Rez

"Intresting & Unique, If A Little Game-Lite"

Rez is a one of the most original titles to arrive in Europe on the PlayStation 2. Its best described as an old school shoot-em-up with the emphasis on feeling, rather than aimless shooting. Rez isn’t just about shooting the baddies, its about being artistic and that’s what sums Rez up best.
You play a bizarre shape that can warp into various states (think Vib Ribbon) depending on how good your doing and the object is to shoot and kill everything in your sight. All this is done to music which changes when you shoot something, and changes the beat, which then changes the beat of the dual-shock controller your holding – thus giving you a new experience. It may sound complex but it becomes second nature to you.
Rez is viewed in the same way the old classic “Space Harrier” was, from just behind the player, and all the various craft will fly from ahead, behind and also from the sides. The enemies come in all shapes and sizes through 9 stages before a boss enters. Once killed, it’s onto the next level. There are 4 levels in total and 1 bonus level for when you’ve completed the game with a high score.
So far, so ordinary, so what makes Rez such a good game?
It’s captivating. It massages every sense that you have. The music builds and builds each stage to a magnificent climax, the controller vibrates and stimulates the hands to the beat of the music and the graphics move with it in such a dream state that no screenshots do it justice.
The graphics move with you. The strange pixel made futuristic graphics warp, wave, breathe and swirl as they transform effortlessly from form to form. Nowhere is that more clear than on the boss levels, where the outstanding ways that they move, twist and float around the screen are breath taking. The attention to detail in those pieces are fascinating.
So with all that behind us, there are a few gaping holes in the game that do choose which side of the Rez fence you sit on.
Many people have complained that Rez is simply, game-free! While this is not the case, Rez is extremely easy to complete, with the only challenge being to get the locked stage. The reason why its so easy is that the enemies rarely return fire and apart from the bosses, its sometimes harder to die than it is to live! The AI of the enemies are simplistic and once you know the patterns that they will display, you’ll be ready for them next time they pop up therefore making it more easier! Many only need one shot to be killed too.
Its saving grace for replay value is the fact that sometimes you can move forward to the next stage without actually getting to the end of the previous one, so if you feel like a challenge you can go to the end of each stage but by doing so, may sacrifice missing an entire stage at the end of the level and go straight to the boss. With so many routes to go down, if you really want to pursue them all, it can take a long time but that’s only recommended for the very big fan.
But if you do fall for Rez, you’ll be sucked into its sensory overload, and the game despite lacking a two-player mode, is just as gorgeous to watch, as it is to play. Although the game play is very light, it makes for an interesting and unique experience and they are few and far between in the European world of gaming.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/07/03