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(Redirected from REZ)
'''Rez''', developed under the codename '''K-Project''', is a video game released by Sega in Japan in 2001 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. The Dreamcast version was also released in Europe by BigBen Interactive in 2002. It was later released in greater numbers and only for the PlayStation 2 in the United States. The game was developed by Sega's United Game Artists division, which contained several former members of the disbanded Team Andromeda, the Sega development team behind the ''Panzer Dragoon'' series. It was conceptualized and produced by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, well-known for recent games such as ''Lumines'', ''Lumines Live!'' and ''Meteos''. Although Rez was critically acclaimed, it did not get much commercial attention in the United States, partly due to its esoteric gameplay experience. The game received an award from The Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Art Festival in Japan.
According to the manual, the game is set in a vast computer network where a female AI program named Eden begins to doubt her very existence and purpose, dropping into a state of unconsciousness and must be found and awakened by the player by navigating through a series of levels. However, this plot only really appears in the manual, rather than being an important part of the game itself, and "Rez", like other rhythm action titles, cannot be appreciated in terms of narrative. The K-Project name and much of the game's visual and synesthesia inspiration comes from the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, whereas the ''Rez'' name was inspired by the Underworld track of the same name.[1]
Marketing information for the game at the time of its release focused on its qualities of "synesthesia," the association of different senses and stimuli with each other, which is a sensation experienced naturally by some people, and reported by many users of LSD and other hallucinogens. In ''Rez'', one's character soars over psychedelic, abstract, futuristic vistas to the hypnotic beats of electronic music. The game is tightly integrated with sight and sound; a thumping vibration in the Dual Shock 2 controller or Dreamcast rumble pack keeps time with the music, and literally every onscreen action, from missile locking, firing, and exploding to the pulsing of the landscape and the player's avatar themselves, synchronizes with the beat. As the player progresses further into a level, the music becomes more layered and intense, as do the visuals.
Although the original Dreamcast version now reaches inflated prices on eBay, the differences between it and the PlayStation 2 version are slight. It is thought that the Dreamcast version offers cleaner visuals free from the "jaggies" that are present in the PlayStation 2 version, as well as the ability to play the game via a VGA monitor via the optional Dreamcast VGA box. ''Rez'' on the PS2 benefits from a frame rate increase (~30 to ~60), although it has times of slowdown. The core game experience remains the same, and the tangible difference is minimal.
As with any video game, and in fact television or video in general involving flashing images, ''Rez'' may adversely affect anyone susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy, as it contains many flashing lights and images, and could trigger a seizure. This warning is explicitly stated in the instruction manuals and boxes for all video games.
In the future, the computers of the world have formed a supernetwork, which is becoming infected by hacker viruses and is on the verge of a meltdown. To control the problem, a supercomputer named K-Project was created, controlled by the AI Eden. Eden, the most advanced AI ever, could process the network information nearly simultaneously, and use the information to process independent thoughts as well, evolving her and expanding her knowledge and some even say, her consciousness. Soon, she became confused by the vast and growing amounts of data and began to question her existence and debate the effects of her decisions. All too aware of the paradoxes that exist in the human world and by her autonomous nature, she began to shut herself down as a suicide, flooding the network with the problems that existed before, only this time, the problem was worse than before.
The player plays the protagonist hacker, logging into the K-project system with one mission, reboot Eden while destroying any viruses or firewalls that happen to inhibit progress. The K-project system is divided into 5 areas, with the fifth being the core, where Eden resides. The other 4 areas must be cleared and analyzed before access can be gained to the core to reboot Eden, and ultimately, save the network from catastrophic meltdown.
''Rez'' is an on-rails shooter similar to Panzer Dragoon, with the player portrayed as an onscreen avatar travelling along a predetermined path through the levels. The controls are very simple, with the analog/directional pads controlling an on-screen targeting reticle. The player can either tap the shoot button to fire, or hold the button while moving the cursor over enemies to "lock-on". A maximum of 8 enemies or missiles can be locked onto, and many enemies require multiple hits to destroy, usually requiring one, two, four or eight shots to take down. The player cannot affect his movement at all, aside from choosing a few minor branching paths by shooting specific targets in one level.
In ''Rez'', the number of player lives is expressed through player forms; players can gain increments to their evolution bar, and every 8 increments results in the player upgrading to a higher form, while getting hit by an enemy downgrades the player to a lower form. The various forms have wildly different graphical and audio effects. With each upgrade, the player shoots faster. Getting hit at the lowest form ends the game.
