REZ 2001
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» [PlayStation 2] Even after 24 years, Rez’s final stage is still a terrific assault on the senses.
While it’s been supplanted by a superb VR release, the original
Rez
is still a mesmerising PS2 title that carefully merges techno tunes with intense on-rails action. Debuting at the same time as the Dreamcast version, the PS2 game loses out by having sof ter-looking visuals, but greatly benefits from a more stable framerate. It’s certainly not the trickiest game to complete and it’s mechanically very simple (just move your reticle over an enemy and hold it down to create a combo of up to eight hits) but it’s the fusion of sounds, vision and vibration (more so if you impor ted the Tranz Vibrator) that makes Rez feel so special. While each stage is cleverly constructed, becoming more graphically and musically expressive as you unlock new layers, it’s Stage Five’s breathtaking spin on the evolution of life that truly impresses and it remains just as mindblowing to witness today as it did on release.