Rez Not Bad, Not Bad At all
 Mar 8th, 2002
Advantages:
Interesting concepts in the art and music .
Disadvantages:
Like most concept games, a bit shallow . Shooter on a "rail" .
Recommendable:
Yes
Detailed rating:
Gameplay/Playability
Graphics
Sound
Longevity
Value for Money
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  alkaiser
About me:
I write for Epinions.com. My user name is alkaiser.
Member since:23.12.2001
Reviews:6
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Review rated by 23 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
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Concept games usually don't go very far in pleasing me. In general, my experience with games that are supposed to be cool because they look a different way, or have these big new ideas all playing the same...badly. They usually end up feeling like mini-games to me rather than being games. Unfortunately, unlike Incredible Crisis, they don't come with a mini game's price tag.
That being said, Rez manages to avoid some the pitfalls of concept games, but also smacks most of them on. The first thing that'll ring of the concept game syndrome in the price tag. $49.99 for a game like this is unacceptable. I don't care how much Sega's hurting for cash, you can't possibly imagine that this game is going to have the same value as say, Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy X, or even Tekken Tag Tournament.
Fortunately or unfortunately, this game isn't really being sold in stores, as a very limited supply came over. You can probably find most copies of the game on Ebay somewhere, which should allow you to get the game at a more consumer friendly
price. The other thing you'll notice right off are the jarring, yet graphically unintensive visuals. Now, a game doesn't need good graphics to be good, and Rez really isn't hurt by the insistence on using low color visuals, but like I said, if you're asking for $50, and the games going to be short, looking good helps.
Still interested? Well, here's the lowdown on the gameplay. The game's a hybrid of shooters. If you ever played the fairly obscure Square shooter Internal Section, this game seems to borrow a healthy bit from that. Also, the "lock-on" mechanics from the Raystorm/Raycrisis series are taken, and there's a fair bit of Tron thrown in as well.
For those of you who didn't see Internal Section, the game is very similar to Rez. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that the iS team went to work on Rez after the game failed to sell all that well in Japan. In iS, you're a trying to get into a network. You're in a tube akin to the old arcade classics, Tempest and S.T.U.N. Runner. iS had some really cool ambient music, and actually if you popped the CD out, and put in your own music CD, it would generate the background colors and music based off of your own CD.
Rez also has you trying to hack into a network. You're not in a tube, but you're basically on a rail. You can rotate 360 degrees, but you can't really dodge. All offense, no defense. That doesn't win championships. Music plays a big part in Rez, as well. Every time you click the "lock" button, you'll get audio feedback, a beat or a thump. Every time you lock on to an enemy, a different sound emerges, and every time you actually shoot an enemy down it creates a different sound. It's kind of interesting that you're actually creating the background music with your gameplay.
After you "hack" through 10 layers of an aera, you'll meet the area boss, and after dipatching that part of the network node, you'll move on to another. You're scored in 3 different categories, "Analysis", which basically means that you shot down all the little cubes to go on to the next section. "Shot Down", the number of enemies you shoot down, and "Support Items" the percentage of support items you picked up.
There are two different support items, "Overdrive" which is basically a smart . Shoots everything on the screen, and your is disabled while this is taking place. The other powerups are little blue orbs that increase your level. Your avatar starts as a little wirframe man, and you'll gain flesh/consciousness as you pick up more of the orbs. Get hit, and you start to degrade, until you become a little wireframe ball.
The game's relatively simple. After all, a shooter where you can't dodge, cannot expect you to live through too much. In fact, I beat the game in an hour. Sat down to play the "Direct Assault" mode at 1:10am and I finished it at 2:13am. All 5 areas back to back. And that's pretty much the entire game right there. You can unlock new "areas" of the direct assault, but they're really just the same areas with the same enemies with different color schemes. This is where the disappoitment and realization that renting and/or Ebay was a much wiser idea kicks you in the teeth.
To be fair, there are some fairly creative ideas invovled in Rez. Some of the bosses are really neat. I like Level 3 (the MCP) and Level 4 the best. Level 5's got the best music, which is kind of a shame because you have to unlock Area 5 at the beginning of the game. Rez is the definition of a rental/Ebay game. It's not a bad game, per se, but there is NO WAY I can see anyone deciding to pay $50 for this game after knowing how short and shallow it is. I'd recommend playing it, just not buying it.
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05.11.2003 14:56
I cant say I agree with this opinion although its a point of view. I think Rez defines the way games used to be made, and many these days are way too involving for those who dont have time to sit and play a drawn out story led game. I have had this game for about a year, after paying the full retail price, and it is the only game that I keep going back to. Too many games coming out at the moment are the same old 3d style games, such as jak and daxter, scorpion king, tomb raider, etc. This has brought back soem of what is missing from todays gaming, and failing to see that is leaving the gaming market in danger of crumbling into itself.
30.07.2002 16:28
Not played it, but always wanted to since I got my PS2 (although, like you say, there's no way I'm buying it until it's either a lot cheaper or out on Platinum). Sounds very very wacky.
08.03.2002 15:29
It's not a bad game I would have knocked off an extra star though...lol...you must be kinder than me...lol DEANO!