Fez: Impresions and Admirations

Fez was released on Xbox LIVE Arcade last Friday, after five years in development. It's a game that I have been watching very closely, with a great deal of anticipation, for much of that time (I first remember Fez being on my radar in 2009).

I'll start off by saying that if you don't know anything about Fez, check out this video for a brief introduction, and stop watching as soon as it's sold you on its concept. You definitely don't want anything about this game spoiled for you (and I will keep this post spolier-free, as well).



Fez has an absolutely beautiful retro look and as you can see from the video, the game gives the player the ability to shift their perspective of the world and view it from a different angle. Gomez, the main character of Fez, is described as a "2D creature living in a 3D world". The game typically plays like a traditional 2D platformer with running and jumping being Gomez's primary methods of traversing the game world. But even the platforming is not so simple, Gomez can grab onto ledges to hoist himself up onto them and he can scale some walls (keep an eye out for plant growth). This gives Gomez a ease of mobility that is greater than what is typically seen in the average platforming game.

As for the ability that the player has to rotate the view and see the level from a different perspective, well even that is not a simple as it first seems. You can check out this post by Fez programmer Renaud Bédard about how the game is built out of trixels (warning: highly technical). Technicalities aside, what it comes down to is that when viewing the world of Fez, what you're seeing has no depth. Everything you see is, for all intents and purposes, side-by-side (even if, just a moment before things were far apart in another view). This concept makes the platforming sections all the more enjoyable and adds a minor puzzle-like element to the game.

Making the platforming interesting and thought provoking is very important to the game, as that is what the game is entirely about. There are no enemies in Fez, no weapons, no special abilities. Just Gomez, exploring a fantastically detailed and beautifully alive world.

I can honestly say that Fez is one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling gaming experiences I've ever had, and while I've "completed" the game (the main story)... I've only just begun to scratch the surface.

Because there comes a point when you truly understand what Fez is really all about.

I will not spoil anything here (which I could barely do, even if I wanted to, as I haven't even figured it all out yet), but there is an entirely new layer to the game that you eventually discover. Something that reminds me of gaming days long past. I have been gleefully playing Fez with a notebook and pen on my coffee table, writing down symbols, deciphering clues and (trying) to solve mysteries. There are some deep, well hidden secrets in Fez, and I am determined to find them, on my own.

I am willing to consult with friends and trade ideas with fellow gamers, but I am refraining from looking to the internet for any assistance. It's proving to be a tall order, seeing how the puzzles in Fez are some of the most devious I've ever encountered. If you liked the show Lost, and were caught up in the mysteries of the island as well as it's cryptic messages and numbers, then you'll love Fez. It's just like that. There's a lot of speculation and searching going on right now as I try to unravel these secrets.

In fact, I'd say that I'm having just as much talking about Fez's mysteries as I am playing the game itself. It really is quite brilliant!

Simply put, Fez is one of the greatest games I've ever played and has secured a place as one of my all-time favorites. I greatly respect and admire the talented individuals who created this great experience.

If you've got an Xbox 360, download Fez, right now.

An ambitious undertaking

I love countdown lists. They're my favorite type of article to read. I'm always thinking of writing my own, and I've decided that this year I'm going to write a big one.

I'm going to create a list of my Top 100 Games of All-Time.

It's going to take a while, so I don't expect to get it done until the end of the year. It will presented as a series of posts (10 games at a time, until the top 10, where it'll be one post per entry).

I'll try to post updates on the process as I go.

Wish me luck, as I am surely going to descend into madness.

My Gaming Log: March 2012

With March over it's time again to take a look back at my gaming habits. There was a big New Release last month, that I decided to pass-over in feed my love of fighting games, and I got my self up to date on a big franchise.

Click to see the full month's log

I decided to pass on Mass Effect 3, arguably the most high-profile release in March, and picked up Street Fighter X Tekken (pronounced "Street Fighter Cross Tekken") instead. I waited a few months after the release of Mass Effect 2 to pick it up, and I'll likely do the same with ME3.

I finished off Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and went back and completed a playthrough of Assassin's Creed II. I've only just recently become a pretty hard-core fan of the Assassin's Creed series and am glad that I'm now comfortably caught up and ready for this Fall's AC3.

I gave my Xbox 360 a little love at the beginning of the month, and replayed both Bionic Commando (the 2009 reboot) and Bayonetta. I really like the 2009 Bionic Commando game, unapologetically so, and had a good time running (or rather, swinging) through it again.

I pick up a copy of Bulletstorm on clearance ($10) and had a nice time going through it. The game is a ton of fun. I'm not a huge fan of shooters, but the Skillshot system in Bulletstorm was just the kind of chaotic, frantic action that appeals to me.

I guess it was a "slower" month than both January and February, with less game titles crammed into the date boxes. I managed to stay focused on specific games longer and still had a fun month.

Remember the old saying: "April showers, mean staying inside and playing more videogames!"