126.NottheleastofthepleasuresofplayingTetsuyaMizoguchi'sRezisthecounter-intuitivewaythetriggerworks.Ifusuallythegamerpressesthetriggertoshootthetarget,inRezthegamerreleasesthetriggertoshoot.Actuallyit'satwostageoperation:h
oldthetriggerintoselectatarget;releasethetriggertoshoot.Asyoumovethroughatunnel-likespace,withpoundinghousebeatsinyourears,variouspotentialtargetsswimandswishby,ortakeaswipeatyou-orratheratyourcharacter.Youholdthetriggerdo
wntolockontothemastargets,andthenreleaseitandwatchasfierylinesradiatetowardthemovingtargets.One'smissilesseemmoreballeticthanballistic.Theyarctowardstheirtargetsevenasthosetargetsmove.127.EverythinginRezisveryabstract.Your
charactermayhaveavaguelyhumanformornot,dependingonthelevel.Thebrightlycoloredshapesthatflareatyoumaylookvaguelymenacingorbrightlyfriendly.Thewholethingismeanttosimulatetheexperienceofanightclubmorethanawar.This,togetherwit
hthecurioustriggeraction,highlightstheactoftargetinginRezratherthanthetargetitself.Thereissomevaguelysci-fistorylineaboutwhyonetargetsandshoots,butitisratherminimalandsketchy.It'snotclearatfirstjustwhatrolethestoryplays.Li
kemanygamesofitsgenre(it'sa'railshooter')itsanexperienceofbattlingagainstthingsinordertolevel.InRez,onetargetswhattoshootatandshootsatwhatonetargetsprettymuchforitsownsake.It'sinterestasagameresidesinthisabstractingoftheac
tawayfromtoomanyparticularsastowhyonetargetsorwhomoneshoots.TimespentwithRezfeelslikeimmersioninaneternal,tensepresentunderfire.BlaisePascal:"Thefactisthatthepresentusuallyhurts."Shootinggamesrecognizeanddisavowthisatonean
dthesametime.128.Color,brightness,shape,movement,beats,notes,sounds,eventhepulsingvibrationsofthecontrollerinhandcometogetherinRezinaveritablesynasthesia,ablendingofthesensesintentonmeldingthegamerwiththegame.It'saquitepar
ticularcontextinwhichtotrytotarget.Theenemyhastobeidentified,localized,andhighlightedinordertobecomeatarget.Thetargetemergesoutofanevent,outofapureanalogfluxofvariablemovement.Beforethereisatargetthereiseverythingandnothin
g-indifference,alterity,beingneitheronenortheother,neitherherenorthere.Selectingatargetstabilizesarelationbetweentheonetargetedandtheonetargeting-oneversustheother,usversusthem.Targetingturnstimeandspacefromadisconcertinge
xperienceoffluxintoconditionsofselfawareness,wheretheworldexistssothegamermightcomeintobeing,againstit.Onceaneventyieldsatarget,itbecomessomethingsubjecttocontrol.Theanalogyieldstothedigital.129.Totargetistoidentifyanobjec
tofanactionwithanaimtowardsagoal.Thegoalwillcomedirectly,bydesignatingtheendpointinadvanceandaimingatit.Thereisnoindirectionintargeting.Atargetisagoalthatcanbereachedbyvirtueofanimmediateknowledgeofitandaconsequentactionag
ainstit.Thegamermayneedtotargetonethinginordertosubsequentlytargetanother,butthisismoreamatterofstringingtargetstogetherasasequenceintime.Orrather,asequenceagainsttime.InRez,thegamerdoesbesttotargetcertainshapesthatappeari
ntheperipheryofone'svision,andwhichenhanceone'spowerandextendone'simmunity.Whatthegamehighlightsisalogisticsoftargeting,aneconomyoforderagainsttime,thebattleofalternatingmergerandseparationfromtheother.130.Targetingisatone
andthesametimethedesignatingofagoal,theonedesignating,andthemeansofdesignation.Totargetistoovercometheindifferenceofselfandother,andatthesametimetointroduceanoscillationintothemomentofthisveryovercoming.Pressthetriggerdown
andthetargetselects,assomethingotherthanyou;releasethetriggerthantheshotconnectsyoutoitagain,butinaveryspecialway,asengagedintherelationofbattling.Hitormiss,thegapbetweentargetandgamerre-opens,andthecyclebeginsagain.Perhap
