Rez HD Review

By Simon Parkin Published 30 January, 2008

Resynthesized.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Snap the Rez design apart, lay the pieces out on the table and you've little more than a wireframe Panzer Dragoon. Sure, it's been named by Underworld, custom soundtracked by Adam Freeland, graphic designed in a lab by Tron nanobots and rolled out into the look-games-can-be-intellectual battleground plastered with Wassily Kandinsky posters. But behind the frippery sits Space Harrier chewing acid at a science-fiction fancy dress party. There's no way to escape the fact that your character moves along a fixed path at a fixed speed, clicking on pop-up targets for points. At its heart, Rez is a good old-fashioned shooting gallery arcade game, albeit one stationed at a Butlins in Alpha Centuri.

But, even if you do ignore all the peripheral highbrow talk of Russian abstract painters and neurological foibles or the lowbrow hand-muffled giggling about a third-party sex toy peripheral and its rhythmic pulsing, the strong, assured core of this extraordinary game is somehow more than its constituent parts. Yes, you sit on an esoteric rollercoaster picking off line-art cubes as they streak by, but perform that kind of critical reduction and you'll not only miss Rez's destination but you'll also ruin the journey. And in Rez, the journey is everything. And in Rez HD, the journey is filmed by a Heliglimbal gyro-stabilised camera borrowed from the BBC's Planet Earth production team.

The orangey lines that delineate something from nothing, never too jagged or pixelly in the original, could now slice a cheese moon. Spread out across a widescreen canvas, the streaky pixel bomb explosions, circuit board backgrounds and ancient wireframe temples you fly through are finally brought into true focus, as if before we looked through a Dreamcast darkly but now we see in full (HD). The original version is included in the package but you can't escape the feeling that it's there less for completism's sake than for rude showboating on Q Entertainment's part.

'Rez HD' Screenshot 1

The final Boss Rush section sets its difficulty to match the player's performance in the previous five stages.

There's a whisper of plot: a sentient AI turned nasty - GLaDOS's grandmother perhaps - but as you hyperspace through the game's five stages, picking off each one's sub-boss before a final tussle to reboot her sinister programmed ARS, narrative exposition is as sparse as the game's Cosmic Smash-esque front-end. The ebb and flow of progress and retreat, cliffhanger and comic relief is all handled in play. Enemies drop blue power-ups that gradually increase your health. Collect enough and you evolve forms. Get hit by a stray bullet and you regress, strength and advancement moving up and down a slider controlled by your discrete successes and failures. Red power-ups add to a stock of 'Overdrives', the release of which acts as a Geometry Wars smart bomb to burn up everything in sight, a symphony of pyrotechnics to light up your widescreen and further frazzle your mind.

And the music. The music is important because without it we might not have Everyday Shooter, or Lumines, and because without it Rez would be a far less involved and poorer experience. The game's trance soundtrack is more than just a Jeff Minter-style aesthetic badge; it's more than just a signifier of creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi's musical tastes and intoxicating influences (although, of course, it is that too). Rather, it's weaved into the fabric of the experience. Every interaction with the game has its own sound effect: lock-ons emboldened by miniature hi-hat fips and thwacks, explosions acting as synth punches and, as you move through each level's ten layers, the soundtrack intensifies to match the drama. There are no bonuses for timing your actions with the bpm of the soundtrack but the way the samples are handled and locked to rhythms makes even a misfired bullet sound like a conductor's artful flourish.

'Rez HD' Screenshot 2

All the pseudish talk of synaesthesia and Rez's cultural importance irks some but, unusually, this game can withstand scrutiny and expectation.

The framework that surrounds all of this has been left mostly untouched. Past the new Xbox Achievements, the original's extras stay put: the travelling mode (for practicing without fear of failure) and all of the original's bonuses and subtly signposted challenges are present and waiting. Likewise the sublime difficulty curve, calculated to within a notch of perfection, remains. The game heaves and builds through a pregnancy, the birth of its finale a transcendental moment in videogames as each previous boss re-emerges, augmented and awesome.

At the time of the original's release Rez attracted critical reaction ranging from unfettered recommendation to shrugging indifference: it was too new, too unusual, too unfathomable, too much the possibility of Emperor's clothes for some. But time has chosen to amplify the adulation, not the reservation and, as most of that reservation focused on the fact the game was short and expensive, they've been completely silenced by today's GBP 6.80 price point. Back in the day we said of the original: 'When Rez eventually turns up cheaply it will become indispensable, but until then it's a luxury.' Xbox Live Arcade is, then, our modern printing press: digital distribution transforming the expensive and exclusive into the affordable and inclusive. Joy has rarely come so reasonably priced and, whatever the price, videogames, rarely come so joyful. Indispensable, then.

10 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Simon.

About Simon Parkin

Simon Parkin is an author and journalist on video games. A regular contributor to Eurogamer since 2005, his work has also appeared in Edge, The Telegraph, Gamasutra and Boing Boing.

Read more articles from Simon by visiting the Simon Parkin archive page.

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Comments (168) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • robstar72 #1 4 years ago

    Just checked - not on Live yet, but will be an immediate purchase! Loved the DC version!

  • Scimarad #2 4 years ago

    I'll be downloading this as soon as I can, having missed all the previous versions.

  • Tyronne #3 4 years ago

    Think this is a must have.

  • Krelle #4 4 years ago

    lol, a ten. Youll score a few hits from that EG. Well played.

  • Tejstar #5 4 years ago

    I haven't bought many XBLA games but this will definitely be one of them.

    I also already own this on the DC and PS2 but I don't care, the thought of playing this in HD and 5.1 surround sound is too good to pass up!

  • peteb #6 4 years ago

    @Krelle

    /shakes head

  • Der_tolle_Emil #7 4 years ago

    That review uses too many fancy words so early in the morning :/

  • coach_mcguirk #8 4 years ago

    This is up now.

