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This thread has been linked to the game 'Rez HD'.
To me, the whole premise behind light-and-sound-mix-em-ups’ is alluring. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a complex but generally uninteractive visualiser (a la Jeff Minter’s creation for 360, “Neon”), or something much more involving, such as Harmonix’ “Amplitude”. If there is plenty of bloom, a high BPM rate, and some combination of button tapping and shooting, I’ll more than likely be sat behind a viciously rumbling controller, speck of drool dangling from the corner of my mouth, focused, dazed.
So it was with some anticipation that, after 6 weeks of not having the internet, a certain company whose name is a colour decided at last to FIX IT and allow me to get my newest Xbox Live Arcade fix. 800 Microsoft points later and the download was on. Slowly, admittedly. But ON.
What seemed like the passing of eons was in fact about 40 minutes, and I finally got my hands on Rez HD.
Rez (named after a track of techno-legend Underworld) was one of these strange little games that came out on Dreamcast against all market forces. Not only that, but incredibly it was ported to the PS2 as well. There wasn’t really any demand for it before it came out either time, and to be honest there wasn’t a terrific amount of demand for it once it had been released. As ever, it wasn’t until the bloody thing had entirely sold out on both platforms that any kind of serious demand occurred, and that was also roughly the time that eBay scalpers cottoned on and started jacking up prices. Pre-owned bins were looted, 2nd-hand shops investigated, and indie retailers hounded just to see if any copies might be lurking around, hidden on their shelves.
This, however, a problem for most, became a problem no more. With a super lovely HD version announced for XBLA, people could get one of the best games of its generation for under a tenner. That moment, my friends, is where we stand now.
Most people have at least heard of Rez. At its highest level, you are an avatar sent into a massively complex and self-aware computer system (‘Eden’) which has been infected with viruses. Travelling the system, you must destroy the viruses and save the… machine from destruction. However, as with any good light-action game, this is all pretty much by-the-by. Coming off the pedestal of pretension, the game is basically a perfect on-rails shooter.
“Wah wah wah, but I don’t like on-rails!”
Then away, cretin. You missed a really important word in the previous sentence. ‘Perfect’. Or at least, as close to perfection as one game can be.
The experience is split across 5 key stages, or ‘areas’. Each has a distinct visual style, and theme – backgrounds taking inspiration from Mesopotamian, Chinese and Egyptian cultures and architecture. Within each area are 10 ‘layer levels’. Cracking the gates between each layer will lead you to that area’s boss, and defeating it will advance you to the next area. Complete the initial 4 areas to crack the final layer levels and save Eden. Over the course of each area the music gradually builds up from a pounding drum beat to a massive electronic soundscape – I still fondly remember the demo disc level (Area 1) when the background song first broke out from the drumbeat to a full techno track. Good times.
The gameplay itself is incredibly simple – in the main ‘play’ mode you can fire shots (with a lock-on of up to 8 enemies) and unleash overdrives (collectable powerups that will auto-target and shoot at all enemies on screen). The only other powerup increments a life bar, which when full will upgrade your avatar through various evolutionary stages. Get hit by an enemy, and the avatar will downgrade. Get hit too often, and you’ll disappear, destroyed by the viruses.
This may sound pretty elementary, but don’t be put off! The game is so, so much more. What will keep you playing for years to come is the combination of everything happening at once – the intense music, the unrelenting enemies, the psychedelic visuals, the pulsing controller, the magnificent bosses. Tetsuya Mizuguchi describes it as an attempt at inducing ‘synaesthesia’ (hence my website’s name). Whether or not it works to synaesthetic ends is another question, but even so the feeling is incredible.
Of course, there are plenty of modes, bonus stages, boss attacks, direct assaults on every area sequentially and various visual, audio and gameplay tweaks (see if you can unlock the particularly special avatar form in ‘beyond’ mode). You can play without being able to die, go for high scores in ‘score attack’, or simply freak out to some crazy German static music in the ‘trance mode’. It takes a bit of getting used to, but ‘trance mode’ can be surprisingly relaxing, right after your eyes glaze over. Although the total number of unique stages only totals around 8 and change, the replay value is much higher than many peers due to the addictive nature of the game, and the fact that hearing and seeing what Rez provides is a complete joy in itself.
Even after 4 or 5 years of playing Rez, there are still bits I need to do. I have 3 copies of it now (plus the much-vaunted Trance Vibrator, Google for more details), each with save files at different points. Getting 100% shoot down on all the levels is not an easy task; neither is getting the highest score in certain areas. You won’t play it every day for a month, and then leave it. It’s something you can come back to, have a go, leave it be, then return again ready for more. The music won’t ever grow old, just pleasantly familiar - an old friend. Cruising through temples and past pyramids isn’t ever tiresome, but forever enthralling. This is how I felt before the beauty of the HD, or the 5.1 sound, or even the great XB360 controller. Now, I’ve fallen in love all over again.