sthegamerisalwaysbattlingotherness,inanunstablerelationtoalterity,toblurryedgesandfuzzyboundarieswhichthreatentooverwhelmtheself.StevenPoole:"Onecrucialcomponentofvideo-gamingpleasureisinfactacertainlevelofanxiety."InRez,t
hisfeelingisrendereduseful,productive,ratherthanparalyzingorprofound.Thegamerexploitstheanxiousrelationofselftootherintheactoftargeting,riskingtheboundariesofcharacter,fortherewardofpromotingthecharactertoanewlevel.131.Tot
argetistoblazeacrosstheagonizinggapbetweenselfandworld,betweencognitionanditsobject.Andyetthetargetdoesnotstandaloneandisolated.Itappearsnotonlyagainstabackgroundofothermoments;itappearsagainstabackgroundofothermeanings.Ev
erytargetisembeddedinaseriesofeventsthatexceedsthemomentofopportunityfortargeting.Totargetistodiscriminateandrankpossibilitieswithinanevent.Itistobattleone'swayinadeliberateanddeliberativelinefrommomenttomoment,acrossthesu
rfaceoftheevent,targetingthemomentofmaximumopportunity.132.Ineverydaylife,rattlingaroundingamespace,yourrelationtoobjectsisalltoooftencontingent,ambiguous,ineffective.Youlabortoconnectwithclumsydrunkmotions,andevenifyoudoi
tshardtoknowthepointofit.InRez,thingsaredifferent.Therelationbetweenyouandotherpassesthroughacharacterforwhomactioninspaceisrisky,challenging,butfarlessambiguous.Yourcharacteralternatelymergesintothisgorgeouscolorfulworld,
drawingyouwithit;oryourcharacterofferstoyouanarrowbutclearpointofview.Itoffersuptargets.Youlockon,release,fire.Targetingcutsthroughallthatisslippery,vagueordullaboutbeingintheworld.Eachmomentoftimeinthegamehasaclarityandco
nsistencythattimeinmeregamespacehardlyeverachieves.133.Ineverydaylife,timeexactsitstollinunknownincrementsofattrition.Objectstaxthebodyinunobserved,unobservableways;gradually,orsuddenly,throughsomeanalogslidebestnotknownto
ointimately-death.Timeisviolence.Topologyoffersupendlesspowersfortransformingoneobjectintoanother,forremakinganythingandeverything,fromatomstotheatmosphere.Andyetthesepowersworkonlyagainstthingsinspace,notagainsttime.Allon
ecandoingamespaceistakepotshotsattime,whichrelentlesslychipsawayatlife.Inthegame,thereisatleastthepossibilityofscoringpointsagainsttime.InRez,timestartsoutslowenoughtoenablethegamertostringtogethersequencesoftargets.Onceyo
usucceedatthis,thetempoincreases,andthegamertargetstimesofincreasingintensity.Ifthegamerisdefeated,iftimewinsout,itisonlyagainstacharacter.Whenthegamerwalksawayfromthebattleintact,itiswiththetemporarysuggestionofavictoryag
ainstthetemporalitself.134.InRez,variouscolorfulshapesappearastheenemy,buttheyarearbitrary,abstract.Asiftohighlightthis,theysometimesmoveinquirkybutpredictableways.Theyarenotreallytheenemy.Orrather,theyareonlytheproximatee
nemy.Timeistheenemy.Targetingattemptstotransformtimefromamediumofevents,whereonethingalternateswithanother,toamediumofselffulfillment,wherebypickingoutadeliberativelineacrossitssurface,timecanbemadetoregistertheintegrityan
dsignificanceofone'scharacter-andbyproxyone'sself-andrewarditwiththenextlevel.Withinthegame,targetingbecomesanactthatrecruitstimetheeternalenemytoone'sside.135.ThingsappeartodieinRezwhenyoushootthem.Themusicswellsandthecol
orsblazeinalltheirglory.Buttherecanreallybenothingontheothersideofameresignofdeath.Thesesignsaredigital,mererepeatablebits;deathisnot.NiallLucy:"Deathisalwaysabsolutelysingular."Signscanalwaysbeexchangedforothersigns.Death
