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This console generation has introduced a lot of new ideas and gaming staples. Probably the most polarizing of these is DLC. Gamers want to know why we have day-one DLC on certain titles; well this is the reason. The Scorchers is an add-on for Rage. Take that in for a minute. Rage came out over a year ago, and to be fair, most gamers have likely forgotten about it. That isn’t to say it was a bad game, it’s just that gamers have attention spans that can only be measured in nanoseconds. However, if you still own a copy of the game, and have 2-3 hours to spend, this pack is easily one of the best bangs you will get for your buck.
For most of you, recalling the events in Rage would be a chore. Basically, the game was divided up into areas, with each area run by a unique set of thugs. The Scorchers are actually one of those groups omitted from the original game. In fact, they are even mentioned in the strategy guide, so you know their appearance was always intended. These meteor-worshipping bad guys are obsessed with fire, and the new enemy types show that off immediately. Lugging giant gas tanks on their backs, spewing flame bursts at every turn.
The Scorchers feels like another section of Rage, and once I got back into the swing, it felt comfortable; but I won’t lie, it took some time to get back into that rhythm. The new patch now lets you select chapters from the main game, assuming you still have your save. Once I downloaded the new content, I was ready to jump right in, but I hit a snag. The first mission for The Scorchers is blocked until you discover it in the main game. Being as it has been over a year since I played, it took me a minute to figure out how everything worked.
Once I managed to remember who Hagar was and loaded up the first disc, I was ready to begin my journey. The pack starts off by introducing you to a new, cut-off shorts wearing female named Sarah. She gives you the rundown and a new weapon, and your journey begins. The Nail Gun is like any firearm in Rage, it uses multiple ammo types, and fires at a tremendous rate. I like the new hardware, although ammo runs out entirely too fast.
The entire Scorchers section lasts six levels, and took me between two and three hours to complete, but it also only costs five dollars. That is not a bad deal when you consider comparable DLC packs. What it lacks in direction, it makes up for in sheer content. The new weapons and enemies are well designed, and any excuse to remind me how much I enjoyed Rage is welcome. If you still own the game, I recommend snagging this content ASAP. If you have never played Rage, I imagine it is fairly cheap by now and, in combination with this DLC, packs a great experience for close to 20 hours.
Review copy of DLC provided by publisher.
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