Fez

I think Polytron might have actually cracked it. I’m always saying that old games were actually shit and what you’re remembering so fondly is your responsibility-free youth not some near unplayable game with terrible controls and no save system. On the other hand I’ve also been known to moan about a lack of atmosphere, exploration and frivolity in modern games. Fez has that genuine sense of being in an entirely different world and unique logic of old timey games, where you came to know the heart and soul of the developer through his work as you do a great artist through their painting. It also has exceptionally strong playability from the outset.

Your little smiley, marshmallow-like character, Gomez is easy to control, just as the 2D world that spins through three dimensions is grasped and manipulated immediately. While new concepts take a while to sink in, you never feel bored by the difficulty of moving the world around 90 degrees to get a new perspective on things and progress Gomez through the environments, picking up precious cube pieces as you go. You’ll need to find 32 cubes and with some of the “anticubes” being fiendishly difficult to uncover you’ll find yourself whiling away hours just wondering around through dark cityscapes, ruins and forests.

Exploring the world is scary. As you pass through one door after another you become increasingly aware that you never brought any breadcrumbs with you on your journey. How to find a way back? The sense of being hopelessly lost is actually exasperated by the map. It seems to be purposely designed to rub in your face just how far down a rabbit hole of dimensional frippery you’ve carelessly thrown yourself. The inclusion of code breaking puzzles and QR code shenanigans only increases your horror at the prospect of getting stuck. The genius here, and I don’t use the word lightly, is the dearth of help given. While other publishers think themselves smart and cutting edge because they offer players clear communication and guidelines through social networking, cleverly designed websites, codicies, DLC and encourage fan sites and forums to share tips, Polytron hasn’t even named the levels in Fez. The world map can be moved around in three dimensions too so you can’t even ask for help with the level that’s third from the top on the left. What has this resulted in? A barrage of online chat as players stumble around in the dark trying to help each other through the fog of true exploration, a level of exploration I haven’t experienced in decades. Twitter is jammed with comments from gamers absolutely delighted to be writing things down, “I’m writing things down ON PAPER!”, they exclaim. Does that matter? Is that such a big achievement? For a game to move its players to go and find pen and paper so they can write down symbols and locations for some magical time they hope will come later when it all makes sense ‒ that’s pretty amazing.

Polytron’s bravery in using obtuse puzzles and insane exploration is mostly commendable but some will baulk at it and might give up before getting to grips with Fez. It can feel like the two guys that made the game over four years have plopped you on a raft, kicked you away from shore and are mooning you as you float away on a sea of cubes, doors and symbols. It’s too much for some and steals a point away from a perfect ten but if you peer really carefully back to shore, you’ll see that the devs have written all the answers on their arse cheeks.


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2 responses to “Fez”

  1. Johnny avatar
    Johnny

    Old games were not shit >:(. I had a miserable childhood and I still love to play sonic and mario and all those other lovelies that I used to enjoy and still do!

    On the subject of Fez: I think its dull and uninteresting, but this review did help me figure out finally why other people like it: because this world is interesting and different to you guys, and that’s brilliant.

    I was unimpressed with the trial, but decided to buy it because everyone was spraying over it so dramatically. I thought the trial must just be the shit part of the game, so I dropped 800 microsoft points on it to see what all the fuss was about. Still don’t like it, and that makes me a bit sad because everyone else does and I can’t join in with the Fez love parade.

    I just find very little in the game that makes me care. The world’s falling apart? So? I’m just not interested enough, so when I find a puzzle that takes longer than 5 minutes I’ve no reason not to get bored and switch the game off.

    Frances likes it though, so that’s nice.

  2. Gomez avatar
    Gomez

    I’m stuck in the area with the tree and the door. Come help me.

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