  • Arcadiian #9 4 years ago

    Are SEGA involved in this at all? I mean, when Q was formed, did Tetsuya take the Rez IP with him? o_O

    Edit: Nevermind, Wikipedia says he got a licence from SEGA, so I'll go with that.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 08:28

  • ccfb #10 4 years ago

    The first half of that review is sheer nonsense.

  • the_dudefather #11 4 years ago

    "Likewise the sublime difficulty curve, calculated to within a notch of perfection, remains. The game heaves and builds through a pregnancy, the birth of its finale a transcendental moment in videogames as each previous boss re-emerges, augmented and awesome."

    I DARE you to put something like this in a review of a shovelware DS game

  • GordonCaladan #12 4 years ago

    So, better than Portal then?

  • Ryze #13 4 years ago

    Excellent - a 'must have' purchase.

  • [maven] #14 4 years ago

    Just played the first level... ^_^

    Make sure to turn vibration on in the options!

  • menage #15 4 years ago

    Great stuff. Just in the week I don't have any internet connection. Fuckers should have switched this for Boogie Bunnies.

  • dr_swin #16 4 years ago

    never 'got' it myself. move your cursor around and hold down the fire button until your shots are are locked on then let go. occasionally use a smart bomb when the screen is hectic. yes, the music and graphics are atmospheric but I always thought the gameplay was extremely limited.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #17 4 years ago

    Is it worth buying for someone who already has the PS2 version?

  • neosalad #18 4 years ago

    cant wait for this. i have it on Dreamcast but havent playd in ages.
    the only problem being i'm waiting formy m$ points to come!

  • muscleblade #19 4 years ago

    Cant wait to see the achievements for this. A must buy for sure. Short and sweet.

  • Weezer #20 4 years ago

    10!?

    Bollocks.

    A game that by your own admission is little more than Space Harrier and which any non-hamfisted gamer can complete in a day?

    Looks like someone has read a few too many copies of Edge.

    6... 7 tops.


    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 08:49

  • ralphwolfenstein #21 4 years ago

    "Rez is a... game"

    stop right there young man...

    "And the music. The music is important"

    That Pope dude? Quite pious...

    "a wireframe Panzer Dragoon"

    oh behave

  • defdaz #22 4 years ago

    Utter utter bollocks. Really going off this site rapidly. :(

  • Amajiro #23 4 years ago

    Fantastic review, really does the game justice. I can't wait to download this tonight... with any luck it might coincide with the arrival of something quite nice from Holland.

  • Shrike #24 4 years ago

    I'm going to take it that this is 10-worthy simply on the basis that it clearly did something to the reviewers brain... metaphor, much?

  • David_Richardson #25 4 years ago

    @defdaz

    Just leave then, and stop threatening to.

    The review is spot on in my mind.

  • Universal_Hamster #26 4 years ago

    "The orangey lines that delineate something from nothing, never too jagged or pixelly in the original, could now slice a cheese moon."
    Good review!

  • silke #27 4 years ago

    Oh, you all poor people who don't "get it". I laugh tenderly behind your back.

  • benuaq #28 4 years ago

    Ten out of ten? You're saying this game is perfect?
    Is this the same game I played on PS2, and felt like a poor on-rails shooter with one button and bad music?
    I like shooters like Ikaruga.
    I love games with great soundtracks like Wip3out.
    I also love "arty" games like ICO and Shadow of the Collossus.
    But a two-hour long *DUH DUH DUH DUH* fest of almost zero stimulation or difficulty is a pile of crap, to say the least.
    I know this kind of thing is subjective, but the only people this game could appeal to are those that are stoned, or mentally handicapped.

  • Lexx87 #29 4 years ago

    defdaz...fuck off then :)

  • DanWhitehead #30 4 years ago

    Cant wait to see the achievements for this.

    They're really nicely judged. There's a good chunk that anyone can unlock by playing through the game, and then enough left over to keep the die hard players hammering the score attack mode.

    And the game looks stunning.

  • Lexx87 #31 4 years ago

    beuaq...read the scoring policy. 10 is not perfect...read why they put 10.

    /sigh

  • Lexx87 #32 4 years ago

    I for one have never played this, but once I finish the 7 games i've got going right now it'll be top of the list!

  • DanWhitehead #33 4 years ago

    Ten out of ten? You're saying this game is perfect?

    Ten out of ten doesn't mean a game is perfect. Never has done. There's even a link to the scoring policy right next to the score. Rez absolutely deserves top marks. It's a superb example of crafting something beautiful and rich out of the simplest ingredients.

  • benuaq #34 4 years ago

    > Lexx87 & DanWhitehead

    I've re-read the marking thing, and it says:
    It will leave the player in no doubt that they're playing something special right from the word go and will continue to inspire and amaze throughout.

    I know they don't mean the game is 100% perfect, and I realise the subjectivity of reviews and genres,
    But I fail to see how this game, even based on the review's contents, could get anything over a 7.

    I really must be missing something. I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything, I would just like to understand what other people see in this game.

    The game I played consisted of holding down a button until you lock on to a bunch of things, and then let go. You repeat this for about 2 hours to some average music and slightly unusual visuals. What else is there?
    Edited by 2 at 30/01/08 @ 09:16

  • DanWhitehead #35 4 years ago

    Quality is not increased by complexity.

  • ralphwolfenstein #36 4 years ago

    It doesn't suprise me that a lot of people don't 'get' Rez. The worlds of art and media are dominated by lowest common denominator material - the Sun sells more than the Guardian, Harry Potter sells more than The Unconsoled, Transformers: The Movie takes more at the box office than Lust: Caution...

    Part of the problem is comparing it against other games - yes the 'gameplay' is simplistic, but the 'gameplay' is not really what makes Rez what it is. In fact, calling Rez a 'game' is a category mistake - this is certainly one of the worst reviews I've even seen on the site, since it doesn't remotely describe what I consider to be the best gaming 'experience' of the past 20 years. It has elements of classic score attack shooters, albeit incredibly easy ones, and the basic mechanic is superficially that of an on-rails shooter, but the review makes no referecne to the fundamental Rez experience which is synching your actions to the music, playing for style rather than points

    Of course, if you're not musical (or missing part of a soul perhaps?) I doubt this approach would even occur, and even if it was spelt out to you I doubt it would make much sense. Simply play Rez like a 'game' and jot down the core mechanics, and it does little to distinguish itself from any comparable shooter, despite the seamless execution

    Naturally the typical counter argument is that this is all highly pretentious twaddle. Step forward, Daily Mail readers

  • Lexx87 #37 4 years ago

    Well just because you feel it is average, then for you it is average. The score is based on the thoughts of ONE person, not everyone. Get the demo, see for yourself. The score doesn't really matter if you like/hate the demo does it?

