Chances are you have probably never even heard of an old PlayStation 2/Dreamcast game known as Rez. There’s a pretty good reason: It was a creative on-rails shooter that is very bland to look at. You see, it lacked a strong initial pull other than its music. Those who played the demo when OPM (Official PlayStation Magazine) was still alive either loved it or ignored it. Unfortunately, I was of the latter camp, and I think it was because I didn’t “get” the gameplay at the time. I don’t think I could as a teen, as I kept my eyes out for more expressively arty instead of those with more subtlety. Now, thanks to Sega and Xbox Live Arcade, gamers have a second chance to play an incredible experience with retouched graphics (hence the last two letters in the title). Welcome to the world of Rez HD.
Rez HD is supposedly about a super computer that has become self-aware and is trying to shut itself down. (This is going to end badly, right?) You play an unknown hacker who is attempting to break into different sectors of this computer’s circuitry and set things right. Of course, you would know this if you read the story in the game’s options section.
Instead, Rez feels less like a computer hacking simulator and more like an odd daydream or dark night of the soul (play the final, and you’ll see where this idea comes from). The game is often said to “cause” synthesia, which is when a person experiences something across the senses. You don’t just see the color red, but you can taste and feel it. You don’t just hear the music, but you see the images, or the scale has a certain color. Heck, some people see colors when they look at letters. Usually, this occurs during drug use. However, a small portion of the population can do this naturally.
So what’s the point of this minor psychology/neurology lesson? Rez HD allows an experience that is considered “abnormal” to be the norm. As such, the sound design is downright amazing. Nearly every little action has some type of sound associated with it, whether it’s the synthetic noises of lasers, bullets/missiles flying toward the hacker or the clapping of hands. Music slowly builds up and comes to life as you access each layer. Music is, for better and for worse, electronica. And for a change, this isn’t a soundtrack that you’ll want to dance to — though it will keep the blood pumping.
Of course, you would think that the graphics would really “wow” a person. And the answer is, “no, not at first.” Your avatar looks like a translucent rag doll exploring a drug induced dream. Strange-looking viruses, ranging from simple planes to dragons, attempt to block your path. Bosses at the end of each area are unique as well: a giant sphere with a shield that changes as you attack, a killer flower that has its stems fire bullets, a computer-shaped type with missile silos in front of it, a star that attempts to run away from you and a final boss that is downright intriguing. Furthermore, each area has its own feel based upon the feel of different countries. Area 1 is based upon Egypt and its pyramids. Another area imitates a country with statues that bang their heads in tune with the music and ends with Japanese arches. The final area takes a creative spin on the changes of the earth.
Gameplay, on the other hand, is not as creative as it is rail-on-shooter. Of course, the counter-argument is that it fits the themes of the game perfectly. You have a square reticle that you move around using the control stick. You then hold the A button to “highlight” the enemy and target up to eight enemies. Let go and watch the enemies go down. However, as easy it sounds, it is anything but easy. This is one of those arcade-inspired games that you will have to memorize enemy placement as they are the same each and every time. And if you take too long to destroy an enemy, it will probably send missiles to stop you. And there are times when they’ll attack “just because” it’s their job.
Each time your avatar is hit, he’ll degrade a level. However, if you can fill up the health bar he’ll upgrade and he can absorb another hit. This has always been the one element that annoyed me about Rez. Although I admit I have learned to deal with this quirk, I still prefer knowing how many hits the avatar can take and treating it as a part of the game instead of a “major mistake” that encourages pure perfectionism. This is not to say that getting a so-called “perfect” score isn’t possible, just expect to stay seated for a long time.
Overall, Rez HD is a strong downloadable game that used to live (or continues to live) on PS2. The individual elements conspire against it and don’t place its best step forward. But don’t let it fool you; this is about the overall experience. It is about getting and being completely absorbed into its world. Everything comes together to create an experience that few games dream of reaching. There is the old demo available to download off XBLA and, if you’re not familiar with the game, I recommend playing it a few times to get into its groove. So get into the haze and raise your inner hacker’s heart to light. How cool is that?
