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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Rez HD
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 41 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 35 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Q Entertainment
Genre(s): Shooter
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Release Date: January 30, 2008
Summary
[Xbox Live Arcade] Set in a cyberworld, the legendary fast-paced action-shooter Rez HD, created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, provides the ultimate audiovisual experience as the player targets the enemies and hacks the system while creating their own beats. Rez opens your senses ... let's go to synaesthesia was the watchword when Rez released in 2001 to become a fan favorite. The dynamic, total integration of visual presentation, sound and player input provides the ultimate audiovisual experience. Old-school vector style graphics, sensory response, and beat synchronization sets the title apart and is recreated in this port for Xbox LIVE Arcade in high-definition and 5.1 surround sound. Rez consists of five different levels, each with its own unique visual theme and style, musical track and a boss battle at the end. The game also features several different modes and lots of unlockable elements, giving it plenty of replay value. Play through the five areas in regular or Score Attack mode. Go to the Beyond mode and try Direct Assault, Lost Mode, the free play Trance Mission, or take on all the bosses consecutively in Boss Rush. Feel the rhythm: To further enhance the Rez experience, artists including Coldcut, Adam Freeland, Joujouka, Ken Ishii and Keiichi Sugiyama (SEGA's Wave Master) contributed tracks to the game. [Q Entertainment]
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central
Also On The Web: Official Website
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
1UP
In HD, true synaesthesia has been achieved. Rez HD is one of the best games ever made, it costs around $10, and you don't even need to leave the house to get it. In over a decade of critiquing games I've never felt the need to say these words in a review until now: Just buy it.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
Joy has rarely come so reasonably priced and, whatever the price, videogames, rarely come so joyful. Indispensable, then.
Read Full Review >GamerNode
The brilliance of Rez isn't in some singular quality like graphics, but in the way everything comes together to create an audio and visual interactive experience that is uniquely its own.
Read Full Review >Hardcore Gamer Magazine
Go ahead and spend the points on this, regardless of if you have an older version, or even if you somehow haven't heard of Rez. [Spring 2008, p.60]
Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
Rez was good on a 32-inch CRT; in the world of 48-inch plasma screens, it's spectacular. [Mar 2008, p.92]
Totally360
That rare beast, an Xbox Live Arcade title that offers fantastic value for money. An instant cult classic that reeks of coolness and belongs firmly on your 360’s hard drive.
Read Full Review >Gamestyle
For Xbox Live users Rez HD is the chance to relive a classic, experience something as fresh today, as it was six years ago.
Read Full Review >GamePro
Rez strikes a very distinctive look by way of combining a virtual reality viewpoint with themes relating to ancient mythology - and if that sounds as intriguing to you as it did to me you'll undoubtedly have a blast.
Read Full Review >AtomicGamer
Rez HD is a perfect fit for the 360 and its affordable 800 point ($10) price tag makes this one a must have.
Read Full Review >Jolt Online Gaming UK
Its music and visuals might not be to everybody’s taste, but it’s hypnotic, synaesthethic and addictive – even more essential today than ever. Melting your eyes, ears, hands and friends has never been so beautiful, or cheap.
Read Full Review >Pelit (Finland)
At this price the cult classic is a must buy. The game hasn't aged at all and the sharp high definition graphics and 5.1 sound really add to the experience. [Mar 2008]
Console Monster
Awesome soundtrack will see your foot tapping throughout the game.
Read Full Review >Games Master UK
A fabulous legal high. [Apr 2008, p.85]
NZGamer
When all the elements work in tandem, this game is extremely immersive - particularly if you have a 5.1 system (or at least a subwoofer) and an HD TV.
Read Full Review >AceGamez
Whether you played Rez back in 2001 or missed out on it, you should snap up Rez HD. The same creative gameplay, visuals and music are still there, along with some welcome additions that are sure to satisfy those who have played the game before.
Read Full Review >X360 Magazine UK
The simple creativity it showed in blending the player's virtual action into the fabric of each level's trance soundtrack was a breath of fresh air in a world where 'rhythm action' mean "PaRappa" or "Dancing Stage." [Issue#30, p.120]
Computer and Video Games
Turn the speakers up for a shortlived but standout shooter full of genuinely awesome gaming moments. Unplug the sub and the magic's lost to the silence.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine UK
If you missed the cult the first time round, now is the time to jump on board. If you are already part of the cult, we know you'll be playing this right now.
Read Full Review >VideoGamer
Even the most modern, pretentious, sensationalist piece of art can't hope to rival Rez's bold blend of craftsmanship, fun, interaction and sensory tantalisation. While art hangs on the walls in plain white rooms, Rez is out in the playground and at the front of the rave, and you're obliged to join it.
Read Full Review >GameDaily
Its length is shorter than we prefer (there are only five stages), but the unlockable bonuses, including the Boss Rush mode, Score Attack stages and additional scenarios justify the meager 800-point price tag. This could very well be 2008's downloadable game to beat.