  • Slim #38 4 years ago

    Wooohooo!

  • Eighthours #39 4 years ago

    Ten? :)

    Yeah, I'd tend to agree. Cannot wait to get home and play this in HD and surround!

  • Der_tolle_Emil #40 4 years ago

    I played a game where you hold down a button until you lock on to a bunch of things, and then let go. You repeat this for about 2 hours to some average music and slightly unusual visuals. What else is there?

    Sounds like a porn movie. And those sell.

    It's a bit silly trying to explain to you why you should like it. Obviously a lot of people do, personally I haven't played it yet but I really look forward to playing the demo tonight, but nevertheless if it's not your game then noone will ever be able to explain it to you why they like it.

  • Sulphur_Man #41 4 years ago

    Interesting review.....a touch pretentious......moi? I hear?

  • muscleblade #42 4 years ago

    I think the review is spot on. The fact that the game is short is a good thing, thats why i love xbla so much. The achievements give it a lot of replay value anyway.

  • spekkeh #43 4 years ago

    Lol wut?

  • andrewwd #44 4 years ago

    Absurd review.

  • spekkeh #45 4 years ago

    "with any luck it might coincide with the arrival of something quite nice from Holland."

    I think a French Camembert would fit this game better than Gouda cheese.

  • DanWhitehead #46 4 years ago

    Games like Rez are the gaming equivalent of Kubrick's novel adaptations. Break them down to their basic parts and it's easy to write them off as hollow and generic exercises - man goes crazy in isolated hotel, computer tries to prevent spaceman reaching destination, naughty droog gets taught a lesson - but to do that is to ignore the aesthetics and the intent behind them. The experience is important. The mood is important. Without those, we're still playing Pong. And so even though, on one level, Rez is as simple as Pong it's also so much more. It's a distillation and evolution of a wonderfully self-contained concept.

    If we really want people to take games seriously, we need to stop getting into a big silly flap every time someone takes a game seriously and treats it as something deserving of artistic dissection. Big words are nothing to be scared of.

  • Deeptone #47 4 years ago

    Was the review written by that ginger chap who used to do the Broom Cupboard?

    If so, can I get Ed the Ducks autograph? Thanks.

    Oh, and 10. Woohoo.

  • zuljin #48 4 years ago

    Am I the only one with a problem with the review? Not the 10/10 part, I know how games get scored on here and I have no issue with that.

    I went into this review not knowing what the hell Rez is about - and my problem is I still don't! I've not played Panzer Dragoon so the only reference I get as to what this is about is from the first paragraph. Is it some kind of on rails shooter - a bit like Lylat Wars?

  • Dizzy #49 4 years ago

    10? Ok guys... consider this bought without trying the demo :)

  • erp #50 4 years ago

    The music is important because without it we might not have Everyday Shooter, or Lumines

    That sentence doesn't make any sense at all. Those games are nothing compared to Rez. Who cares if they didn't exist? The music's important because it's integral to the experience (which, to be fair, you did go on to say). Oh, and because it's awesome too.

  • Mr_Dodger #51 4 years ago

    1up give this a 10 also, worth checking out it seems.

  • Darren #52 4 years ago

    I vaguely remember playing a demo of this game on either the Dreamcast or PS2 (I don't remember which) and thought it was cool but, sadly, I just never got round to buying the full game for some reason. I'll definitely be purchasing this version though and for once the asking price for an XBLA game is very reasonable.

  • GordonCaladan #53 4 years ago

    @DanWhitehead
    "the gaming equivalent of Kubrick's novel adaptations"
    ...
    "to ignore the aesthetics and the intent behind them"

    So what political, psychological or sociological statement do you feel Rez is making if you feel it is on the same artistic level as 2001, A Clockwork Orange or The Shining? What layers of interpretation does it allow? I'd welcome a discussion like the following about a video game, you know:

    [link url=http ://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0030.html
    ]http://ww w.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0...[/link]

    Nah, its just a rail-shooter on acid. A really good one, yes, but it doesn't merit comparison with Kubrick.

  • BraveArse #54 4 years ago

    Well said Dan. The "reductio ad absurdum" tactic is to miss the point entirely.

    Life is shit: get up, eat, work, crap, go to bed... misses out all that is meaningful.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 09:39

  • BM #55 4 years ago

    I didn't get Rez when I played it a few years back on my mates Dreamcast :(

    I'm going to download the demo though, get my mate round, and make him make me 'get' it :)

  • RFturrican #56 4 years ago

    I personally think 10 is a tad high. Sure it is a game that helped to mould others in a unique genre and the HD revamp has helped to keep it fresh, but for all the pros and nice touches, I just feel that the replay value is not quite as there as in other games, unless of course you often go out to techno night clubs and are used to moving your fingers while a throbbing drum beat echoes through your head on a regular basis.

    An 8 or a 9 I would have said fair enough, but hey, at least it's a decent Xbox Live release for a change instead of "generic crap that noone has heard of that's ripped off something commercial and better" 5.

    Each to their own.

  • BM #57 4 years ago

    @Dan

    I'd just like to point out in the Kubrick version of a Clockwork Orange said droog doesn't really get taught a lesson, because Stanley cut the last chapter of the book from the movie. The book has a much better moral story ;)

  • McBradders #58 4 years ago

    So pretty in HD. So very, very pretty.

  • Phreez #59 4 years ago

    Er, wow.