Doesn’t mean I won’t still try and hunt down the PAL DC version though…
So it was with some anticipation that, after 6 weeks of not having the internet, a certain company whose name is a colour decided at last to FIX IT and allow me to get my newest Xbox Live Arcade fix. 800 Microsoft points later and the download was on. Slowly, admittedly. But ON.
What seemed like the passing of eons was in fact about 40 minutes, and I finally got my hands on Rez HD.
Rez (named after a track of techno-legend Underworld) was one of these strange little games that came out on Dreamcast against all market forces. Not only that, but incredibly it was ported to the PS2 as well. There wasn’t really any demand for it before it came out either time, and to be honest there wasn’t a terrific amount of demand for it once it had been released. As ever, it wasn’t until the bloody thing had entirely sold out on both platforms that any kind of serious demand occurred, and that was also roughly the time that eBay scalpers cottoned on and started jacking up prices. Pre-owned bins were looted, 2nd-hand shops investigated, and indie retailers hounded just to see if any copies might be lurking around, hidden on their shelves.
This, however, a problem for most, became a problem no more. With a super lovely HD version announced for XBLA, people could get one of the best games of its generation for under a tenner. That moment, my friends, is where we stand now.
Most people have at least heard of Rez. At its highest level, you are an avatar sent into a massively complex and self-aware computer system (‘Eden’) which has been infected with viruses. Travelling the system, you must destroy the viruses and save the… machine from destruction. However, as with any good light-action game, this is all pretty much by-the-by. Coming off the pedestal of pretension, the game is basically a perfect on-rails shooter.
“Wah wah wah, but I don’t like on-rails!”
Then away, cretin. You missed a really important word in the previous sentence. ‘Perfect’. Or at least, as close to perfection as one game can be.
The experience is split across 5 key stages, or ‘areas’. Each has a distinct visual style, and theme – backgrounds taking inspiration from Mesopotamian, Chinese and Egyptian cultures and architecture. Within each area are 10 ‘layer levels’. Cracking the gates between each layer will lead you to that area’s boss, and defeating it will advance you to the next area. Complete the initial 4 areas to crack the final layer levels and save Eden. Over the course of each area the music gradually builds up from a pounding drum beat to a massive electronic soundscape – I still fondly remember the demo disc level (Area 1) when the background song first broke out from the drumbeat to a full techno track. Good times.
The gameplay itself is incredibly simple – in the main ‘play’ mode you can fire shots (with a lock-on of up to 8 enemies) and unleash overdrives (collectable powerups that will auto-target and shoot at all enemies on screen). The only other powerup increments a life bar, which when full will upgrade your avatar through various evolutionary stages. Get hit by an enemy, and the avatar will downgrade. Get hit too often, and you’ll disappear, destroyed by the viruses.
This may sound pretty elementary, but don’t be put off! The game is so, so much more. What will keep you playing for years to come is the combination of everything happening at once – the intense music, the unrelenting enemies, the psychedelic visuals, the pulsing controller, the magnificent bosses. Tetsuya Mizuguchi describes it as an attempt at inducing ‘synaesthesia’ (hence my website’s name). Whether or not it works to synaesthetic ends is another question, but even so the feeling is incredible.
Of course, there are plenty of modes, bonus stages, boss attacks, direct assaults on every area sequentially and various visual, audio and gameplay tweaks (see if you can unlock the particularly special avatar form in ‘beyond’ mode). You can play without being able to die, go for high scores in ‘score attack’, or simply freak out to some crazy German static music in the ‘trance mode’. It takes a bit of getting used to, but ‘trance mode’ can be surprisingly relaxing, right after your eyes glaze over. Although the total number of unique stages only totals around 8 and change, the replay value is much higher than many peers due to the addictive nature of the game, and the fact that hearing and seeing what Rez provides is a complete joy in itself.
Even after 4 or 5 years of playing Rez, there are still bits I need to do. I have 3 copies of it now (plus the much-vaunted Trance Vibrator, Google for more details), each with save files at different points. Getting 100% shoot down on all the levels is not an easy task; neither is getting the highest score in certain areas. You won’t play it every day for a month, and then leave it. It’s something you can come back to, have a go, leave it be, then return again ready for more. The music won’t ever grow old, just pleasantly familiar - an old friend. Cruising through temples and past pyramids isn’t ever tiresome, but forever enthralling. This is how I felt before the beauty of the HD, or the 5.1 sound, or even the great XB360 controller. Now, I’ve fallen in love all over again.