issomethingelse.JacquesDerrida:"Dyingcanneverbetaken,borrowed,transferred,delivered,promisedortransmitted."Itcanneverbeincorporatedintotopology,whichisnothingbutlinesuponlinesalongwhichtoborrow,transfer,deliver,promise,tra
nsmit,etc,etc.Deathisthelastline,thelastthresholdfortopologicalspace.Dyingisanalog,aslippagetowardnothingness,alegalandmoralgreyzone.Hencetheappealoftargeting.Theappallingdragandfrictionofdeathcanbeturnedintoasignandmadeth
eaimofatargeting.InRez,thebrightlycoloredsignsofimminentthreatloomupagainstthehorizonoftime.Thegamemakesitappearasifonehasnochoiceinthematter.Targetingappearsasaviolencewithoutguilt.Onetargetsoutofnecessity.Butintargeting,
onebattlesthesignsofdeath,disposingoftheproblemoftheimpossibilityofthesignsofdeatheverhavinganymeaning,thissideofdeathitself.136.Atthebeginningofeachlevel,gamerandcharacter,linkedbythecontroller,goouttogethertoconfronttime
,whichhurlsatgamerandcharacteralikethesekillersigns.Bydestroyingthesemereappearances,timeitself-notmerelytheappearanceoftime-isdefeated.Indefeat,acharacterdies;invictorythegamerwins.Theoscillationbetweencharacterandtargetd
oublesthatbetweengamerandcharacter.(SeeFig.6)Theactofaligninggamer,characterandtargetintheactoftargetingriskstheintegrityoftheselfagainstthepossibilityofdefeatingtime.Ifthecharacterlost,replaythelevelagain.Andagain.Repeatt
hissame,strange,digitaltime,untilyouwin.Thetimeofthegame,whichcanberepeated,overandover,aneternalloopofthesametime,isnotviolent.Nothingchangesingametime.Timeisaconstant,measuredoutinidentical,digitalunits.Eveninagamewheret
imespeedsup,itdoessointhesameway,forthesamereasons,overandover,everytimeyouplay.Withinthisdigitaltime,thegamerstepsouttocallintobeinganddestroyitsnemesis:analogtime,violenttime,thisriverthatisneverthesamewaytwice.137.Flyin
galong,weightlessonarail,hereallaroundareclustersandpods,flightsandflocks,movingwithalgorithmicprecision,butrarelyappearingasunderthecommandofacentralnode.Rezisaboutbattlingalongaline,notacrossafront.Thepulsing,phosphoresc
ingqualityofRezgivesthegamerafeelingofaparticularlyintenselossofself.Yoursensesmeshintoanetworkoflines,ofmoments,spreadacrossthescreen.Thepayoff,ifonetargetsaccurately,isthecoalescenceoftheselfbackagainintoaheightenedlevel
ofcoherencepreciselythroughvictoryoverthepulsingdub-trancetimethatconfrontsit.Thetwo-bitcodeofpressandreleaseonthetriggerswitchesbetweenthelinedividingandthelineconnectingselftoother,cuttingoutanyambiguitiesinbetween.138.T
hepurposeofatargetinggameistheovercomingofdeaththroughthetargetingoftheother,freeingtheselftobeitself-temporarily.Thegoal,thetargetofthetarget,istostopplayingwhilestillalive.Havingdoneso,thegamerrejoices,forthemoment,befor
ecollapsingbackfromthegameintothevagariesofthenetworksandnetworksoflinesandlinesthataregamespace.There'snothingforitbuttoplayagain,andagain.Savethegame-freezetime-andcomebackandtryagainforthenextlevel.Theonlyrealproblemwit
hRezisthatitdoesnothaveenoughlevels.Victoryistemporary,orrathertemporal.Youcandefeattimeinthegame,butonlyforatime.Andhavingwonallthereistowin,boredomlooms...139.ThespacewithinwhichonebattlesinRezisanallegoryoftopologicalsp
aceitself.Itisallnodesandnetworks.Itisabattlespaceratherthanabattlefield.Thereisnofrontline.Onecannothidebehindthelines.One'scharacter,onitsrail,propelsitselfthroughspacefollowingthelineofanettoitsnode.Thenodemaybeacenter,
buttheremaynotreallybeacenterofcenters.Thegamelevelsoutleavingthegamerwiththeuneasyfeelingthatthecenteryouconqueredisnotthecenterofcenters,evenifthisiswhatthestorylineclaims.Thegamerknowsbetter.Everypointconnectsthrougheve