  • syphaa #60 4 years ago

    Haha reading all the people hating on Rez obviously :
    [A] Have not played Rez Are to shallow minded to contemplate just how intuitive and engrossing this game is or [C] A twat.
    Cant wait to download this later, this is what I have been waiting for for months, bring on Ikaruga! Peace.

  • mechamonkey #61 4 years ago

    3rd purchase fo this for me, classic. Cant wait to see it in HD.

  • penhalion #62 4 years ago

    I played this on the dreamcast. It was a singularly excellent experience there too. After the dreamcast died, you could pick this up for a fiver. I always remember the way your ship evolved from abstract shape to twisting graceful human form. The way the vibraton of the controller seemed to be synchronised to the tunes you were shooting to. The attacks that punished the skillful shooter with their ferocity but, also allowed your vessel (notice I don't say ship) to evolve to reflect the extent of those skills.

    This is a lovely game. Perhaps worth an 8/9 simply because on live you will not get the trance controller experience that so set the original alive (multiple controllers doesn't quite cut it due to their shape). Rez is probably the game Jeff Minter was aiming for and so badly missed.

  • DoKtoR #63 4 years ago

    Definitely one of the best experiences I had on my PS2. This may be enough for me to buy a 360, but then I need the HD TV!

  • thedaveeyres #64 4 years ago

    Tesco Value Space Giraffe ;)

  • UncleLou #65 4 years ago

    Naturally the typical counter argument is that this is all highly pretentious twaddle. Step forward, Daily Mail readers


    Hehe, yeah, "pretentious" is the new catch-all phrase for "I don't get it, nor am I willing or even able to try and understand it".
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 09:59

  • ecureuil #66 4 years ago

    Brilliant review, best game ever. Well done EG.

  • Kelduum #67 4 years ago

    For those who 'don't like' it, or see it as repetative and simplistic, I truly pity you.

    For those who are willing to try it, do so with the knowledge that it is far more than the sum of its parts.

    For those of you with <a href=http://en.wi kipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia>synaesthesia</a> like me (especially Sound-Colour), you simply must play this.

    It's 'chemical augmentation' without the chemicals for synesthetes. Best trip ever.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 10:06

  • Apostle #68 4 years ago

    What's all this hubbub about then? Might have to check this out later, assuming there is a demo like normal for arcade games?

    10?! WTFBBQ?!1 Who knows.

  • Shrike #69 4 years ago

    I feel like I "get" the game, and why it's important. But that doesn't preclude me from holding that the review went a little bit overboard - the first paragraph especially reads like the reviewer thought up six pithy ways of allegorising the game and then decided to use all of them. It's a bit much, and doesn't exactly sell the slick aesthetic of the game.

    Out of interest, though.. is this the first downloadable to get a 10? I think something on the VC may have done, but this might be a first for XBL.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 10:10

  • newt #70 4 years ago

    For those of you with synaesthesia like me (especially Sound-Colour), you simply must play this.

    Or this.

  • Hog-lumps #71 4 years ago

    God you guys are a critical bunch!

    As the review points out, this would not attract a 10/10 score if it had been released at full price. But this is £6.80 - SIX POUNDS EIGHTY!! get some perspective on the matter!

  • Tetragammatron #72 4 years ago

    So you don't bother to review the game the first time round, now that it gets a re-release it's suddenly a classic? How does that work? I can't wait for vib ribbon to get 11/10.

  • tomdominer #73 4 years ago

    Eurogamer hyperbole alert!

  • jamespo #74 4 years ago

    Lot of moaning from the ps3 / wii brigade

  • defdaz #75 4 years ago

    Sorry to the peeps who told me to fuck off. :( I never thought I'd end up a troll but this place makes me one!

    Is the game scene so quiet at the moment that all EG can do is review xbl games and give them crazy high scores in order to generate some sort of interest / controversy?

    Maybe they could give these sort of budget mini-games a star rating instead of a score out of ten? I know that they're rated according to what they are but I just can't help feeling irked at games like this scoring a 10 when games like Mass Effect or Gears of War don't. I know you shouldn't compare the scores between these mini-games and full AAA releases but... ack.

  • Benno #76 4 years ago

    HOLY SHIT

  • Daymare #77 4 years ago

    The "pretentious" argument is usualy just somebody's lame attempt to drag you down to their level.

    Great review. You can't just explain your love for something (unless you're shallow) so you try to express it. And that usualy can't be done with petty words - especially if it's about an aesthetic experience.

  • Lexx87 #78 4 years ago

    People forget that it is a review of ONE MAN...my god download the demo and make your mind up.

  • Wobble #79 4 years ago

    Amazing review, I wish I could write half as well as that.

  • monkie_king #80 4 years ago

    I love the end-of-level screens, after an eipc boss battle. You have adreneline coursing through you, palms sweating, ecstatic with your triumph over the Mars Giga. The music stops, suddenly there's total calm. But as you fly through the score screens, your avatar's body is still pulsing to the now-absent beat, and the controller still throbs in your hands as your heart pounds. That's a great gaming moment.

    Does anyone know if this runs in 1080p native? I assume it will since it's graphically fairly lightweight.

  • JediMasterMalik #81 4 years ago

    Please bring this to PSN! PLEASE!

  • w00t #82 4 years ago

    Excellent review.

    Excellent game.

    And those screenshots look amazing...

  • Cheapshot #83 4 years ago

    I loved Rez on Dreamcast and the final level in particular was amazing but a ten!? Do tens really mean ANYTHING on this site anymore!? I guess a 10 is okay in the context that it's an XBLA game but still...

  • Batfink #84 4 years ago

    Hmmm. I intend to get this, and play it in an as altered state of mind as I can afford. But should I play it through un-altered first?

  • Aretak #85 4 years ago

    The game isn't pretentious in any way. Some of the twaddle being spouted by its advocates in here on the other hand...

    Anyway, not a great review, but I love Rez and the score is fitting.

  • Toothball #86 4 years ago

    @BuckoA51:
    one of the few games that can still give me goosebumps...

    I got goosebumps thinking about it when I noticed a review was up.

