A surreal rail shooter that eschews complex gameplay for a killer soundtrack and stunning visuals by Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Tetris Effect, Child of Eden).
This game boasts a psychedelic light show depicting a virus in the future trying to hack its way through a mainframe to release an artificial intelligence - at least that's the vague justification behind the abstract wireframe world you float through in each stage. The visuals are inspired by the 80's cyberpunk vision of digital cyberscapes akin to Tron and the early CGI from films like The Lawnmower Man. Its crude by todays standards but for a stunning visual upgrade there's always Rez Infinite on steam.
The gameplay has you shooting waves of enemies and their projectiles but each attack is accompanied by sound effects that turn your actions into an extension of the soundtrack blurring the line between shooter and rhythm game. The surreal environments take you on a wild journey that grows in speed and intensity, the beat and tempo escalating until you reach the bosses which take the form of intense thrumming fever dreams with unforgettable visuals.
If you're familiar with Tetsuya's other works you'll recognize the trademark style over substance approach. It may not have deep gameplay but Rez is more of a sensory experience, the 'trance vibrator' is a testament to that. I rate this highly as it remains one of the earlier examples of designers challenging the conventions of gaming, pushing the boundaries between art, game, and what a gaming experience can be akin to the likes of LSD Dream Emulator.
This game boasts a psychedelic light show depicting a virus in the future trying to hack its way through a mainframe to release an artificial intelligence - at least that's the vague justification behind the abstract wireframe world you float through in each stage. The visuals are inspired by the 80's cyberpunk vision of digital cyberscapes akin to Tron and the early CGI from films like The Lawnmower Man. Its crude by todays standards but for a stunning visual upgrade there's always Rez Infinite on steam.
The gameplay has you shooting waves of enemies and their projectiles but each attack is accompanied by sound effects that turn your actions into an extension of the soundtrack blurring the line between shooter and rhythm game. The surreal environments take you on a wild journey that grows in speed and intensity, the beat and tempo escalating until you reach the bosses which take the form of intense thrumming fever dreams with unforgettable visuals.
If you're familiar with Tetsuya's other works you'll recognize the trademark style over substance approach. It may not have deep gameplay but Rez is more of a sensory experience, the 'trance vibrator' is a testament to that. I rate this highly as it remains one of the earlier examples of designers challenging the conventions of gaming, pushing the boundaries between art, game, and what a gaming experience can be akin to the likes of LSD Dream Emulator.