The time had finally come for me to check out id Software’s unapologetic 2011 Mad Max ripoff Rage, and true to its reputation, I spent the first couple hours just trying to get it to run smoothly like a game built on a normal engine. Megatextures, am I right? But I succeeded, and promptly ran into the game’s first vendor, a fellow called Halek Hagar.
Lookit this charmer:
Does this greasy, overanimated tunahead remind you of anyone? Maybe...another merchant you’ve run into?
“Oh god,” you gasp, “you don’t mean...”
Oh yes, yes I do.
Ole Halek is a dead-on energy clone of Morshu, the infamous (badly) animated merchant from the legendarily awful Philips CD-i Legend of Zelda spin-off Link: The Faces of Evil.
Between the oily Halek’s exaggerated animations and smarmy voiceover, the similarities are so striking that I would not be surprised if this is an intentional reference/homage.
Honestly? I prefer Morshu. He seems a little more sincere in his insincerity, if that makes sense.
I can’t say I’m expecting much from Rage, but then again, I wasn’t expecting this. Maybe Fat Elvis-era id has yet more surprises in store for me as I venture into its very, very typical-looking wasteland.