  • Hog-lumps #87 4 years ago

    @ defdaz

    Is the game scene so quiet at the moment that all EG can do is review xbl games and give them crazy high scores in order to generate some sort of interest / controversy?

    This isn’t some random XBL game, it’s already classic. Believe it or not, but a lot of people have been excitedly awaiting this games release. A cursory glance at the forum threads willl tell you this.

    Also the score isn't controversial; it's just different to your own opinion. Much like I don't agree with your opinion that GeOW should get a 10 which is just plain daft (in my opinion).


    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 11:00

  • ianegg #88 4 years ago

    You've spelt heligimbal wrong.

  • UncleLou #89 4 years ago

    Is the game scene so quiet at the moment that all EG can do is review xbl games and give them crazy high scores in order to generate some sort of interest / controversy?

    Maybe they could give these sort of budget mini-games a star rating instead of a score out of ten?

    ...

  • xAx #90 4 years ago

    so when can we get the vibrator

  • muscleblade #91 4 years ago

    1up also gave this a 10, and more might come. Personally im pretty sure that this is brilliant.

  • MrChigurh #92 4 years ago

    One of the most stupid reviews I've ever read, not arguing with the score as I haven't played the game, (sure it's over rated) but the reviewer needs to remove his head from his bum and stop trying to be clever as it's not working.

    Words like pregnancy have no place in a video game review you silly man,
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 11:20

  • jlaakso #93 4 years ago

    I can't wait to get home tonight to play this. It was such a revelation back in Game On some years back as I checked out the PS2 version with my non-gamer brother, and we were just blown away, having to return to the demo pod time and again. I've been listening to the soundtrack a lot over the years.

    I dearly love Panzer Dragoon Orta, but it can't hold a candle to Rez. This is a prime example of "less is more": PDO's basic mechanics are not as polished as Rez's and adding more stuff on top does not make them any better. It's a good game, but nowhere near the level of perfection Rez achieved.

    Rez asks you to participate, not just play the game.

  • rhubarbandcustard #94 4 years ago

    Have got a day off, so I have downloaded and played the demo. Played Q enternainment games before, but never Rez. To be honest I thought it was a slightly dull, kinda weird, very Japanese style videogame.

    I can sort of understand why it is a cult favourite, but having played the demo three times I've had my fill.

    If you like Jeff Minter games then you'll like this. Personally I hate Jeff Minter games.

  • Weezer #95 4 years ago

    God, it's funny how Rez makes so many people gush and spout nonsensical pseudo-artistic bullshit, like they're suddenly writing for The Guardian Sunday supplement.

    It's a very pretty shooter and it's less than a tenner; you'd be mad not to download it. But please, spare us your student-level arthouse pretentions.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 11:28

  • dolphan #96 4 years ago

    Woo, polarised opinions ftw.

    Playing through Rez at 3 o'clock in the morning at age 16 opened my eyes to just how good games can be.

  • Daymare #97 4 years ago

    @Weezer

    Why don't you spare us *your* pretentiousness?

  • jim1975 #98 4 years ago

    this game defo benifits from some herbal stimulation

  • gerald #99 4 years ago

    Nice. I have the PS2 version but will buy this again as soon as I get to my 360 tonight. Crank up the volume and enjoy!

    @Weezer
    I find the "pseudo-artistic bullshit" much more interessting to read then your boring "its only a pretty game" rant.

  • monkie_king #100 4 years ago

    Does anyone else find Rez makes more sense with look-invert disabled? I play all 1st/3rd person shooters with look invert, always have done. But for some reason, targeting in Rez feels more natural if I think of it as moving a pointer around a flat 2D plane, rathen than aiming up and down in 3D space. Odd.

  • MoGamer2006 #101 4 years ago

    @MrChigurh - "Words like pregnancy have no place in a video game review you silly man,"

    ...And commas have no place at the end of a sentence.

  • JediMasterMalik #102 4 years ago

    I want it in HD though. It'd be sad thinking about how good it could look in HD while playing the SD version.

  • penhalion #103 4 years ago

    To everyone moaning about this, because it's on XBL. Chill people. It's a sega game so is more than likely to also appear on PSN. I suspect their choice will depend on if it goes down well on live (which it should). If you only own a PS3 I'm sure the wait will not be long and most likely Rez should run in native 1080p

  • Weezer #104 4 years ago

    "Why don't you spare us *your* pretentiousness?"

    @Daymare: that would have been a clever comeback if any part of my post had been pretentious. You might wanna look it up.

    "I find the "pseudo-artistic bullshit" much more interessting to read then your boring "its only a pretty game" rant."

    @Gerald: Rant? It was hardly a rant - I said you'd be mad not to download it!

    Really, you guys need to chill out a bit.

  • monkie_king #105 4 years ago

    penhalion: is it not 1080p on 360? I haven't seen anything confirming it either way, but I'd be surprised if it wasn't. Virtua Tennis 3 is 1080p@60hz, and that's drawing a lot more than Rez does.

  • DanWhitehead #106 4 years ago

    So what political, psychological or sociological statement do you feel Rez is making if you feel it is on the same artistic level as 2001, A Clockwork Orange or The Shining? What layers of interpretation does it allow?

    I never said that Rez is an exact parallel for any of those movies in terms of psychology or narrative subtext. Clearly its not. I was merely using Kubrick as an example of a master craftsman whose best known works can be written off if you strip them down to their raw components, much as people are saying Rez is nothing special because you just fly along and shoot stuff. Reductionist arguments like that are a waste of time. Combine that with the expected cries of OH NO PRETENTIOUS every time someone expresses a thought about a game that goes beyond the traditional realms of PLAYABILITY and GRAPHICS, and you've got a subject that gets my blood hot.

    In fact, I'd argue that one of the things that makes Rez special is that it can't be accurately compared like-for-like with any movie, book, whatever. It's pure videogame, and stands as an example of what the medium can do without trying to be something else. And I say that as a huge fan of ambitious narrative in games.

  • butler` #107 4 years ago

    Whilst I completely agree with the score, the quality of the writing in the review really is piss poor. Id rarely use the word "pretentious" in the context of a critical response to video game, film etc. but seriously...

