Rez
Synaesthesia in digital form
Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Rez fused rail shooting with electronic music, creating an audio-visual experience where gameplay and sound became inseparable.
Overview
Rez exists in the space between game and audio-visual experience. Players guide a digital avatar through abstract cyberspace, shooting viruses in time with electronic music. Every action generates sound; every level builds toward musical climax. Tetsuya Mizuguchi created synaesthesia in interactive form—a game where seeing, hearing, and playing merge into one sensation.
Fast facts
- Developer: United Game Artists (Sega).
- Director: Tetsuya Mizuguchi.
- Soundtrack: Adam Freeland, Ken Ishii, others.
- Visual style: wireframe, abstract digital space.
- Trance Vibrator: optional peripheral for tactile feedback.
- Remaster: Rez Infinite (2016) with VR support.
Synaesthetic design
Sound and vision unified:
- Music integration: shots sync to beat.
- Progressive layers: enemies add musical elements.
- Visual pulse: graphics respond to audio.
- Boss encounters: musical climaxes.
Artistic ambition
More than a shooter:
- Kandinsky influence: abstract visual art.
- Emotional arc: levels build to catharsis.
- Trance state: induces flow through repetition.
- Cultural impact: influenced rhythm game design.