Doesn’t mean I won’t still try and hunt down the PAL DC version though…
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To me, the whole premise behind light-and-sound-mix-em-ups’ is alluring. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a complex but generally uninteractive visualiser (a la Jeff Minter’s creation for 360, “Neon”), or something much more involving, such as Harmonix’ “Amplitude”. If there is plenty of bloom, a high BPM rate, and some combination of button tapping and shooting, I’ll more than likely be sat behind a viciously rumbling controller, speck of drool dangling from the corner of my mouth, focused, dazed.
So it was with some anticipation that, after 6 weeks of not having the internet, a certain company whose name is a colour decided at last to FIX IT and allow me to get my newest Xbox Live Arcade fix. 800 Microsoft points later and the download was on. Slowly, admittedly. But ON.
What seemed like the passing of eons was in fact about 40 minutes, and I finally got my hands on Rez HD.
Rez (named after a track of techno-legend Underworld) was one of these strange little games that came out on Dreamcast against all market forces. Not only that, but incredibly it was ported to the PS2 as well. There wasn’t really any demand for it before it came out either time, and to be honest there wasn’t a terrific amount of demand for it once it had been released. As ever, it wasn’t until the bloody thing had entirely sold out on both platforms that any kind of serious demand occurred, and that was also roughly the time that eBay scalpers cottoned on and started jacking up prices. Pre-owned bins were looted, 2nd-hand shops investigated, and indie retailers hounded just to see if any copies might be lurking around, hidden on their shelves.
This, however, a problem for most, became a problem no more. With a super lovely HD version announced for XBLA, people could get one of the best games of its generation for under a tenner. That moment, my friends, is where we stand now.
Most people have at least heard of Rez. At its highest level, you are an avatar sent into a massively complex and self-aware computer system (‘Eden’) which has been infected with viruses. Travelling the system, you must destroy the viruses and save the… machine from destruction. However, as with any good light-action game, this is all pretty much by-the-by. Coming off the pedestal of pretension, the game is basically a perfect on-rails shooter.
“Wah wah wah, but I don’t like on-rails!”
Then away, cretin. You missed a really important word in the previous sentence. ‘Perfect’. Or at least, as close to perfection as one game can be.
The experience is split across 5 key stages, or ‘areas’. Each has a distinct visual style, and theme – backgrounds taking inspiration from Mesopotamian, Chinese and Egyptian cultures and architecture. Within each area are 10 ‘layer levels’. Cracking the gates between each layer will lead you to that area’s boss, and defeating it will advance you to the next area. Complete the initial 4 areas to crack the final layer levels and save Eden. Over the course of each area the music gradually builds up from a pounding drum beat to a massive electronic soundscape – I still fondly remember the demo disc level (Area 1) when the background song first broke out from the drumbeat to a full techno track. Good times.
The gameplay itself is incredibly simple – in the main ‘play’ mode you can fire shots (with a lock-on of up to 8 enemies) and unleash overdrives (collectable powerups that will auto-target and shoot at all enemies on screen). The only other powerup increments a life bar, which when full will upgrade your avatar through various evolutionary stages. Get hit by an enemy, and the avatar will downgrade. Get hit too often, and you’ll disappear, destroyed by the viruses.
This may sound pretty elementary, but don’t be put off! The game is so, so much more. What will keep you playing for years to come is the combination of everything happening at once – the intense music, the unrelenting enemies, the psychedelic visuals, the pulsing controller, the magnificent bosses. Tetsuya Mizuguchi describes it as an attempt at inducing ‘synaesthesia’ (hence my website’s name). Whether or not it works to synaesthetic ends is another question, but even so the feeling is incredible.
Of course, there are plenty of modes, bonus stages, boss attacks, direct assaults on every area sequentially and various visual, audio and gameplay tweaks (see if you can unlock the particularly special avatar form in ‘beyond’ mode). You can play without being able to die, go for high scores in ‘score attack’, or simply freak out to some crazy German static music in the ‘trance mode’. It takes a bit of getting used to, but ‘trance mode’ can be surprisingly relaxing, right after your eyes glaze over. Although the total number of unique stages only totals around 8 and change, the replay value is much higher than many peers due to the addictive nature of the game, and the fact that hearing and seeing what Rez provides is a complete joy in itself.
Even after 4 or 5 years of playing Rez, there are still bits I need to do. I have 3 copies of it now (plus the much-vaunted Trance Vibrator, Google for more details), each with save files at different points. Getting 100% shoot down on all the levels is not an easy task; neither is getting the highest score in certain areas. You won’t play it every day for a month, and then leave it. It’s something you can come back to, have a go, leave it be, then return again ready for more. The music won’t ever grow old, just pleasantly familiar - an old friend. Cruising through temples and past pyramids isn’t ever tiresome, but forever enthralling. This is how I felt before the beauty of the HD, or the 5.1 sound, or even the great XB360 controller. Now, I’ve fallen in love all over again.