There are three types of power-ups in ''Rez''. The first is an overdrive, which, when triggered, releases a drone which fires continuously at all enemies on screen for a short period of time. The second is a health/evolution power-up, which adds 1 or 3 increments to the evolution bar. The third is a score bonus, which only appears in Beyond or Score Attack modes.
The game features five main levels (Areas or Subsections), each of which has a unique musical track and visual style. The first four main levels have similar structures, each with 10 completion sub-points (Layer Levels) and a boss (firewall) at the end, and must be completed to unlock the fifth. Before engaging the boss at the end of each level, a console opens, displaying a series of incomprehensible lines of code; however, the player can easily note the name and subtype of the boss. The bosses for levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 are Earth, Mars, Venus and Uranus, respectively. Also, the player can note a subtype of MEGA, GIGA or TERA. This subtype reflects a player's shot-down percentage (for example, a Tera subtype requires above a 98% shot-down) and affects the difficulty of the boss, Mega being the easiest, and Tera being the hardest. This sliding scale of difficulty was employed by Sega to keep Rez enjoyable for those who played the game with a light hearted mindset, and to keep the game difficult for those who were more adept at the game.
Level five, unique and separate from the first four, has many sub-points, mini-bosses, and adds a narrative story line. Upon completion of the levels in the main mode, additional "Score Attack" and "Beyond" modes are unlocked. Beyond Mode is similar to ''Panzer Dragoon''' s "Pandora's Box"; a special stage select of sorts. Other unlockable features include the ability to play levels with different graphical themes, different beam types, and different character levels. Beyond Mode also contains two sub-stages, the Lost Area (a new stage unlocked by beating level 5 in main mode) and TranceMission (unlocked by getting more than 150,000 points in Lost Area). TranceMission is a repeating series of patterns with psychedelic visuals and sound. Additional graphical game themes are unlocked by beating Direct Assault in Beyond with the themes on. Once the player beats the game with all of the new themes, Immortality mode is unlocked. Score Attack is self-explanatory, and must be played up to 30 times to unlock different beam types. Also, the player unlocks different views by getting 1st in each stage. Boss rush mode is unlocked by getting 95% shootdown in main levels 1-5. Placing first in Boss Mode unlocks infinite overdrives. All special options, such as infinite overdrive and immortality can only be used in the Beyond modes, and are unavailable to the main game.
A "Special Package" version of the PlayStation 2 release of the game was sold in Japan only, including a USB device called a 'Trance Vibrator', which pulses in time with the music. While not explicitly marketed as a sex toy or masturbatory aid, it has reportedly been used as such.[2] [3] The devices are available from various aftermarket retailers for (as of 2006) approximately $35 USD. The trance vibrator is also compatible with '' and the Japanese version of ''Disaster Report''.
There are two models of the Trance Vibrator: The Sega one, which they included in the Special Package release, and a third-party one made by ASCII. Both are compatible with the Japanese version of the game, though international compatibility may vary. The ASCII-branded one is also known to be compatible with the USA version.
Reverse-engineering efforts to allow the Trance Vibrator to attach to and be controlled by a PC have been successfully executed in Japan, resulting in a device driver for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows 2000. Unstable drivers are also available for Unix -based operating systems.
A soundtrack was released with the following track list:
★ 1 Keiichi Sugiyama - Buggie Running Beeps 01 (5:20)
★ 2 Mist - Protocol Rain (7:08)
★ 3 Ken Ishii - Creation The State Of Art (Full Option) (6:33)
★ 4 Joujouka - Rock Is Sponge (7:31)
★ 5 Adam Freeland - Fear (Rez Edit) (5:06)
★ 6 Coldcut & Tim Bran - Boss Attacks (Remix) (7:15)
★ 7 EBZ - F6 G5 (7:48)
★ 8 Oval - Octaeder 0.1. (3:22)
★ 9 Ken Ishii - Creative State (6:20)
★ 10 Oval - P-Project (5:38)
According to Electronic Gaming Monthly's October 2006 issue RUMOR SECTION, Tetsuya Mizuguchi is working on another Rez, to come out for either the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii. He had previously expressed interest in doing another Rez game. However the game's rights belong to Sonic Team due to the 2004 merger.