    I think someone describing it as "absurd" put it best.

  • Daymare #108 4 years ago

    @Weezer

    It's not the form of your post that's pretentious, it's the "speak on my level so I don't feel threatened/treat games like I do/only my opinion of the game is correct" implication behind it. It's pretentious to tell people how they should/shouldn't express about something. And what you call pretentiousness is what I call literacy.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 12:21

  • Hog-lumps #109 4 years ago

    @Daymare: that would have been a clever comeback if any part of my post had been pretentious. You might wanna look it up.

    Ummm, you were comparing other people’s opinions to ‘guardian supplements' or 'student level art', implying that it’s all beneath you and are simply people spouting 'nonsense'. Surely that is also a pretentious statement in itself?
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 12:25

  • monkie_king #110 4 years ago

    I did like the standard Edge trope of concluding with "{Adjective}, then."
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 12:25

  • speedjack #111 4 years ago

    Excellent review.

    A well deserved 10.

  • timpig #112 4 years ago

    This review is well weapon mate. So speaketh the Preacher Man.

    Peace & F**king!

  • charliemouse #113 4 years ago

    Large group of people in differing opinions shocker!

    I love Rez, I have the original PAL Dreamcast version and the UK and Jap PS2 with 2 trance vibrators. (They haven't been up a lady, or man for that matter).

    It's always been a 10 for me.

    I can't really justify buying a 360 just for it though...

  • timpig #114 4 years ago

    @ Rhubarbandcustard

    The Jeff Minter comparison is hugely unfair. theres no random 'hilarious', 'zany' animals in this game. no 'comedy' surrealism. at all. It's a game about computer hacking being represented through abstract VR graphics.

    If you like Neal Stephenson and William Gibson books or the movie Tron you'll like this game.

  • Weezer #115 4 years ago

    "Ummm, you were comparing other people’s opinions to ‘guardian supplements' or 'student level art', implying that it’s all beneath you and are simply people spouting 'nonsense'. Surely that is also a pretentious statement in itself?"

    As someone who writes for a living, who actually makes money from the the process of delivering coherent sentences, I certainly don't find it beneath me - I like a nicely-turned phrase as much as the next man. However I do find it amusing how Rez (and games of its ilk) suddenly turn everyone into chin-stroking art critics.

    "And what you call pretentiousness is what I call literacy."

    In that case, you can happily keep your literacy, thanks.

  • FooAtari #116 4 years ago

    Another game review, another "OMG WTF A 10 U GUYS SUCK" thread...

    IMO it's an excellent game. Personally I wouldn't give it a 10, I'd score it 9, but whats 1 mark? Call it reviewers slant.

    Arcade games don't really need reviews, anyone who is considering buying it can obviously download the demo. And every arcade game as a demo.

    /retreats to the sanity of the forums

  • MightyMouse #117 4 years ago

    The game may be good, the review and the people responding to every criticism are merely boring. Also 'pretentious' is the wrong word in my view, I'd go with 'badly written'.

  • NewYork #118 4 years ago

    Whoever's in charge: I need this on the PS3. Make it happen.

  • Vivid #119 4 years ago

    C&VG only gave it a 9.0! [link url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=18 0855
    ]http://ww w.computerandvideogames.com/art...[/link]

    Burn the heretics!

  • UncleLou #120 4 years ago

    I don't think the price should be taken into account for a score. To make an extreme example, a bad free game is still a waste of tim even if it's free. And if Portal cost a fortune, it'd still be great. It's something that should be pointed out in a review if it's cheaper or more expensive than the norm, but not have an influence on the score.

    That said, I don't know if EG do this at all, just making a general point.

  • Daymare #121 4 years ago

    @Weezer

    "However I do find it amusing how Rez (and games of its ilk) suddenly turn everyone into chin-stroking art critics."

    Why do you find it amusing? Do you find it "insulting" somebody thinks and writes about a "simple game" like Rez in a more thoughtful way, rather than the usual "gameplay's great, it's a great game, I recommend it" (go read GameSpot if that's what you're after)? Or are you the only one who can decide when it's time to consider a particular game or the whole medium as something worth turning into a "chin-stroking art critic"? And which are those "games of its ilk"?

  • Weezer #122 4 years ago

    (Sigh) you really are reading way too much into this.

    Go download Rez and have a nice day.

  • Tweakmonkey #123 4 years ago

    O_O

  • defdaz #124 4 years ago

    @ Hog-lumps (lol @ name btw, like it):

    This isn’t some random XBL game, it’s already classic. Believe it or not, but a lot of people have been excitedly awaiting this games release. A cursory glance at the forum threads willl tell you this.

    Also the score isn't controversial; it's just different to your own opinion. Much like I don't agree with your opinion that GeOW should get a 10 which is just plain daft (in my opinion).


    I think you're missing my point (almost missed it myself so not blaming you!) - giving a short xbl game a 10 can create a lot of disgruntled readers (me included) and my only real point was if they used a different rating system (stars, marks out of 5 etc.) then it'd be more clear that the rating is to do with these types of games and not an indication of how 'good' the game is compared to a AAA full price release.

    I haven't played Rez HD yet but I imagine it's quite a fun 'different' game that may warrant a good score for games of its type but the problem arises when you compare its score to games like Gears of War. Rez HD got a 10, Gears of War an 8 and you can see why people might infer that Rez HD is a 'better' game, despite it quite plainly not being so.

  • GordonCaladan #125 4 years ago

    @DanWhitehead
    "I was merely using Kubrick as an example of a master craftsman whose best known works can be written off if you strip them down to their raw components, much as people are saying Rez is nothing special because you just fly along and shoot stuff."

    I appreciate that with respect to the craftmanship of Rez, but feel using Kubrick as a point of reference is misleading and should likely be reserved for video games which actually do attempt to convey meaning through game mechanics - and there are definately games which strive to do so. I don't however think that any of Mizuguchi's games have that ambition.