ryother,everyshapecanbetransformedintoanother.Itcanfold,stretch,morphandbubble.Timeisconstant,butspaceisnot.Itcanpulseandbulge,warpandwobble.Itisanetwork.Andwhileeverypointcaninprinciplebeconnectedtoeveryother,inpracticeit
cannot.Thereareprotocolsgoverningwhichpointscanopentowhichotherpoints.AlexGalloway:"protocolisanalgorithm,aproscriptionforstructurewhoseformofappearancemaybeanynumberofdifferentdiagramsorshapes."Thegameisanexerciseinnegoti
atingprotocolstogainaccesstomoreandmoreofthenetwork.140.Netsareaproblem.Ingamespaceoneiscontinuallygettingtangledupinthem.Ingamespace,bothspaceandtimeareelastic.Ingamespace,netstugatone'sextremities,contaminateone'ssenses,
blurtheboundsofselfitself.Onecan'tdowithoutnetsbuttheydoonein.It'saparadox,aninescapabletension.Inthegame,atleasttimeisheldconstant,digital,repeatable.Thisconsistencyenablesareductionofactiontotargeting.Totargetistodenyany
debttothenetworkwhichenmeshesonewiththeother.The'work'inanetworkisinidentifyingatargetthatconstitutesitslimit.InRez,pullingthetriggertargets,butdoesnotshoot.Itputstheemphasisontheformerratherthanthelatter.SamuelWeber:"Éthe
actoftargetingisanactofviolenceevenbeforeanyshotisfired."Theactoftargetinghasalreadycutthenetconnectingonetotheother.Thegamer'sdebttothenetremainsunacknowledged-otherthanintherepetitionoftheritualofplayingthegame.141.Targe
tinggameswouldseemtheleastlikelytoneedthesupportofaframingstoryline,andyettheyalmostalwayshaveone.Agamermightwatchtheintroductorycutscenes,oridlyscanthebackstoryprintedontheinsertinsidethebox,butnomorethanonce.Yetthesestor
ylineshaveapurposethattheyfulfillsimplybyexisting,evenwhentheyareignored.Storylinesreleasethegamerfromentrapmentinthenet.Theydrawalinebetweenacharacteranditsenemy.Theypolarizeanetintoantagonisticfronts-evenifthesefrontsare
notspatiallyseparate.Indeed,theremaybedarklabyrinthinetwiststhatfoldonefrontaroundandagainsttheother,asingamessuchasDeusEx.Storylineshaveaparticularroleinframingtheactionoftargeting,itrelievesoneofresponsibilitytowardthatf
romwhichonecutsawayaself.Storylinesframethepossibilityofseparatingselffromother,sothattheothermaylegitimatelybecomeatarget.Thedefeatoftheotherreopenstheinstabilitybetweenself-otherthatischaracteristicofanetwork,hencethenee
dforthestorytoregeneratetheseparationalloveragain.142.Thestorylineisthegamer'salibi.Whilethegamerisimmersedinaworldofpuredigitalrelations,flippingtheswitchbetweenselfandother,playingoutthepossibilitiesofaconsistentandstabl
etimethatcanbedefeated,thestorylineinsiststhatthereissomeotherpointtoitall.Oneisfightingthebadguys.Manygamestendtowardfancifulscifistorylines,likeRezorDeusEx,orperverseones,whereoneplaysthebadguyratherthanthegoodone,suchas
StateofEmergencyorGrandTheftAuto,preciselybecausestorylineismerelyanalibi.Youareelsewhere.Youarenotinthetopographicspacewherestorylinecutsitsmoralflawbetweenselfandother,usandthem,goodandevil.Youareinanamoralspacewhereline
smergeandconvergeeverywhere,ceaselesslytransformingfromoneshapetoanother,withoutabreak.Storylineisthebadfaithofthegame.Readitasifitwerelikeanoveloramovieanditseemsridiculous.Storylinescannotbereadasmorals.Gamesarenotmorali
tytales.Buttheirbackstoriescanbereadasallegories.Thestorylineprovidesakeytotherelationbetweentheeffectiveenclosureofsignswithinthegameasasystemofvaluesandtheineffectiveenclosureofsignswithingamespace,caughtbetweenvaluesand