Read Full Review >Gamer.nl
As fans know, you can’t judge Rez just upon its gameplay premises. That would be the same as reducing the Nightwatch by Rembrandt to the type of paint and the material of the canvas. Instead, the game formula is onlya means to convey something that is more than a typical game experience.
Read Full Review >Thunderbolt
One of the most incoherent, bat-sh.t mental videogames ever created has just got itself some clarity – magical.
Read Full Review >Games Radar (in-house)
This is one of those rare titles that add strength to the argument of games as art. Get it.
Read Full Review >netjak
Download the demo, see for yourself. Once you get a taste of synaesthesia, you're hooked.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
The premise and presentation may be a bit too "out there" for some, but those who aren't afraid to try something new will likely be pleasantly surprised.
Read Full Review >Xbox World Australia
If you're an avid rail-shooter enthusiast, I do recommend you play Rez if you haven't already, because it will draw you in, only letting go when it's ready.
Read Full Review >Team Xbox
Rez HD is a real blast, but more so for those who aren’t familiar with the original game.
Read Full Review >IGN
There's simply nothing else like it on Xbox 360 or Xbox Live Arcade. The improved visuals are indeed pretty and though the new additions may be minimal, the game was pretty darn good without them.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
Rez HD is the most aesthetically pleasing and pocket-book-friendly version of this cult classic.
Read Full Review >PTGamers
Above all, more than a game, Rez HD is a sensorial experience through an electronic world.
Read Full Review >PALGN
Rez on the XBLA is a one-of-a-kind experience, and while it doesn't have a remarkably wide appeal, those who 'get it' will be much better off for playing it.
Read Full Review >Game Over Online
If you give it a chance you just might find yourself locked in the trance that so many have come to enjoy.
Read Full Review >Gamervision
At 800 Microsoft Points, Rez is an absolute steal, and this HD remix is best way to experience one of the industry’s most unique games.
Read Full Review >MS Xbox World
Rez is a game with tons of character due to its initially innovative sound track, and although this idea has been used elsewhere, Rez still has its own charm and uniqueness that makes Rez HD a must buy for those on the hunt for something new.
Read Full Review >Official Xbox Magazine
Rez HD hits a rhythm that feels absolutely right for those willing to try something perpetually new, no matter what year it actually debuted. [Feb 2008, p.74]
Read Full Review >Gaming Age
Actually, if trance/techno really bothers you, you won't like Rez HD. You just won't. In fact, it may even come across as annoying. If that's the case, you probably won't be able to play it enough to get into it, which means the whole experience will fall apart before you even get the chance to enjoy it. A real shame too, because for the rest of us, Rez HD is frickin' awesome.
Read Full Review >GameTap
The downside to Rez is that while designed to be played repeatedly to get different aural sensations, the levels play out exactly the same way--with enemies appearing in the same sequence--so truly getting a new experience each time isn't exactly accurate. That doesn't mean it isn't fun or unique, but replay value isn't as deep as it might initially seem.
Read Full Review >Gameplanet
For a game with only four levels, there is a surprising amount of gameplay.
Read Full Review >Destructoid
Perhaps it's the fact that, between the first Rez and this new version, I'd immersed myself in games like "Synaesthete" -- games which successfully couple music and gameplay to the point where the player experiences the game exactly as he or she would a music video. Compared to these titles, Rez HD, even with its updated graphics and improved trance vibration, now feels rather antiquated.
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 35 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Andyman gave it a9:
An incredible bargain at $10. They even had the foresight to allow you to use up to four (!) controllers as Trance Vibrators similar to the Japanese special edition PS2 release.
Jarrod gave it an8:
Loved this on PS2, now its in hd, and looks even better. Like 'Every Extended Extra Extreme' its somewhat debatable how much of a 'game' is here. Its an on rails shooter, but a much different experience - very much the 'trance/rave' experience in an audiovisual package, that you can enjoy on your couch and not do anything illegal. Those looking for a regular shooter look elsewhere, those looking for an experience, this is a very unique one. A classic that has finally come to the 360!
Richard H. gave it a10:
The best experience on XBLA thus far for me, The HD treatment on this remake really makes the Rez experience realized.
Star H. gave it a10:
Turn up the sound, dim the lights and immerse yourself in a gaming experience you won't forget.
Blake H. gave it a10:
I absolutely love this game. I have owned every version of REZ, and this is by far the best. The core gameplay is still there and untouched, but the added features are great. I love the ability to download replays of the high scores on the leaderboards and watch them, and the new Trance Vibration with up to 4 Xbox 360 controllers is realy, really cool.
Frank B. gave it a10:
Rez has and aways will be an underappreicated gem. With a soundtrack that withstands the test of time, updated visuals, and 5.1 surround, this game once again places itself in my "MUST PLAY NOW" list.