1. The Next Gen Console War Has Begun
2. Better Than a Joystick
3. Sex in Games: Rez+Vibrator
★ Official ''Rez'' website
★
★
★ Hardcore Gaming 101 ''Rez'' page
★ Software for controlling Trance Vibrator, with instructions
★ Area 5 game footage on Google Video (100% Shot Down, Support Item and Analyzation)
★ Gamasutra article with Jake Kazdal, the only American to work directly on the game, with various behind the scenes insight
★ Game Girl Advance article on using the trance vibrator for sexual stimulation
★ ''Rez'' The Ultimate Audiovisual Experience - ''by BrunoF''
★ ''Rez'' shrine
''Rez'' Ingame Screenshot
'''Rez''', developed under the codename '''K-Project''', is a video game released by Sega in Japan in 2001 for the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. The Dreamcast version was also released in Europe by BigBen Interactive in 2002. It was later released in greater numbers and only for the PlayStation 2 in the United States. The game was developed by Sega's United Game Artists division, which contained several former members of the disbanded Team Andromeda, the Sega development team behind the ''Panzer Dragoon'' series. It was conceptualized and produced by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, well-known for recent games such as ''Lumines'', ''Lumines Live!'' and ''Meteos''. Although Rez was critically acclaimed, it did not get much commercial attention in the United States, partly due to its esoteric gameplay experience. The game received an award from The Agency for Cultural Affairs Media Art Festival in Japan.
According to the manual, the game is set in a vast computer network where a female AI program named Eden begins to doubt her very existence and purpose, dropping into a state of unconsciousness and must be found and awakened by the player by navigating through a series of levels. However, this plot only really appears in the manual, rather than being an important part of the game itself, and "Rez", like other rhythm action titles, cannot be appreciated in terms of narrative. The K-Project name and much of the game's visual and synesthesia inspiration comes from the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, whereas the ''Rez'' name was inspired by the Underworld track of the same name.[1]
Marketing information for the game at the time of its release focused on its qualities of "synesthesia," the association of different senses and stimuli with each other, which is a sensation experienced naturally by some people, and reported by many users of LSD and other hallucinogens. In ''Rez'', one's character soars over psychedelic, abstract, futuristic vistas to the hypnotic beats of electronic music. The game is tightly integrated with sight and sound; a thumping vibration in the Dual Shock 2 controller or Dreamcast rumble pack keeps time with the music, and literally every onscreen action, from missile locking, firing, and exploding to the pulsing of the landscape and the player's avatar themselves, synchronizes with the beat. As the player progresses further into a level, the music becomes more layered and intense, as do the visuals.
Although the original Dreamcast version now reaches inflated prices on eBay, the differences between it and the PlayStation 2 version are slight. It is thought that the Dreamcast version offers cleaner visuals free from the "jaggies" that are present in the PlayStation 2 version, as well as the ability to play the game via a VGA monitor via the optional Dreamcast VGA box. ''Rez'' on the PS2 benefits from a frame rate increase (~30 to ~60), although it has times of slowdown. The core game experience remains the same, and the tangible difference is minimal.
As with any video game, and in fact television or video in general involving flashing images, ''Rez'' may adversely affect anyone susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy, as it contains many flashing lights and images, and could trigger a seizure. This warning is explicitly stated in the instruction manuals and boxes for all video games.
| Contents |
| Storyline |
| Gameplay |
| Trance Vibrator |
| Music |
| Sequel |
| References |
| External links |
Storyline
In the future, the computers of the world have formed a supernetwork, which is becoming infected by hacker viruses and is on the verge of a meltdown. To control the problem, a supercomputer named K-Project was created, controlled by the AI Eden. Eden, the most advanced AI ever, could process the network information nearly simultaneously, and use the information to process independent thoughts as well, evolving her and expanding her knowledge and some even say, her consciousness. Soon, she became confused by the vast and growing amounts of data and began to question her existence and debate the effects of her decisions. All too aware of the paradoxes that exist in the human world and by her autonomous nature, she began to shut herself down as a suicide, flooding the network with the problems that existed before, only this time, the problem was worse than before.
The player plays the protagonist hacker, logging into the K-project system with one mission, reboot Eden while destroying any viruses or firewalls that happen to inhibit progress. The K-project system is divided into 5 areas, with the fifth being the core, where Eden resides. The other 4 areas must be cleared and analyzed before access can be gained to the core to reboot Eden, and ultimately, save the network from catastrophic meltdown.
Gameplay
''Rez'' is an on-rails shooter similar to Panzer Dragoon, with the player portrayed as an onscreen avatar travelling along a predetermined path through the levels. The controls are very simple, with the analog/directional pads controlling an on-screen targeting reticle. The player can either tap the shoot button to fire, or hold the button while moving the cursor over enemies to "lock-on". A maximum of 8 enemies or missiles can be locked onto, and many enemies require multiple hits to destroy, usually requiring one, two, four or eight shots to take down. The player cannot affect his movement at all, aside from choosing a few minor branching paths by shooting specific targets in one level.