    Actually, what has always impressed me most about Mizuguchi's games is that they are nothing but video games and signify nothing other than the core video game experience. Only Mizuguchi understands perfectly how to influence the player by means of audio, visual and tactile reward mechanisms. In this, I would be willing to concede, Mizuguchi has achieved the mastery of his art and is comparable to Kubrick.

  • DAN.E.B #126 4 years ago

    Bought this this morning! still a great game and now looks amazing an XBLA must!!!!!!!!

  • EmiliasHorse #127 4 years ago

    Shit I forgot this was released today.....Just paid my 800 points, phew. First game I have ever actually bought without trying first on XBLA I know what I am getting as my DC original takes a special place in my collection.

    LOVE THIS GAME

  • Eighthours #128 4 years ago

    This is absolutely wonderful. :)

  • MilkYMoO #129 4 years ago

    This is probably the best game to play while drinking since burnout 2. Cheers everyone.

  • evilboo #130 4 years ago

    I like pretentious reviews and writers who aren't afraid to treat games with a bit of reverence. Games like GOW with stupid oversized people and big dumb guns might be good fun but they were also written with 14 year old boys in mind. Most games on this web site involve playing as a cartoon style violent moron and blowing stuff up. Games and gamers need to grow up and writing about them in a way which shows some unembarrassed intelligence is a start.

    If you don't believe me look at the crappy adverts on this page.

  • TOOTR #131 4 years ago

    Really enjoyed the review.

    Wonder if everyone who 'gets' Rez also 'got' Bioshock? heh heh

    Happy to check out the trial. Never played Rez so will see what I make of it and am genuinely intrigued....


    but.still.have.too.many.current.titles.to.play - die consumer urge die

    sesh on and sesh well
    TOOTR

  • monkie_king #132 4 years ago

    defdaz: do you really think people will still talk about Gears in 5 years' time? It may be a competent genre entry right now, but it's not an important game. Rez is.

  • Skurmedel #133 4 years ago

    Seems like a nice, but overhyped game. And I thought the review was a bit arty-farty.

  • Super_Zee #134 4 years ago

    Congrats, EG. I started reading the review with trepidation but it's good to see there's someone else who loves it as much as me.

    Easiest, most deserved 10 ever. Rez is, quite simply, the best game ever made.

  • mkreku #135 4 years ago

    Yes.

  • Daymare #136 4 years ago

    To really make her understand, emerty, play "co-op" with her:)

  • Daikon #137 4 years ago

    10/10.
    Eurogamer, I applaud you.

  • Daikon #138 4 years ago

    Oh and Vib Ribbon HD would be enough for me to go out and actually buy a PS3. Like, yes!

  • JamieR #139 4 years ago

    Why is this for ps3 and 360 i know the dreamcast had a analog stick but this game just seems perfect for the wii

  • oupe #140 4 years ago

    The original version is included in the package but you can't escape the feeling that it's there less for completism's sake than for rude showboating on Q Entertainment's part.

    Actually, it looks a bit cleaner sometimes, allowing me to see better what's happening on my crappy old CRT TV

  • Nookyalar #141 4 years ago

    Space Harrier chewing acid at a science-fiction fancy dress party? Sold. 6.80? Doubly so.

  • cawley1 #142 4 years ago

    Second time I am gutted that I don't have a 360 (first was for Space Giraffe)

  • samaran #143 4 years ago

    "Utter utter bollocks. Really going off this site rapidly. :("

    fucking leave then, and let the people who actually enjoy eurogamer read it in piece. this is a great review written by someone who clearly loves the game as much as i do. rez is easily one of my favourite games of all time, and i'd give it 10/10 in a trance-vibrated heartbeat - would i be lying to you if i'd had the grand position of VIDEOGAMES REVIEWER bestowed upon me? no, of course not, i'd just be telling you the way i feel.

    i think this is what simon parkin might have been doing, but that's just a guess.

  • TheBiGW #144 4 years ago

    When I played the Dreamcast original I really didn't get Rez at all so when I read this review this morning I was amazingly skeptical of the 10/10 score.

    But that was on a small 15" tv in stereo sound.

    Now I've got my own place, with a proper 5.1 home cinema sound system and a 43" plasma TV running in High Def, playing Rez finally makes sense. I've finished the game and for the first time in a long long time I'm utterly gobsmacked by the overall experience. I completely agree with the review - if you dismantle it and look at things logically it's just panzer dragoon in wireframe. But taken as an experience it's far, far greater than the sum of its parts. It's one of the few games that has easily stood the test of time, and probably will for many many years to come. And for that it earns its 10/10 with flying colours.

    And for only 800 points. Geometry Wars used to be the biggest bargain on the marketplace, but now this has beaten it. If you've got the kit to enjoy it you won't regret it.
    Edited by 1 at 30/01/08 @ 22:28

  • Agent_Llama #145 4 years ago

    Got to the second stage today, all swirly purples etc, lovely. Very impressed with it so far, playing through the first stage a couple of times gave me a lovely warm gaming glow inside. Splendid.

  • omerga #146 4 years ago

    one shouldn't be on acid while writing reviews

  • denis09 #147 4 years ago

    Why oh why did they miss out on calling it "Hi-Rez" then :p "Rez HD" sounds a bit dull doesn't it?
    Game is awesome though, owned the japanese PS2 version from earlier, but it's a game that deserves proper hi-rez, argh..

  • gruiformes #148 4 years ago

    I haven't got a 360 but would like to play this in the future. Ever since seeing screenshots of the dreamcast version i have thought the game very aesthetically pleasing. I am a bit worried though as I really dislike trance music (psytrance included).

    Is anyone else who normally avoids trance still a fan of this game?

  • smelly #149 4 years ago

    (Downloading now)

  • Bangaioh #150 4 years ago

    Played it all night, simply brilliant.

  • Stoatboy #151 4 years ago

    @gruiformes: I love the game to bits, but it wouldn't occur to me to listen to the music anywhere else. It's just not my thing (I'm pretty much rock/metal through and through). But in-game it works really well. In fact, it probably works better simply because it's something I wouldn't normally listen to.

