locations, all of which are integrated into previously locked sections of the Wasteland. In addition to the Scorchers, you will also be introduced (and re-introduced) to a cast of characters. Among these ruffians is Sarah Hagar, who serves as your partner in The Scorchers. Other than Sarah, none of the new characters are particularly interesting. The plot as a whole is much more goofy than that of the main game. At times, it can feel dramatic, and at others, like something pulled out of Borderlands. The Scorchers are similar to the Jackal clan, in how they mostly speak in gibberish. None of their dialog is remotely interesting, other than for a few laughs. The idea of "saving the Wasteland" is cool on paper, but the execution of the story is poor. You'll be given some exposition, and then be sent to a huge setpiece to get item A, in order to progress. Overall, I like the setup of the plot. While things slow down a bit at times, the plot is ultimately redeemed by an epic finale, and a colorful (if forgettable) cast of characters. I give the story an 8/10.
GAMEPLAY As expected for something from id, gameplay is the highpoint of this DLC. The fast, fluent gameplay from the core game has returned, with some neat tweaks and additions. Lets start with what the DLC bring right off the bat. First, you'll be given access to the new "Ultra Nightmare" difficulty. While this difficulty doesn't appear to change anything location-related, it does up the intensity at times. The other new feature is the ability to continue playing RAGE after finishing the game. Allowing post-game exploration through DLC seems to be a trend with Bethesda (we saw the same thing with Fallout 3). While I think most would agree this should've been included from the get go, it's an awesome addition for anyone looking to pick up a few more Trophies/Achievements. Finally, we have the new "Scene Scenario" feature, which allows players to select a specific part of RAGE to relive. This may not be a huge addition, but it beats the hell out of starting a new game. When it comes to weapons, Id has brought back the iconic Nail Gun, and have given it a complete paint job. What is easily one of the coolest weapons in the game (second only to the Combat Shotgun) features three modes of fire: Nails (Duh), Rebar, and Slugs. Slug rounds can fire through walls, while rebar shots can pin enemies to walls. When it comes to enemies, were introduced to the Scorchers. Originally cut from the production of RAGE, the Scorchers are an army of religious bandits, who have come to... destroy the Wasteland. Honestly, I find their plan completely ridiculous, but crazy people do crazy things for religion! These may not be the most advanced of RAGEs bandits, but they more than make up for it in their numbers. I really enjoyed the variety between the different classes of Scorchers. Like any good army, the Scorchers have jetpacks, flamethrowers, and a great sense of humor. While the sidetracking didn't do any favors for the plot, I really enjoyed all the new locations in RAGE. While I wasn't a fan of the some of the more claustrophobic environments, areas like Mutant Bash Canyon and the Scorcher's home turf were awesome. Anyone who had fun with the fast-paced Mutant Bash TV mission from RAGE will have a blast with the new "episode" featured here. Overall, The Scorchers has some of the best gameplay mechanics of any game I've played recently. With a ton of new content and an awesome finale (something RAGE itself lacked), anyone who enjoyed RAGE will have a lot of fun. I give gameplay a 10/10.
A Scorcher Heavy. Make sure you have a wide arsenal of HE grenades.
The brand new Nail Gun. Good hunting!
GRAPHICS The Scorchers boasts some of the prettiest environments in all of RAGE (and thats saying something!). The Hagar Caves grimy interior balance well with the bright browns of Bash Canyon. Obviously, the biggest issue with releasing a DLC over a year after the release of the actual game is trying to compete with all the new shooters on the market. The game still looks amazing, even if it's not at the top of the food chain anymore. I give the visuals a 9.5/10.
AUDIO The Scorchers sound great, plain and simple. You have the same great music and sound effects from the core game, with some new additions. The Nail Gun brings with it a few new audio clips. Its nothing noteworthy, but its there. The real highlight of the audio is the voice acting. Old cast members have returned for a few new lines of dialog, while some new additions have been brought onboard. While most of the named characters dialog is forgettable, some of the Scorchers comments are good for a few laughs, if nothing else. I give the audio a 9/10.
LASTING APPEAL The entire add on should take the average gamer about four hours to beat. That may not seem like much, and it really isn't, but for the price, its a steal. If you love RAGE like I do, you may find yourself revisiting The Scorchers for a quick speedrun. The new "Scene Scenario" feature makes this add on extremely accessible, so you can always come back for more. Unfortunately, a lack of any sort of progression system means only the most devoted of RAGE fans will come back once the credits role. If nothing else, The Scorchers will keep fans amused until the rumored RAGE 2 finally releases. I give lasting appeal an 8/10.
FINAL SCORE Storyline - 8/10 | Gameplay - 10/10 | Graphics - 9.5/10 | Audio - 9/10 | Lasting Appeal - 8.0/10
Overall Value: 9.0