Welcome to Old Games That Don’t Suck Thursday. Each week I’ll write about a game that somehow influenced by life as a game developer and which I can totally recommend to you because the game is flippin’ sweet. It also has to be old or at least forgotten about until recently.

Rez is probably my favourite rhythm game of all time, competing with Elite Beat Agents, of course!

I didn’t get to experience Rez until it came out again for Xbox360, as RezHD.  I was a PS2-less child for quite a few years until the PS3 was coming out.  Even then I couldn’t find a copy of Rez anywhere.    If you know me I love abstract or artful games that are actually fun to play.

Rez is a rhythm game that relies on player interaction to drive the main riffs and beats.  While the background music will supply ample beats of its own the main melody is reliant on the player.  The player targets ships and then destroys them by releasing a wave of energy.  As enemies get blown up the notes and beats supplement a beautiful addition to the soundtrack.  The game is incredibly simple to play, and requires (for the most part) just a single button and analog stick.

Like Geometry Wars the game gets rather busy.  The graphics become overwhelming and sometimes it gets hard to figure out what’s on stage to kill you or not.  After several run-throughs I got the hang of it and started to pick up on waves and patterns.

The bosses are tough but amazing for PS2-era boss battles.  The multi-tiered boss fights are brilliant as they are difficult.

In the end what I can take from this game is a great appreciation for experimental gameplay.  I for one could not imagine anyone trying to pitch this concept to a boardroom full of execs and getting them to agree on such a project.  It’s a phenomenal example of innovation meeting simple ideas and driving a near-perfect gameplay experience.  Go play (or even just watch) Rez, it’s quite an experience.