Rage: Beautiful Decay

Rage is fucking gorgeous. I haven't seen many games look this good on console (I played on 360). Though the first half of the game takes place in a literal wasteland, the world is deliciously depicted through the id Tech 5 engine. Towns - even the drab desert city of Wellspring - are teeming with personality, in everything from their denizens to the bills posted on the job board. Once you move on to the city of Subway Town later in the game, prepare for an amicable assault in the most visual sense. Fucking gorgeous. The main drawback here is the frustration inducing texture pop-in that afflicts most every area of the game. Look, I don't know much about the development process, hardware limitations, or 3D modeling. But a game as pretty as Rage shouldn't be affected by such a dumb design drawback as pop-in. It's annoying to be completely entranced by this artificial world only to be taken back to reality when you notice the textures around you take a split second or slightly longer to load in. Sure, it may not sound like much, but it's noticeable, and it sucks. Though pop-in aside, Rage is best looking game I've played all year.

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Renegade Ops: Micro Machine Guns

Avalanche Studios have a certain inclination for over-the-top action and destruction. The very first time I played Just Cause, though unrefined, I knew the Swedish developers were very capable. Their idea of ludicrous action, massive explosions, and stunt driving came to fruition in the Godlike comedic action of Just Cause 2. So here is Renegade Ops, a vehicular combat title that tries to capture the beautiful destruction of the Just Cause games while scaling down to the size of Micro Machines. John Moschitta Jr. not included.

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No Kidding, Stranger! Bastion is Almost Flawless

I was raised in an age where games didn't need hyper-realistic graphics, bathtubs full of blood, or the London Philharmonic Orchestra to make an impact. Gameplay trumps all. Bastion is a neat little digitally distributed title that is rooted deep in this old-school-of-thought, providing classic 32-bit action, with a helping of beautiful hand drawn art and a quite literal take on the narrative.

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RAGE Takes You to Dead City, Death Ensues

More RAGE is always a good thing, at least in regards to id Software's upcoming video game. Rage at the workplace or at school could lead to expulsion and anger management classes, so please try to avoid that if you can.

Here's your good RAGE news of the day: preorder pretty much anywhere that matters (Amazon, Steam, Direct-to-Drive, *mutters* Gamestop) and you'll have your order automatically upgraded to the 'Anarchy' Edition, free of charge. Not only does this special set have a kick-ass name, but it comes with a ménage à quatre of useful in-game items; a double barrel shotty, slick Crimson Elite armor, bladed knuckle dusters, and a 'Rat Rod' buggy. That's gear that could fetch $5 on the DLC tip, yours for donuts.

Speaking of gear, RAGE seems to be all about the weapon selection. In the latest trailer, a full 5 minutes of impressive gameplay across a rather lively place called Dead City, we see weapons aplenty. Shotguns, sniper rifles, some sort of useless crossbow, rocket launchers, pistols that fire a whole damn clip at once, and even a shuriken-chakram deal that takes off heads. That's my type of mutant-maiming device.

Aside from playing host to a cavalcade of uniquely designed mutant mashers, RAGE is easy on the eyes. Check out the facial expressions and body movements of the old Russian dude sending you on your quest. That's some top flight animation right there, L.A. Noire be damned.

RAGE is still a few months away, releasing September 13. That's plenty of time to stew in your own desires for this one, especially since there will be a few more trailers like this to amp you up. Don't let a few measly months turn you away, preorder NAO!

RAGE Anarchy Edition Preorder Bonus Gallery

Boots, the Final Portal 2 Investment Opportunity Video

Have you ever wondered how Chell -- Aperture Science test subject and protagonist of the Portal series -- has survived all those nasty falls with nary a sprained ankle? It's gotta be the boots! For Valve and Aperture Laboratories fourth and final investment opportunity video, Cave Johnson explains it all. 

So there you have it. Four good reasons to invest in Aperture Science. Though they appear to be between banks, so please make your checks out to cash. Portal 2 releases exactly one week from today, on April 19. We're done here!