Rage Serum

   

Rage Serum
General information
Type	Performance-enhancing substance
Affiliation	Earth Defense Force Alien Artifact Acquisition
Usage
Used by	Sam Stone Any playable character (Co-op mode) Earth Defense Force soldiers
Effect	Drastically increases the player's movement speed, weapon damage output, reload speed and rate of fire
Game information
Entity name	SeriousRage

 

"Just let it all out."

―Concept art

Rage Serum is a gadget featured in Serious Sam 4 and Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem.

Overview

Rage serum is an ergogenic compound contained within a drinking bottle. When consumed, it allows the user to enter a state of euphoric rage, which drastically increases the player's weapon's rate of fire, reload speed, and damage output. The player also gains improved movement speed while under its effects. Unfortunately, the duration of rage serum is much quicker compared to other gadgets as the effects of the drug quickly wear off.

Appearances

Serious Sam 4

Rage serum is not as common as other gadgets, such as L.I.F.E., but it is plentiful if the player finds in secrets or chooses to complete side quests. The player can first obtain the gadget after completing the first side quest in "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse", where two of them are kept inside a storage shed.

Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem

Rage serum can first be obtained after completing the side quest "Energize" in "The Song Of The Stormbringer". After that, it appears in other side quests and in secrets. A secret rage serum can be found in a cellar in "Siberiade". Picking it up awards the player with the "Sweet Kompot" achievement/trophy, but they must be prepared to deal with a massive swarm of Beheaded Kamikazes afterwards.

Tactics

• The effects of rage serum do not last very long; it is best to have several of them equipped at once if the player is intent on using them.
• Rage serum is best reserved before a big fight begins, especially when large swarms of common enemies like Gnaars and Kleer Skeletons or groups of tough enemies like Khnums and Major Bio-mechanoids are present. It's especially useful when using rapid-firing weapons such as the M29 Infantry Assault Rifle, XM214-A Minigun, XL2 Lasergun, or XPMR "Burner" Raygun, since these weapons can empty their health in seconds.
• The player must be very careful not to fire any kind of explosives, especially rockets and grenades, in close-quarters when this gadget is active, as doing so can deal a tremendous amount of self-damage or even result in instant death. Having the "Unflinching" S.A.M skill active can help to reduce the amount of self-damage from explosive weapons.
• Complete side quests and find as many secrets as possible to ensure the chances of obtaining multiple rage serums.
• This gadget is extremely useful to use during boss fights. This is especially true for tough bosses like the Swamp Hive, Cryomorph Gnaar Pair, Lord Achriman, and Howard Brand. However, the gadget's quadruple damage is nerfed to just double damage against the latter boss, although the gadget is still useful against him.

Related achievements

Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem

	Sweet Kompot 15
	From granny, with love.

Behind the scenes

• The rage serum revives a scrapped concept - in this case, the Serious Rage powerup that remains in the Serious Sam HD and Fusion game files, where it combines Serious Damage's 4x damage multiplier and Serious Speed's significantly increased movement speed and wider FOV. However, the rage serum also affects the player's weapon firing rate and reload speed and features an additional different post-processing effect on the screen.

Trivia

• According to NETRICSA, it is claimed that overuse of rage serum may cause sterility. This, of course, is entirely unfounded, as this issue has never been researched within the Earth Defense Force.
  • Rage serum usage rumored to cause sterility is a reference to the side effects caused by taking anabolic steroids. Doping with said drugs has occurred frequently during sporting events and at the Olympics.
• If the player blows themselves up with the XPML21 Rocket Launcher with this gadget active, receives at least 150 damage, and then dies, their character will be gibbed instantly (if enemy and player gibbing is enabled) and the player won't be able to use any H.E.A.R.T. gadgets if they're equipped. This is actually because the same player gibbing rules from Serious Sam 3: BFE also applies to later games - in this case, 150 or more damage from a player rocket will gib a player, regardless of a direct hit or not. The only option is to reload to the last save point.
  • This can also happen if the player is gibbed by getting crushed, such as with containers or the crusher blocks in the "Sierra de Chiapas" secret in "The Song Of The Stormbringer". Dying to any custom enemy whose attacks/projectiles do Piercing damage will also prevent H.E.A.R.T. gadgets from being usable.
• One of the ingredients found in rage serum is mushrooms, according to an audio log left behind by an English airman.
  • The airman describes the mushrooms as having a side effect which induces "uncontrollable rage" in all those who ingest it. The species of mushroom in question is likely to be Amanita muscaria, which is known for its psychedelic properties when eaten.

Gallery

Model.

Viewmodel.

Concept art.

List of appearances

• Serious Sam 4 (First appearance)
• Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem

External links

Rage Serum on Wikipedia