This game, "study," I mean, feels as though an amateur YouTube video essayist took one look at the average console gamer after playing The Beginner’s Guide and thought of putting their own spin on it but presented in the most preachy, condescending, and obnoxious way possible.

This “study” (which it insists upon calling itself) is an incredibly tacky and obnoxious attempt at teaching contemporary console gamers basic terms and interactive storytelling techniques utilised in games; there was absolutely no tact in the way it presented its ideas, which, while purposefully meant to parallel the very games it examines and critiques, still doesn’t lend itself to being a very interesting or engaging experience but instead like a series of flashcards paired alongside boring gameplay segments. (Which control like absolute shit btw)

This game study felt like a lab-grown, inauthentic attempt at being a sort of modern take on The Beginner's Guide catered to modern audiences who need simple ideas and terms bashed over their heads while keys are jingled in their faces; this was a complete waste of an hour.

From a pure audiovisual standpoint, Rez is one of the coolest games ever made.

A psychedelic rail shooter where you crash through cyberspace while the best music you've ever heard in your entire life is constantly building in the backround. A synesthetic chamber of sights and sounds that jacks itself into your brain and never lets go.

The gameplay is incredibly simple, but the execution of it works perfectly in conjunction with the game's presentation in order to elevate the experience to being trancelike. Shooting down the machinations of Rez caters to this indescribable primal feeling that just feels so natural and compulsive.

While one could view it as being shallow, I ultimately see Rez as a prime example of a game being much more than the sum of its parts. It's a borderline spiritual experience. Not in spite of its simplicity, but because of it.

FEAR IS THE MIND KILLER