The Rage

Parents and antiviolence advocates may not love The Rage, which makes beating people up for no reason seem like fun. The game boasts nice 3D graphics, customizable controls, and decent music, all of which come packed in a rather large download. The Rage lets you choose from four heroes, including the tough chick typically found in beat-'em-up or shoot-'em-up games. You can play against the PC, take on up to three friends, or smack around folks via online games. The Rage relies less on guns and more on hand-to-hand combat, starting with a battle with hoodlums on city streets. We were impressed with the character animations and 3D graphics, though the first level was too dark for our tastes. Additional features include the ability to choose how many lives you have or turn down the violence meter. The characters have several punching and kicking techniques that take time to master, so you'll probably need to spend some time playing the allotted two levels. All told, we'd guess fans of fighting games will find The Rage satisfies their craving for a rumble.