In 2001 Sega and United Game Artists released an on-rail shooter for the Dreamcast called Rec. It was nothing short of a sensory revolution.
To be a simple on-rail shooter with some nice wireframe graphics at first glance, Rec first showed your true colors, until you sat down with it yourself, focused on the screen, grabbed the controller, took the first few recordings and realized, uh, wait, does everything I do fit the beat of this soundtrack? Though I do whatever I want?
How is that possible?
Rec was the idea of Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Room channel 5, to shine, Tetris effect), and while the initial sales were terrible, the game has gained a well-deserved and enduring fan base that has republished from the PS2 to the Xbox 360 to an expanded and updated edition that came out on the PS4 in 2018.
I have a special place in my heart for the Dreamcast original, but I also understand anyone who has a penchant for the PS2 edition, as it was compatible with the game’s vibrating peripheral, the Trance Vibrator. whose glorious history we have celebrated before.
I know we are now in a video game age where it feels like the Games x Music thing was done a million different ways thanks to a variety of experimental indie titles, but it’s important to get back to that to remember that 1999 when Rec dropped first, that wasn’t the case. That was groundbreaking shit, and even twenty years later, its combination of a classic, minimalist look and a booming electronic soundtrack makes it seem like it could be played for the first time today, and when it was actually released in 1999 you just wouldn’t believe it.
In honor of the game’s birthday, this video was released today, which gathers a number of fans from around the world – artists, musicians, writers – everyone who shares their experiences with the game and what makes it so special. It is very sweet! Plus, I feel as old as hell.
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