Since its announcement in 2007, “Fez” has been the product of a troubled development cycle. Subject to multiple revisions, investor back-outs and even legal troubles (as chronicled in “Indie Game: The Movie”), the production of this game has taken a huge toll on its creators’ mental and physical health. Despite all odds, however, the game has finally been released and the hype is massive in the gaming press.@@http://polytroncorporation.com/61-2, http://www.indiegamethemovie.com/@@
Is the final product worthy of the praise? Sadly, I don’t think so.
“Fez” is a puzzle-platformer which stars a white, blobby creature named Gomez whom the player controls across a not-quite 2D world. The primary mechanic of the game is in the player’s ability to rotate the world along its vertical axis, allowing the player to make use of M.C. Escher-esque optical illusions to travel previously inaccessible routes and solve the puzzles.
Those familiar with “Super Paper Mario” @@yesssssss@@and “Echochrome” will recognize this mechanic, but where “Fez” differs from those games is in its aesthetics. The game engine convincingly renders 3D polygons in a style similar to 2D pixel art, giving the game a throwback quality while still feeling contemporary. Also similarly stylish is the soundtrack provided by chiptune artist Disasterpeace, which uses eight-and-16-bit synthesizers alongside modern tools to create an airy, nostalgic atmosphere. “Fez” is not afraid to show off these high production values.@@http://www.nintendo.com/sites/spm/ http://www.echochromegame.com/ http://disasterpeace.com/@@
Beyond how the game looks, however, the game’s mechanics are balanced, polished and readable. In fact, oftentimes figuring out a puzzle or obstacle is only a matter of a few rotations. Added to the fact that the game has no enemies and doesn’t really punish you for death (when you plummet off into the ether, Gomez respawns on the last bit of solid ground he found purchase on), means that “Fez” is lacking in any sort of real challenge.
Challenge doesn’t seem to be the game’s main concern, however. The world is richly populated with interesting scenery (woods, jungles, graveyards and ruins, to name a few) and has compelling mystery at its core. Story beats are delivered through the environment; you rarely have exposition delivered to you via text but rather you are left to puzzle out the history of the “Fez” world through the ruins that you discover.
Whether you really connect with “Fez” relies on how deeply you’re willing to invest in uncovering this fiction. The perspective mechanics eventually run thin once you discover that most of the puzzles boil down to rotating the world a few times until the obvious solution jumps out at you. Without a more consistent and direct narrative hook, there is extra weight on the moment-to-moment gameplay that the game’s mechanics just can’t support.
Ultimately “Fez” is a game that does not demand much from the player, for better or for worse. It is unrelentingly beautiful and clever, but pretty and neat only go so far. There is little that will keep you coming back to “Fez” if you aren’t absorbed by the atmosphere and story. If you want something to keep you occupied for a few hours, “Fez” is worth the 800 Microsoft points ($9.99). If you want something revolutionary though, you’ll be disappointed to find that “Fez” is just “clever.”