Two Rail - Shooters - Game Invaders: The Theory and Understanding of Computer Games - page 52

Finally, some review of the process we have been through in this chapter and
the theories applied. We started with an investigation into the activity profi les, twitch
factors, and genres of the two games in question. We established a discrepancy
between the media-attributed genre and the activity profi le for Rez. Star Fox sat
quite happily in its allotted genre while Rez seemed to be partially a rail - shooter
and partially not. The two twitch factors seemed to signify quite different games and
the activity profi les showed us that while there are similarities, the balance of overall
gameplay was quite different as were the principal types of activities and their
importance. Going on to apply aesthetic theory to the two games, we saw why: Rez
has an aesthetic dimension to it that Star Fox does not. The simpler form of agency
on offer from Rez, in contrast to Star Fox, means that players have the time to
investigate this extra dimension. In support of this we also came to an interesting
insight into the nature of transformation. By not being transformed as a new char-
acter but instead as an artistic creator we not only experience but become part of
this extra dimension of Rez.
FURTHER READING AND TASKS
There are a number of reviews of Rez online and a very interesting and insightful
one is (Rez). The interview with Tetsuya Mizuguchi already referred to is well worth
reading (Mizuguchi). More on Kandinsky and synesthesia, as an art movement, can
be found at the Wikipedia page on synesthesia.
As far as tasks are concerned:
1. Think about what people would play Star Fox and not Rez, or vice versa.
Are the audiences for the two games so very different?
2. Choose some games that should be quite similar but maybe aren't and follow
the pattern of analysis we used for Star Fox Assault and Rez. See if you can
come to some real insight into why the games you have chosen are the same
and why they are not. As you do this task, think about the relationship
between genre, activity profi ling and twitch factors, and aesthetics.