In ''Rez'', the number of player lives is expressed through player forms; players can gain increments to their evolution bar, and every 8 increments results in the player upgrading to a higher form, while getting hit by an enemy downgrades the player to a lower form. The various forms have wildly different graphical and audio effects. With each upgrade, the player shoots faster. Getting hit at the lowest form ends the game.
There are three types of power-ups in ''Rez''. The first is an overdrive, which, when triggered, releases a drone which fires continuously at all enemies on screen for a short period of time. The second is a health/evolution power-up, which adds 1 or 3 increments to the evolution bar. The third is a score bonus, which only appears in Beyond or Score Attack modes.
The game features five main levels (Areas or Subsections), each of which has a unique musical track and visual style. The first four main levels have similar structures, each with 10 completion sub-points (Layer Levels) and a boss (firewall) at the end, and must be completed to unlock the fifth. Before engaging the boss at the end of each level, a console opens, displaying a series of incomprehensible lines of code; however, the player can easily note the name and subtype of the boss. The bosses for levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 are Earth, Mars, Venus and Uranus, respectively. Also, the player can note a subtype of MEGA, GIGA or TERA. This subtype reflects a player's shot-down percentage (for example, a Tera subtype requires above a 98% shot-down) and affects the difficulty of the boss, Mega being the easiest, and Tera being the hardest. This sliding scale of difficulty was employed by Sega to keep Rez enjoyable for those who played the game with a light hearted mindset, and to keep the game difficult for those who were more adept at the game.
Level five, unique and separate from the first four, has many sub-points, mini-bosses, and adds a narrative story line. Upon completion of the levels in the main mode, additional "Score Attack" and "Beyond" modes are unlocked. Beyond Mode is similar to ''Panzer Dragoon''
Trance Vibrator
A "Special Package" version of the PlayStation 2 release of the game was sold in Japan only, including a USB device called a 'Trance Vibrator', which pulses in time with the music. While not explicitly marketed as a sex toy or masturbatory aid, it has reportedly been used as such.[2] [3] The devices are available from various aftermarket retailers for (as of 2006) approximately $35 USD. The trance vibrator is also compatible with '' and the Japanese version of ''Disaster Report''.
There are two models of the Trance Vibrator: The Sega one, which they included in the Special Package release, and a third-party one made by ASCII. Both are compatible with the Japanese version of the game, though international compatibility may vary. The ASCII-branded one is also known to be compatible with the USA version.
Reverse-engineering efforts to allow the Trance Vibrator to attach to and be controlled by a PC have been successfully executed in Japan, resulting in a device driver for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows 2000. Unstable drivers are also available for Unix -based operating systems.
Music
A soundtrack was released with the following track list:
★ 1 Keiichi Sugiyama - Buggie Running Beeps 01 (5:20)
★ 2 Mist - Protocol Rain (7:08)
★ 3 Ken Ishii - Creation The State Of Art (Full Option) (6:33)
★ 4 Joujouka - Rock Is Sponge (7:31)
★ 5 Adam Freeland - Fear (Rez Edit) (5:06)
★ 6 Coldcut & Tim Bran - Boss Attacks (Remix) (7:15)
★ 7 EBZ - F6 G5 (7:48)
★ 8 Oval - Octaeder 0.1. (3:22)
★ 9 Ken Ishii - Creative State (6:20)
★ 10 Oval - P-Project (5:38)
Sequel
According to Electronic Gaming Monthly's October 2006 issue RUMOR SECTION, Tetsuya Mizuguchi is working on another Rez, to come out for either the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or Wii. He had previously expressed interest in doing another Rez game. However the game's rights belong to Sonic Team due to the 2004 merger.
References
1. The Next Gen Console War Has Begun
2. Better Than a Joystick
3. Sex in Games: Rez+Vibrator
External links
★ Official ''Rez'' website
★
★
★ Hardcore Gaming 101 ''Rez'' page
★ Software for controlling Trance Vibrator, with instructions
★ Area 5 game footage on Google Video (100% Shot Down, Support Item and Analyzation)
★ Gamasutra article with Jake Kazdal, the only American to work directly on the game, with various behind the scenes insight
★ Game Girl Advance article on using the trance vibrator for sexual stimulation
★ ''Rez'' The Ultimate Audiovisual Experience - ''by BrunoF''
★ ''Rez'' shrine
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psst.. try this: add to faves
