synaesthesia
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Joystiq hands-on: Rez HD
As vector-like throwing-star enemies corkscrewed towards me, I defended myself with a gun that made electronic clapping sounds. I fired the gun. Clap. I fired two quick shots. Clap Clap. My applause aligned with the electronic beats spilling from the speakers. It was Korg-like synth-aesthesia, and almost immediately, I cared more about clapping in-time to the music than shooting back. Rez HD surrounded me in a coordinated, sensory bombardment. The controller in my hand shook and bobbed with the beats while controllers under my feet and on my back vibrated a counter-tempo pattern. 5.1 surround-sound flew from all directions, and the neon-sharp HD game-world pulled me into its reality. In my brief time with Rez HD, I decided that it wasn't a game as much as an experience. There's a game inside somewhere, but the title feels like a journey, rewarding meandering through levels instead of racing to the end. And even though it's a linear shooter, Rez HD hides a lot of exploration; I look forward to moving slowly through the game after its January 30 release. %Gallery-12973%
Next-gen Rez sequel in the cards? [update 2]
In an interview with Eurogamer, Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Meteos, Lumines, Space Channel 5) spoke briefly on the possibilities of a sequel to Rez, the trippy Dreamcast game that attemped a form of synaesthesia with its design. In discussing next-generation possibilities, Mizuguchi noted that he was looking to make "a Rez kind of experience." When further pressed on the matter, Mizuguchi asserted that, if SEGA were to approach him to make a Rez sequel, he is "currently seriously considering it. It's always there. I'm always thinking about it."If the sequel were to be made, on what console? Let's examine the possibilities:
