Snowpocalypse Now _or_ How I learned to stop worrying and love Rez HD instead

Blizzards, sub zero temperatures, waist high drifts, armoured polar bears, majestic glaciers thundering from the northern wastes herded by frost giants and howling wolves heralding the approach of the final fimbulwinter are just some of the things that we didn't see today. Oh well. We've had a few token flakes and a biting cold wind, but that looks like that's all we're getting this winter.

In other news, I purchased Rez HD today, and it is truly, absolutely and utterly SUPERACEBESTEST! This is the game that I had in my head when I made my first faltering steps in programming on the ZX81 all of those umpty tum years ago. It's a cross between Tron, Neuromancer, Snow Crash, Orbital at Glastonbury and your own private rave where you dance and dj at the same time. The music is layered and builds into a complex, pulsing beat that is synchronised with the action on the screen. An explosive bass beat thuds from the sub woofer on the 5.1 soundtrack as high hat crashes register with the shots as you release them. Colours pulse and swirl in immaculate high definition as you fly through majestic wire frame levels picking off enemies with rhythmic grace. The controller buzzes and pulses in your hand and there is the option to run a second trance controller at the same time, but perhaps that is something that you should google for if you want to know more ...

There are different sound and video options to tailor your audio visual experience to fit your mood - I quite like the cave echo on the soundtrack combined with a visual bloom. If the idea of playing a game is a bit too much you can even opt to play a travelling mode where you journey without fear of dying.

Simply put, this game is a work of art, and must be played if you have any interest in video games, dance music, or post cyberpunk visualisations.





This video might give you a taster, but you really need to see it on a large high definition screen with a 5.1 sound system for best effect.