K-Project is a go!

Rez HD has finally been released on Xbox Live Marketplace and is available for download priced at a meager 800 points.
Rez was originally released for the Dreamcast in Japan back in 2001 and then later released on the Playstation 2 and Dreamcast in Europe, created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi (who went on to create modern rhythm game classic Lumines) the game is an on-rails rhythm action shooter.

Back when it was released my gaming tastes were quite simple, fighting games, role-playing games and traditional action games, so an artistic on-rails rhythm shooter didn't even show up on my radar, I was too busy trying to chain shoryukens.
From what I heard though the game didn't do to well, mainly because it was so far ahead of its time that it just didn't click with people, sure it has a cult following and is one of the most loved games in video game history but it wasn't a mainstream success (maybe that's where some of the appeal is).

Over 5 years later, lucky for me and probably a considerable amount of other gamers Mizuguchi and Q Entertainment have put out a gloriously high definition remake of Rez, and it, is, fantastic.
The premise is taken straight from the 80's to suite its general aesthetic, more on that later. The player takes control of a hacker who is traveling through a computer network in an effort to locate and restore a crippled artificial intelligence known as Eden, it seems an information overload has caused it to question its own existence and shut down.

The gameplay is extremely simple and on its own very shallow, you simply hold down a button and then move the cursor onto any on screen enemies, this locks onto the target and then a simple button release shoots a laser and destroys the approaching computer nasty. The pulsating avatar is able to simultaneously lock onto a total of 8 targets so the trick is to hold the lock on button then use your cursor to mark your targets, let go and then watch as they turn to dust.

The visual style of Rez enhances the colorful 80's techno-hacker theme that is prevalent throughout. It's a very Tron esque wire frame world filled with a variety of enemies comprised of evil geometrical shapes. Although they are initially overwhelming you slowly start to realise that the visuals are like nothing that any game, or movie for that matter, uses today, while it was common place back in the 80's where everyone thought the future would involve rainbow colored wired architecture it isn't as cool in the modern day, however Rez takes this old-school visual style and delivers it in beautiful high definition, and it works.

The third and final piece of the Rez puzzle is the audio, like Mizuguchi's current works music is an integral part of the experience, the retro trip-hop soundtrack just adds the final touch of crazy to this game, every action in the game adds a little beat to the overarching soundtrack, everything from a button press to a laser shot or explosion has an effect on the background audio.

" Gameplay is the heart of every game, if the gameplay isn't particularly interesting or fun the game isn't fun, so what makes this game so good?"

Thats what I kept asking myself during my short breaks from the game (after about half an hour of continuous gameplay I found myself feeling a bit dizzy).
Around two hours into playing the game it hit me, Rez isn't a game in the traditional sense, it's an experience, the eye-catching visual design, retro trip-hop soundtrack and simple but intriguing gameplay all work in unison to make an interactive experience that is unmatched by any modern-day game.

Persona 3! Buy it or I'll send Ninja-Pirates after you

Although there was a myriad of unforgettable games in 2007 one of my favorites became a casualty of the next-generation transition, you would think that with the outlandish install base the Playstation 2 has (and continues to expand on) that console owners would seize the opportunity to play a good RPG but alas Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 has enjoyed limited success courtesy of devoted fans of the series and a select few that have heeded the favorable words of their enthusiast information outlet of choice.

I guess it would be unrealistic to expect new casual gamers who are being drawn in by the affordable price of the console to pick up such an intimidating title and I mean title in every sense of the word, let’s face it ‘Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3’ isn’t exactly appealing to a new gamer.

Then again there’s still a sizeable amount of gamers who are still on the fence on what ‘next-gen’ console to buy, I really should stop using the phrase ‘next-gen’ to refer to the current generation of consoles, the word is a bit redundant, we all know they are the next generation but I guess it won’t die out until the previous generation of consoles are no longer viable, lucky for the phrase the PS2 is clinging on for dear life, you would expect that the majority of these fence dwellers would buy the game, after all, there isn’t much else coming out on the PS2, but it looks like that hasn’t been the case.

Over a year after the Japanese release and around five months after the U.S release European gamers are finally being given the chance to experience one of the best role-playing games of 2007, or 2006 depending on where you live, until now we’ve had to sit in the corner and sulk about the need for simultaneous worldwide release dates and why European gamers get treated so bad, in the paraphrased words of one John Dorian, “Why do they hate us when we show them nothing but love?”, finally we can show our support for the game, but how well will the game do?

A lot of the devoted fans are probably internet savvy enough to have already got their hands on the game, even if some of them utilised less than legal means, tut tut. All that remains are the devotees who have been patiently waiting in foetal position since 2006, the true to their word pirates who “only downloaded it because they couldn’t wait and will buy the game when it comes out to support it”, and maybe some new PS2 adopters looking to broaden their horizons.

The Playstation 3 hasn’t got a lot of games; while the library is expanding with excellent games like Uncharted and Ratchet and Clank leading the charge this 'growing phase' leaves the perfect opportunity to check out any PS2 games that have been foolishly missed, so there’s a lot of potential gamers who could end up picking up a somewhat niche title, then again if you’ve got a 40GB model you’re in trouble.

I’m looking forward to seeing how Europe receives Persona 3, needless to say that I wholeheartedly recommend this game, if you consider yourself a fan of the RPG genre and you don’t pick up this game you are doing yourself an injustice, Persona 3 will be in stores on February 29^th, come on…give it a chance, otherwise I'll start rambling about 'Yakuza' and 'God Hand'...don't make me do that...

Welcome to Paradise City

The first triple A title of 2008 has finally been released, Burnout Paradise is out and it is an amazing game, open world, amazing crashes, what more could a man want from his game.
Slice!Gaming has my full review on the game, just click here.

A Tale of Souls and Swords, Eternally Retold

Namco Bandai recently announced the return of three Soul Calibur veteran fighters, the nun-chuka user and part-time Elvis impersonator Maxi, ranged staff user Seong-Mina and Yun-Seong (also known as "Isn't that just Hworang from Tekken with a blade?").
Obviously not as exciting as their earlier announcement about Darth Vader and Yoda but still noteworthy. I can't say that I've played with Seong-Mina long enough to form an opinion, but Yun-Seong and Maxi are two characters that I have spent copious amounts of time mastering. Maxi is one of the most frustrating and psychologically devastating characters to square up against, his attacks are very quick and his movements are extremely hard to read, especially when you're under pressure, skilled players can string together crushing combos that will leave any unprepared player babbling like a confused baby.
Yun-Seong is a very fun character to play, he has alot of fakes and is able to string together juggling combos.
As you can tell I am dying to play Soul Calibur 4, so much so in fact that I'm going to pay Soul Calibur 2 now.

Slice Gaming

Good news everyone! (It is really hard to do a Farnsworth impression in text format), I have been lucky enough to be involved with the launch of a new UK based gaming website, although the site is still getting on its feet I have confidence in what it will become.
So if I'm not posting regularly it might be because I'm working on the site, either that or I'm dead, in which case someone please notify my family.
Obviously this site is the greatest site on the internet and every second you spend away is a waste of your lifetime, this statement is bias free and 100% factual.
Head over to www.slicegaming.com