  • SwedBear #152 4 years ago

    I love it! I never played Rez before but I got the same happy feeling as when I played Lumines for the first time. I definitely think it helps if you have a music ear though because that's what I mostly love of the game. Just like with Lumines it's so cool to shot stuff in rytm with the music and almost be involved with the music.

    I realized I was sitting and tapping my foot to the rytm and "digging" the music while playing. But even the core gameplay isn't bad. I got to the boss in stage two yesterday and it's a beauty.

    For the price it's a definite 10 in my book.

  • BBIAJ #153 4 years ago

    Weezer As someone who writes for a living, who actually makes money from the the process of delivering coherent sentences...

    Yeah, it looks like it too...

  • Weezer #154 4 years ago

    Er... irony?

  • BBIAJ #155 4 years ago

    I don't think so.

    I think you made a mistake, and are trying to cover it up by calling it irony, and failing.

  • Nodebug #156 4 years ago

    First off, great review. Really well written and described Rez and its re-emergence to a 'T'.

    I bagged it myself last night and look forward to cranking up the 5.1 and losing myself in the beat.

  • slivir #157 4 years ago

    That review was painful to read. Reminds me of this kid I knew back in high school who would whip out the thesaurus at every opportunity. He never did get an A in English!

  • pancho #158 4 years ago

    I disagree. There aren't any particularly long or thesauraus-y words in here at all. Sure, it's a little poetic but that suits the game very well. Crucially, underneath all the clever language and sentence construction there's solid point after solid point.

    lol @ weezer and his 'irony' too.

  • mukki #159 4 years ago

    nize!!!!

    loved the original

  • DAN.E.B #160 4 years ago

    OK i finished 4th stage how the hell do i unlock stage5 ?????????

  • Eighthours #161 4 years ago

    OK i finished 4th stage how the hell do i unlock stage5 ?????????

    100% Amortization in all stages (ie. get to layer 10 before fighting the boss). On the level select menu, you'll see which one you haven't got that on yet.
    Edited by 1 at 31/01/08 @ 17:06

  • bloodflowers #162 4 years ago

    Rez is pretty and unique, but it's not a 10/10.

    Games, while about enjoyment, need to contain game play. In Rez that's wafer thin, and it's exceptionally easy too. Anyone even vaguely skilled will be finished with the game in a few hours. I haven't played it since the PS2 version, I walked through this in one straight go. Score attack remains, but the scoring system isn't nearly clever enough to sustain that as a long term thing.

  • dudefella #163 4 years ago

    Downloaded this game today, having only briefly played the DC version ages ago.

    I was afraid it wouldn't be 'for me', but I love it! It really puts you into a trance and it is utterly absorbing. I was going to quit after the second level.. but then, why not do the third one too? Oh go on, why not number 4 as well? I've come this far, might as well finish it, etc.

    Superb.

  • BTBAM #164 4 years ago

    I feel I am missing out on this like I missed out on Kid A and Amnesiac.

    I like it, but I don't 'get' the 10/10 fuss.

    Gonna try it when stoned with the lights out and the sound up, I think then it will be awesome.

  • Mayhem64 #165 4 years ago

    Rez is great, but Panzer Dragoon Orta is still better imo ;)

    (hmm guess Arbiter already said that)

  • Arwin #166 4 years ago

    Have to agree with Bloodflower on this one. I love Lumines, but that had quite deep gameplay. Here, I just don't get it yet. And it doesn't look or sound that great either. I don't even feel it beats PS1 Wipeout in that respect. Hmmz.

  • Ryze #167 4 years ago

    @monkie_king

    'Does anyone else find Rez makes more sense with look-invert disabled? I play all 1st/3rd person shooters with look invert, always have done. But for some reason, targeting in Rez feels more natural if I think of it as moving a pointer around a flat 2D plane, rathen than aiming up and down in 3D space. Odd.'

    I did he exact same thing after 30 secods of play. I think it's because you don't navigate in 3D, and the targets come to you.

    ...perhaps.

    /late

  • Ryze #168 4 years ago

    DanWhitehead

    'So what political, psychological or sociological statement do you feel Rez is making if you feel it is on the same artistic level as 2001, A Clockwork Orange or The Shining? What layers of interpretation does it allow?

    I never said that Rez is an exact parallel for any of those movies in terms of psychology or narrative subtext. Clearly its not. I was merely using Kubrick as an example of a master craftsman whose best known works can be written off if you strip them down to their raw components, much as people are saying Rez is nothing special because you just fly along and shoot stuff. Reductionist arguments like that are a waste of time. Combine that with the expected cries of OH NO PRETENTIOUS every time someone expresses a thought about a game that goes beyond the traditional realms of PLAYABILITY and GRAPHICS, and you've got a subject that gets my blood hot.

    In fact, I'd argue that one of the things that makes Rez special is that it can't be accurately compared like-for-like with any movie, book, whatever. It's pure videogame, and stands as an example of what the medium can do without trying to be something else. And I say that as a huge fan of ambitious narrative in games.'

    This is why some people hate or look down on Outrun 2006, whilst it seems to be one of the games I'll play again and again for possibly the next 5 years if not longer, unless a better version comes along.

    Virtua Tennis, Sega Rally, the Sonic games, NiGHTS and Daytona did this also. It's also why I love Mario Kart, Pacman, Burnout, GTA and Chase HQ.

    The experience, the journey, the feel or the fun are as important as the components. I play some of these games with my subconscious -- without even playing proper attention to the game sometimes. Thinking about other things and then wonder how I did so well when I suddenly refocus and crash / die.

    It's different to leveling up or tuning cars.

    Greater than the sum of its parts. But many want Gran Turismo. It's completely different.

    I can't and have never been able to get into either Halo, Gran Turismo (single player), Metal Gear Solid or Splinter Cell. I don't hate these games, and I know that they're very good - but just not for me just yet it seems.

    I also understand that some people love Golf and red wine. Not for me right now - maybe later in life. The PS3 - now there's another one...

    Some other gamers need to look at this type of conclusion and just walk on by...

    /bed