A Unique Blend of Music and Gameplay

One of my all time favorite video games is called Rez, released on the Playstation 2 in 2001. It interweaves the progress of the game with the unfolding of the soundtrack: as you fly through cyberspace blasting away at the enemies you face, the beat will evolve and the gameplay becomes progressively more stimulating. The entire soundtrack is electronic music(breakbeat/house), so if you like this kind of music, I think you would love this game! The name Rez even comes from a house track of the same name by the UK group Underworld.

This game is an amazing fusion of sounds and visuals - a fantastic display of synaesthesia.

As the character evolves through the aquisition of powerups, their appearance changes:

pulsating squares (initial state of being)

wire-frame model

solid body

Buddha ball

energy ball

and finally...

the all powerful space baby!!! (2001: A Space Odyssey reference)

The game was received very well, getting an A+ on 1up.com and a 10/10 from Eurogamer, and numerous other high praises. In 2008, the game was relased in HD on the Xbox360. Hopefully a Rez 2 is on the horizons!

The space baby in action:

The video below is part of the final level, featuring Adam Freeland's track Fear. It gives a better view of the style of gameplay outside of the boss fights.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rez

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrKIIPP_Y5c&feature=related (Final Boss w/ space baby)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip7wpGkAQgE (Level 5 Movie, better view of actual gameplay)