Fez Reviews
Simon Parkin: The delightful Fez is a game in which the true aim is nothing more than to explore and to find treasure while doing so
Over the course of two years, Fez has somehow been able to break out of its Xbox Live Arcade confines, re-releasing on PC and now Sony's platforms. As it remains, this is still one of the most charming, charismatic adventures you will have, leaving those who experience it with a smile across their face for the duration of their play.
Fez was one of the most enjoyable and entertaining games I've experienced last year and the same thing applies with the PC version. It's a charming, charismatic adventure that will leave you with a smile across your face for the duration of your play. It's also incredibly cryptic and is far more than skin deep, introducing a deceivingly vague world. I can't decide if Phil Fish and his team are geniuses or completely out of their minds.
For those with any kind of an inclination to the days where games put more effort into enjoyment than just looking good, this is an absolute must play.
FEZ is the perfect confluence of beautiful visuals, deeply satisfying gameplay, a richly designed world, tightly interconnected systems, an astounding soundtrack, and fantastic pacing. Seldom are games this well composed, and it feels mostly as fresh today as it did the day it came out. This is the definition of a classic; it endures time and shows the mastery of its work as it ages. It will always be one of my favorites, and I can think of no more fitting a place to experience FEZ, be it for the first time or the tenth.
Fez is a brilliant, beautiful platformer. Play it immediately.
An absolute masterpiece. A unique experience that satisfies the eyeballs, timpani, brain and even the heart.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The wait has been repaid, and Fez proves to be one of the most enjoyable games released in the last period, not only in the indie environment, but also considering the megaproductions. A mixture perfectly dosed with platformers, puzzles, atmosphere and more or less cryptic quotes cause the player (especially the aged and somewhat nostalgic one) to get lost in the ravines and mysteries of a world that hides an extraordinary complexity.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Fez was formed in pain for several years. It was worth the wait - it's by far the best adventure-platform game available on Xbox 360 on Xbox LIVE Arcade. This title may have been about two years late to be called a milestone for the development of the independent games or games scene in general, but it is possible to pin it on the label of a work of art without fear. What I hereby do and encourage you to personally convince all readers of this.
Review in Polish | Read full review
There’s a touch of brilliance to this game. You feel the incentive to play on, because solving a puzzle unlocks a new door and you enter into another uncharted and mysterious world. We love the music and the retro-style, pixelized art. Fez harks back to 2D classics, so if you’re anything like me, nostalgia should kick in almost instantly.
The way the game opens up as you play, revealing secrets on top of secrets is something I've never seen another game land quite as well. What stands out most to me about Fez after nine years is that I'm in the midst of my third playthrough and even with some of the sheer novelty being lessened, I'm as enthralled as I was back in 2012. Fez stands as a truly unique indie game that draws inspiration from classics but is wholly its own precious and maddening experience that needs to be played.
Fez is more than just a game. It's a perfect balance between platformer, puzzler, and explorable experience. It's a love letter to retro gaming. It's a hypnotic look inside the mind of one of gaming's more controversial figures. I would even say it's a masterpiece. Seriously, this one deserves your 800 MS points.
A masterful puzzle game that challenges you to think in new ways
For what is a very reasonable price of 800MSP, Fez is a game that will give you hours of gameplay. There are still questions unanswered, even with the collective mind of the internet, so who knows how much the game has to offer. I do know that, even now, you will get a lot of enjoyment and frustration from this game if you are at all interested in puzzles. The cuteness and originality far exceeded my first expectations, and bodes for an overall excellent game.
It’s about opening doors, exploring, deciphering languages, and dipping your toe into the well of insanity just enough to hopefully come out with the knowledge needed to open one more door, to get one more cube. We’re sure some will be turned off by the dense, unorthodox style – it’s absolutely not for everyone – but we’re in love, and expect to spend many more hours unraveling the game’s secrets.
A novel exploration of the underpinnings of game graphics, Fez at once pays tribute to classic 2D platformers while revealing the shenanigans that went into their design. Borderline inscrutable at times, Fez is a puzzle on many levels. Yet its mysteries, clever as they are, deserve to be unravelled.
The ability to play across all of your systems, and transfer effortlessly between them, cannot be overstated, and the fact that you only have to pay once for it is an ideal that some companies are sadly still avoiding. Whilst there isn't necessarily much of a traditional challenge to the game, working your way through the different worlds is so enjoyable that you'll barely notice.
Perhaps more appealing than the brain teasers is Fez's mesmerizing setting. I'm not usually a fan of low-fi aesthetics for the sake of looking retro, and initially Fez might resemble an 8-bit throwback, but upon closer inspection it's a finely detailed world simply made out of cubes with scenery as varied, atmospheric, and inspired as any triple-A title I've played.
Fez is a resounding success, marrying a stunning score, innovative gameplay and a gorgeous art direction into a complete interwoven package. Little Gomez's journey is one of discovery and wonder and should rightfully find its home on PlayStation 4's across the land.
There is an element that stands out more than others, in that set of suggestions, quotes and atmospheres set up by Phil Fish: the beauty of craftsmanship. Fez is a title built pixel by pixel, over an interminable five years: a project that has voraciously accumulated ideas, artistic registers, original and traditional gameplay dynamics. The result is a real gem, a title that shines at the highest levels of the platform genre, and succeeding from start to finish to tease, intrigue and excite the player. The arrival on Sony platforms, after the hands of its creator, is a blessing. Don't miss this opportunity.
Review in Italian | Read full review