Rez
Visually stunning, highly inventive, thoroughly addicting, these are just some of the things one can use to help describe this magnificent game. Rez takes a turn from the normal realm of most "shooter" like titles, though I don't think this game can solely be called one. Sure a feature in this game tends to be the destruction of things, and in that almost rail shooter; tempest kind of fashion, the basis of the game is to be a shooter. So where you ask in lies the difference? Well instead of say focusing on the 'shooter' like experience, United Game Artists has taken a sort of change of focal point, for destruction of ships, and other enemies is surely part of the game, but more important is the general aesthetic experience you get from the title.
However weird this may sound, it's quite an inventive feat; they've made the point of a video game the 'experience' you get from it. Its not meant to dazzle you with complex gameplay, or incredible difficulty, Rez is merely meant to please your senses, including your visual, aural, and touch senses. It takes almost every element in the game, and connects it all together to form the experience. It's most amazing, and of the most complex design, yet the game play is simple.
In an effort to try to understand this title, the only true way is to play it, for once you get your hands on it, the experience they wanted you to have will become evident. This game has been subtly crafted to combine each of its elements into one mass. One can not simply analyze say gameplay, or visual effects, or sound, or the controller vibrating in your hand, for they are all linked in perfect harmony, and to do so would to belittle the experience of the title.
The basics of the game are simple, which makes it an all that much more an enjoyable experience. You yourself, are a wire-framed avatar, and the basic controls are that you'd expect of a typical forward scrolling shooter (say a panzer dragon, philosima-like at times, or a starfox). You have a lock-on-system that will allow 8 lock-on targets at a time, and when you release the button, a collection of missiles fire tracking their targets, each leaving a large streak across the screen; this is similar to the play of Ray Storm. Your enemies of course are called glitch systems, they are the ones terrorizing the worlds computer network systems (that seem to somewhat resemble the ancient worlds of our society), and well you're here to stop it. When you get through each level (there are 6 of them), you face a level boss, and a huge one at the end of the game. Quite simple, correct? But the simple gameplay has been implemented to move the focal point away from it and onto the games experience itself. The majority of the experience is not the play, for in comparison, you put little effort into the game, while it returns a whole lot more.
United Game Artists has used a simple mix of wire frames and flat polygons to pull you into the world of computer. Everything in this game moves 'on beat' so to speak, whether they are enemies, getting blown up, or shooting at you, its all on beat, the experience tends to be one you've never had. Never has a game so engulfed its player in its own world. The music tends to be almost hypnotic in ways, the beat pluses along, and your drooling over the massive amounts of eye candy on the screen, while the controller massages your hands, and it's all happening at the same time, in synchronization.
Everything element in Rez had to be synchronized and coordinated with one another, for literally every time you fire, or destroy an enemy, its on beat, and the normal effect that would occur such as an explosion, happens as an effect added to the beat, or bass kick itself. What spectacular job they've done. Surely this game was no easy task to program, for the complex methods would be overwhelming for say a novice programmer such as me. Not only that, but they entire screen is moving at all times, and I mean literally, whether it be some type of winamp-like special effects on the sides of the screen, or the walls shaking, everything is literally moving to a central beat. Anything you do, happens on beat, and everything responds to what you do, so you kill an enemy, destroy a couple things, they all happen in harmony, it's really a fantastic idea.
Seriously the whole experience of Rez is something truly to be appreciated, it basically puts on a fantastic show for its player, it creates a world that you can never get enough of. The levels look like they were designed for the rave culture but this title is here for all to enjoy. Its not a particularly easy game either, for at times you get sucked into states where you don't know what your doing simply because your enjoying the experience, and you get killed, difficulty by distraction, yet another magnificent idea. This game can't catch enough praise from me; it's a truly different kind of title.
This is not one of those games that you just play through once, then throw it away, the replay value is plentiful with oodles and oodles of fun. I surely believe no real videogame player could play through this game once and be satisfied, is just something you want to keep doing over and over, because not only is it amazing but it leaves you with a really positive feeling. Just wait till you get to the last level, though I don't think it's possible to ruin, it's just. CRAZY, freaking CRAZY, who ever doesn't love it needs a good smacking. With out a doubt this is one of the most visually stunning games to date, I'm going to refrain from it comparing it to any other title, because most simply, it doesn't.
Gamers of the world, lets not let this title fall into gaming history without a big bang. We need to encourage more of our developers to take chances such as this one, for the crazy positive result we get in return. This game was in development for about three years, I hope it does go to waste on the gaming audience just because it was ignored. We need to show them that we appreciate "different thinking" as to help get a wider variety of games in the market today. Everyone always complains about the next tomb raider, or resident evil, clones, but never support the truly different titles. Well now's your chance to support something truly new, grand, and innovative, that's been done well. Call me crazy but this game at least deserves that. Anyway, to all who play this game, ENJOY, its something your not likely to see again for a while, just a terrific title that I applaud both Sega and United Game Artists for.
-silver