Fez Review

Overview

Developer: Polytron

Publisher: Polytron

Platform(s): Xbox Live Arcade

When playing Fez, you might think you know everything there is to know about the game. On the surface, it looks like a typical indie platformer with a neat hook (in this case, the ability to change perspectives). That in and of itself is enough to make most people interested. However, there are deeper meanings behind Fez that have been carefully crafted by designer  Phil Fish who may or may not be racist. After you have discovered how the world of Fez works, you will understand that there is more to this game than what you originally thought. The only way you will see everything it has to offer, however, is if you possess the patience and determination to discover it all.

Visuals/Presentation:

You start the game in this small hub, but you will see varying locations throughout the adventure.

The graphics of Fez resemble that of an old-school, Commodore 64-style game. While everything is presented in 2D, all the environments are actually rendered in 3D. This is apparent after you gain the ability to rotate the world 90-degrees. The player uses this ability in order to discover different segments of an environment in order to progress. As an added bonus, once a door has been opened to an area that was previously undiscovered, the door will remain open after exiting, making it easier to keep track of which rooms haven't been explored. Not only are the graphics pleasing to look at, but there are also visual hints strung about that are important for discovering every secret Fez contains.

There is very little story to speak of here. You wake up as a little sprite dude named Gomez, who is a drummer, obviously. An eyepatched fellow informs you that "adventure is ready" and grants you the almighty fez, allowing you to rotate the world like any good fez should. Gomez reawakens and is joined by a rainbow cube thing named Dot (not the Warner sister) who tells you that you must collect 32 cubes in order to make the world stable again. That's about as much narrative structure as you're going to get. Don't view this as a negative, though. The fact that there is little context to what is going on is part of what makes Fez special. Also, this is a game that doesn't necessarily need a strong narrative in order to deliver an amazing experience.

Score: 9/10


Music/Sound:

Disasterpeace is an awesome name.

Fez's soundtrack is absolutely incredible (I'm actually listening to it as I write this review). Each track fits the mood of the many environments perfectly, creating a sense of ambiance. Some tunes are jaunty and exciting while others sound ominous and slightly depressing. One of the amazing parts about the soundtrack is how well it compliments the game without being overbearing. You will recognize many of the songs while traveling to different locations, but they are integrated seamlessly into the world in a way that hearing them is almost secondary. It is a perfect blend of atmosphere and great songwriting. In addition, the sound effects, as few as they may be, also fit with the style of the soundtrack adding to the overall aesthetic.

Score: 10/10


Gameplay:

This bell is important. Why it's important is something you'll have to figure out.

Simpy playing Fez is a pleasant experience on its own. It's not a terribly difficult game, and there isn't too much variety with the gameplay. The main gimmick of the game which I mentioned earlier is to constantly rotate each area 90-degrees in order to collect cubes and progress to the next area. The game is fairly non-linear, allowing you to travel to each location in whichever order you like. Despite not being overly difficult or complex, Fez is still fun in its own right, taking about 4 hours or so before collecting the necessary amount of cubes to beat the game once.

OBEY YOUR OWL OVERLORDS!

The reason why Fez will be remembered for being something special is the way it delivers its secrets and hidden messages. Without giving too much away, the game tries to make you look beyond the surface of each area. In order to complete the game 100%, you will have to learn exactly how the world of Fez works and how you can manipulate it to discover everything. This will require time and patience, even if you decide to look up many of the answers online (like I did). Not everyone is going to want to dig through every puzzle to see it all, although the reward for doing so is extremely gratifying. So, whether you intend on playing the game to experience everything it has to offer or to simply have a good time, Fez delivers on both ends.

Score: 9/10

TL;DR

Visuals/Presentation: The 2D world rendered in 3D is pleasing to look at, and visual clues help in solving puzzles.

9/10

Music/Sound: The soundtrack beautifully compliments the environments while also being a fantastic collection of tunes. Go buy it!

10/10

Gameplay: Rotating the world and collecting cubes is fun, but its everything surrounding the core gameplay that makes Fez truly unique.

9/10

Overall: 9/10