Fez Reviews
If Fez is indeed a gem, he is not as polite as his peers, the Limbos and other Braids. But despite its bugs and inaccuracies, Fez is a smart game, made for lovers of puzzles and puzzles, those who like to take the lead, as much as exploring enchanting worlds and deliciously referenced 8bit. Personally, I completely cracked, and scribbling symbols, diagrams, in search of its secrets made me reconnect with a simple pleasure of play: that of discovering without being taken too much by the hand.
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Fez is a very easy-going experience for the most part, but it is also very capable of presenting a diabolical challenge to anyone looking for one. The descent to an otherworldly nightmare glitch-world is something that is not often done in video games, yet it makes a lot of sense; especially for something that focuses on a theme of perception and dimension. While the creator of Fez may have his issues, his game has very few and is very pleasant to play.
Ultimately, I have more positive things than negative to say about FEZ. Sure it can be cumbersome and confusing at times, but it’s still a beautiful and creative game. It’s nice I was finally able to play this one-time exclusive on a Nintendo console. And though I didn’t 100% beat the game, I at least got one of the endings before writing this up. Now armed with my cool shades, I might be able to find the other hidden 32 cubes and maybe learn the true secrets underpinning the world of FEZ. If you enjoy puzzles, platformers, and indies, I’d definitely give this one a shot. Just don’t be ashamed if you need to consult a couple of guides online.
Polytron has crafted an exceedingly gorgeous world, full of surprises, temples, and eye-melting cuteness. Switching perspectives holds up as a gameplay mechanic, deftly avoiding gimicky traps along the way. At around 7 hours for a completed game and only $10, you could do worse than FEZ on MICROSOFT's XBOX LIVE ARCADE.
Fez offers a clever gameplay premise and a charming, minimalist presentation, but its overly open-ended nature and confusing navigation system detract from the overall package.
Fez, despite what faults I personally found with it, is by no means a bad game, and is easy enough to cope with given the aid of a strategy guide to go along with it. However, I, along with the entire industry can only imagine what Fez 2 would have been like if it had have been developed as originally planned.
Fez isn't as fresh as it was two years ago and is purposefully frustrating by design at times with its pretentious refusal to adhere to a few sensible design decisions. There's a lot of effort required to progress and the game offers little back in return. If it could talk, it would say,"Play me or don't, I'm too cool to care." So you may want to punch it right in its Michael Cera, but the forgiving attitude to failure and the admittedly neat world-rotating to explore every surface to find more cubes may pull you in. Try the demo first though.
Fez to this day still remains quite a unique and original puzzle platformer with a charming graphical style to boot. This is a nice fit if you’re looking for a casual experience away from the dexterity and quick reflexes of other platformers. But if you are someone that likes to 100% you may need a guide to discover all the secrets. The Switch version of Fez offers nothing new to the experience so there’s no reason to double dip if you’ve already had your Fez fill on a previous system. But if this is your first venture into the game or you want to introduce a friend to it, then have at it.
Fez is the most authentic exploration of the NES era of games that I've ever played, from its sound and visuals to its obtuseness. It uses the capabilities of current systems to take those ideas further, while limiting itself with specific intentions, deploying scrutability in bits and pieces. It doesn't just love the games it borrows from — it understands them. It knows what it is and what it wants to be, and doesn't compromise on it. And for those willing to bury themselves in Fez's alien world and logic, there are plenty of treasures to be found.
Everything shines in FEZ with the sort of passion you only see in indie projects, and I am so very happy that it found its release and I was able to take part in it myself.