Doesn’t mean I won’t still try and hunt down the PAL DC version though…
So it was with some anticipation that, after 6 weeks of not having the internet, a certain company whose name is a colour decided at last to FIX IT and allow me to get my newest Xbox Live Arcade fix. 800 Microsoft points later and the download was on. Slowly, admittedly. But ON.
What seemed like the passing of eons was in fact about 40 minutes, and I finally got my hands on Rez HD.
Rez (named after a track of techno-legend Underworld) was one of these strange little games that came out on Dreamcast against all market forces. Not only that, but incredibly it was ported to the PS2 as well. There wasn’t really any demand for it before it came out either time, and to be honest there wasn’t a terrific amount of demand for it once it had been released. As ever, it wasn’t until the bloody thing had entirely sold out on both platforms that any kind of serious demand occurred, and that was also roughly the time that eBay scalpers cottoned on and started jacking up prices. Pre-owned bins were looted, 2nd-hand shops investigated, and indie retailers hounded just to see if any copies might be lurking around, hidden on their shelves.
This, however, a problem for most, became a problem no more. With a super lovely HD version announced for XBLA, people could get one of the best games of its generation for under a tenner. That moment, my friends, is where we stand now.
Most people have at least heard of Rez. At its highest level, you are an avatar sent into a massively complex and self-aware computer system (‘Eden’) which has been infected with viruses. Travelling the system, you must destroy the viruses and save the… machine from destruction. However, as with any good light-action game, this is all pretty much by-the-by. Coming off the pedestal of pretension, the game is basically a perfect on-rails shooter.
“Wah wah wah, but I don’t like on-rails!”
Then away, cretin. You missed a really important word in the previous sentence. ‘Perfect’. Or at least, as close to perfection as one game can be.
The experience is split across 5 key stages, or ‘areas’. Each has a distinct visual style, and theme – backgrounds taking inspiration from Mesopotamian, Chinese and Egyptian cultures and architecture. Within each area are 10 ‘layer levels’. Cracking the gates between each layer will lead you to that area’s boss, and defeating it will advance you to the next area. Complete the initial 4 areas to crack the final layer levels and save Eden. Over the course of each area the music gradually builds up from a pounding drum beat to a massive electronic soundscape – I still fondly remember the demo disc level (Area 1) when the background song first broke out from the drumbeat to a full techno track. Good times.
The gameplay itself is incredibly simple – in the main ‘play’ mode you can fire shots (with a lock-on of up to 8 enemies) and unleash overdrives (collectable powerups that will auto-target and shoot at all enemies on screen). The only other powerup increments a life bar, which when full will upgrade your avatar through various evolutionary stages. Get hit by an enemy, and the avatar will downgrade. Get hit too often, and you’ll disappear, destroyed by the viruses.
This may sound pretty elementary, but don’t be put off! The game is so, so much more. What will keep you playing for years to come is the combination of everything happening at once – the intense music, the unrelenting enemies, the psychedelic visuals, the pulsing controller, the magnificent bosses. Tetsuya Mizuguchi describes it as an attempt at inducing ‘synaesthesia’ (hence my website’s name). Whether or not it works to synaesthetic ends is another question, but even so the feeling is incredible.
Of course, there are plenty of modes, bonus stages, boss attacks, direct assaults on every area sequentially and various visual, audio and gameplay tweaks (see if you can unlock the particularly special avatar form in ‘beyond’ mode). You can play without being able to die, go for high scores in ‘score attack’, or simply freak out to some crazy German static music in the ‘trance mode’. It takes a bit of getting used to, but ‘trance mode’ can be surprisingly relaxing, right after your eyes glaze over. Although the total number of unique stages only totals around 8 and change, the replay value is much higher than many peers due to the addictive nature of the game, and the fact that hearing and seeing what Rez provides is a complete joy in itself.
Even after 4 or 5 years of playing Rez, there are still bits I need to do. I have 3 copies of it now (plus the much-vaunted Trance Vibrator, Google for more details), each with save files at different points. Getting 100% shoot down on all the levels is not an easy task; neither is getting the highest score in certain areas. You won’t play it every day for a month, and then leave it. It’s something you can come back to, have a go, leave it be, then return again ready for more. The music won’t ever grow old, just pleasantly familiar - an old friend. Cruising through temples and past pyramids isn’t ever tiresome, but forever enthralling. This is how I felt before the beauty of the HD, or the 5.1 sound, or even the great XB360 controller. Now, I’ve fallen in love all over again.
Doesn’t mean I won’t still try and hunt down the PAL DC version though…