So over the weekend EGX Rezzed was held at the NEC in Birmingham and i was lucky enough to be able to get myself down to it on the Friday. For those who are unaware of what Rezzed is the way i describe it is like a more indie based Eurogamer, although this year for the first time they did showcase some more ‘Mainstream’ console games, I thought as a little summary of the event i’d talk about a few games that impressed me, and just my general impressions of the event.
The first game that i got to see in action was Hotline Miami 2, a game which is very hard to describe, in it’s most basic form it is a retro shooter which sees you going into buildings and flushing out the bad guys, and by flushing out i mean killing. There were a couple of things that made this game stand out a lot for me, firstly how simple the game was, it’s nice to know that the days of basic gaming aren’t over, there is nothing complicated here, just move around and attack, that’s all there really is to it. The next thing that i liked was the games ‘vibe’ they really have nailed the retro feel and the music matches this, i really did feel like i could have been in an arcade from 25 years ago, and that’s a good thing! The last thing that stood out to me was the unforgiving nature of the game, one shot and you’re dead, although this can be a bit frustrating it’s part of the games charm, and it means that when you do clear a zone it feels very satisfying. After the show when i got home i actually downloaded the first Hotline Miami and i can say that it also has all these qualities, if you’re looking for some old school, fun gaming this may well be a good shout.

Video from Youtube User: DevolverDigital

The second game that caught my eye was Murdered: Soul Suspect, unfortunately i didn’t get a chance to get my hands on this game, but i was able to watch some others playing, and it looked great. I hadn’t seen anything on the game pre Rezzed, but after what i saw and some information that i’ve dug up it looks like it could be a top game. The way the game looked reminded me a little of Heavy Rain, and i’m always a sucker for games that are set in the 1920-1960 era, but the concept of the game is what intrigues me most, the role of a ghost detective definitely brings a new twist a to a genre that always seems to deliver great games, titles like Condemned & Heavy Rain are a couple that spring to mind, and i’m really hoping that Murdered Soul Suspect can hit those heights, and with it being released on June 6th, it’s not a million miles away and is definitely something i am really looking forward to.

Video from Youtube User: RajmanGaming HD

The last game i want to talk about is Alien Isolation. This was the game that i was probably most excited to try out, i got to play a 15 minute demo, the same demo that had been shown in trailers to demonstrate the gameplay a couple of months ago. For playing the game we were given some headphones, now, these headphones completely shut out everything else that was going on around me. and made what is undoubtedly a very atmospheric, scary game, a terrifying experience, i was sitting there just hoping not to embarrass myself by jumping out of my skin in front of everyone. I honestly can’t do the games atmosphere enough justice, it really is fantastic, i’d go as far as to say that it may well be the most atmospheric game that i’ve ever played. The sounds of the environment are just incredible. You have your little radar device that shows when the Alien is nearby, and it flashes and bleeps when he has spotted you and is hunting you down, when this bleeping started i can honestly say that i panicked, quite a lot, but managed to get into a corner and hide like a little girl. I’d say that this without doubt was my game of the day, i expected a lot from it, and it delivered, it impressed me on every level, the music, the sound, and the graphics, if the whole game can be as solid as that 15 minute demo then we are in for a treat.

Video from Youtube User: CVG

Rezzed also had it’s own fight zone which had lot’s of beat ’em up titles from old to new, games such as Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct, this was also great fun, we had a mini winner stays on tournament, which i sucked at (Button bashing has never been my forte) but nevertheless, it was really good laugh and just reminded me of how gaming was before online became a big thing a few years ago.
On the whole i really enjoyed Rezzed, it was perhaps a little bit smaller than i had thought it would be, but i saw some games that i would never had known about, in particular Hotline Miami, and it was great fun and fantastic to get an opportunity to get hands on with some of the upcoming titles. I think it’s something i’ll definitely be attending again next year, but for now i’ll just have to wait patiently for Eurogamer later in the year for my next fix, hurry up September!