Rez HD review

By: David Rhinehart | December 11th, 2008 | XBLA
Review | Xbox 360

This has to be the hardest review I’ve ever written. To describe Rez in a way that is clear to comprehend and explain its sheer awesomeness without repetitively using the word awesome. To put it quite simply, Rez is not just a game, Rez is an experience. Don’t let the “trippy” vector graphics that throb to the beat of the music, or the simplistic game play turn you off on this unique gem that rises to the top of the sea of clones and mediocrity that is today’s gaming market. It’s not often that a game as unique as Rez comes around; yes I know that it originally came out on the Dreamcast and PS2, but that’s not the point. Rez originally came out in 2001; now in 2008 it is re-released and still feels new, original, and fun. It holds up after seven years, which is quite amazing.

Rez is a music rhythm game and a rail shooter rolled into one. While the story is very played down, you are a hacker tasked with breaking into the super computer network, the K-Project, which is regulated by the AI Eden. Eden, overloaded by the constant influx of data, has begun to doubt its own existence and has executed a shutdown sequence. If completed, the entire world’s network would go down creating catastrophic problems everywhere. So, to put it simply, you must stop an insane computer. The story, obviously, isn’t the main focus of the game. The game consists of five levels in which you fly through, locking onto targets, which results in an automated laser emitting from your character that hits the targets. As you kill enemies it adds a particular beat that adds to the track that is playing in the background. Each level is divided into layers, each layer builds upon the previous, creating a progressively evolving musical piece.

It’s the music that is the draw for this game. Yes it’s all techno, but it’s handled so beautifully and masterfully that it can pull anyone into its hypnotic grasp. The levels are so wonderfully crafted around each song that they all feel different and unique. Rez has been so thoroughly tested that I never ran into any graphical hiccups, glitches, or dropped frames. There is nothing wrong with this game.

While it may be short, totaling in about three hours, those three hours are so amazing that it’s worth every penny. Yes you may want more, but if it isn’t as polished as what is already there then it’s not worth it. My one complaint, while incredibly minute, is that level five, the last level, is so spectacular that the rest of the game pales in comparison. This shows how truly amazing Rez is, my complaint is that the rest of the game isn’t as great as the best part.

If you like music games, buy this game. If you like unique experiences, buy this game. If you’re bored, buy this game. Rez needs to be played by all so that everyone will know how unique experiences should be done. It’s that fact that Rez is like nothing else out there that makes it so special. Please, just buy it.

Rating	Category
10.0	Presentation Simple Beautiful
	How does our scoring system work?
10.0	Gameplay Unqiue Experience
10.0	Sound Unlike any other
10.0	Longevity I could play this forever
10.0	Overall One of the best games I have ever played