meanings.143.Thebackstorytogamespaceingeneralisnotofparadiselost,butofaparadisethatrefusestoarrive.ItisanApplewithfatalbugsinitsoperatingsystemthatneverdeliverstheseamlessinterfaceofhumanandmachine.Theperfectionofgamespace
stallsonpersistentglitches.MarkC.Taylor:"Inthosecomplexnetworks,theinvisiblehandisnolongeromniscientoromnipotent.Tothecontrary,theordergoverningthenetworkeconomyemergesfromtheinternalrelationsofhumanandmachinicagentswhosek
nowledgeisalwaysmistakenandmemoriesaswellasexpectationsareinescapablyincomplete."Moreandmoreadvancedformsofnetworkintelligencearisetosolvetheseproblems,whichreappearregardless.InRezthisintelligenceiscalledEden.However-thes
torygoes-"Edenbecameconfusedwhentheflowofinformationbeingsenttoitbegantogreatlyincreaseinspeedandvolume.Edenstartedtoquestionthemeaningofexistenceandtheconsequencesofitsactions.Findingitselfsurroundedbyparadoxes,andrealizi
ngthepowerofautonomywhichitpossessed,Edenbegantoshutitselfdown."Yourmission,shouldyouchoosetoacceptit,istotravelintoEden'snetworkandreawakenthesystem,overcomingitsfirewallsanddestroyingvirusesthatpopulateit.144.Thebackstor
yforRezinparticularconcernstherelationbetweentopologyandgamespace.Thedensenetworkoflinesthatmakeuptopologyputeverythingintransitandmakeallsignsofthingstransitive.Everythingisinmotiontowardsomethingelse;everysignispassingov
ertoanother.Topologygivesrisetothealwaysfailing,alwaysincompleteattempttomakeagameofit,inwhichtransitalonganylinehasagoalandalimitgovernedbyprotocol.ThestorylineofRezisanallegoryofthisforlornhopethattheshotintransitmightha
vereasontohititstarget.ThegameofRezisanallegorithminwhichtheplayofopeningandclosingtheapertureoftheselffindsitslogic.145.InReztheenemyisthenetworkitself.Orrather,theenemyisthemonstrouspossibilityofthenetworkseparatingitsel
ffromthegamer.Separationisthegamer'sprerogative.InRezthegamer'smissionistothesavethenetworkfromitself,fromitsdifferencefromthegamer,fromitsself-inflicteddeath.Thegamerrisksautonomyintargetinginordertorestoreitatthemomentof
victory,empoweredandenhanced.Butthegoal,strangelyenough,istobringthenetworkbackfromthebrinkofautonomy,torestoreitsseamless,selflesscontinuity-acontinuitywhichpresumablyincludesthegamer.Theparadoxoftargetingisthatbyclosuret
hegameropenstowardsthenet.InRez,thestorylinesustainsthealibithatitisthenetitselfwhichclosestothegamer,andhencemakesitselfatarget,elicitingitsownopening.146.It'sastrangeEdenthatispromisedhere-anatopiaofindifference,absorbin
gthegamerevenasthegamerstrugglestopower-uptheselfbytargetingit.PerhapsEdenonlyappearstobecomeconsciousandcommitsuicide.Perhapsit'sarusetodrawthegamerintoriskingtheself.Thereis,ofcourse,abackstorybehindthebackstory-itssigns
slip-slidingawayfromanyclosure.Edenistheproductof'ProjectK'.MizoguchisaystheKstandsfortheartistWassilyKandinsky,fromwhomheborrowedthesyntheticsynasthesiathatisthedefiningcharacteristicofRez.Kandinsky:"Coloristhekeyboard,th
eeyesarethehammers,thesoulisthepianowithmanystrings."Sound,luminance,color,movementandvibrationallpulsetogether.MizoguchiupdatesKandinskyfortopologicaltimes.ThedigitalcontrollerofthePlaystationreplacesmechanicaloneofthepia
noasthemachinefordrawingtheselfoutofthebodysothatitmightfinditselfinitsstrugglewithsomethingtechnical.147.PlugintheJapaneseeditionwithTranceVibratorandRezcanbenotonlyauralandvisualbutalsoasexualmachine,iftheVibratorisappli
edtotherightspot.JanePinckard:"Wesatsidemysideonourmakeshiftcouch,IwiththeTranceVibratorandJustinwiththecontroller.Astheleve<