Game Review: Fez

So recently I got a PS4 with PS+, meaning I get two free games each month. Just recently one of these games was Fez, and since you can get it for free, I thought I would review whether or not to get it

Just a disclaimer, this game was made by Phil Fish, who is kinda crazy over certain games and while some people hate him for it. I'm actually totally cool with the statements he's made, but this review will not be biased based on the dev and I will not mention the things Phil's done. Anyway, the game was made almost single handedly by Phillipe Poisson or Phil Fish as he's known to his fans. I like the game, it's very nice and pretty and makes you think. The story of how this game came to be is actually pretty crazy and is included in Indie Game: The Movie. Phil Fish had to face very steep odds to make this game and I give the dude props. I do think this game is amazing. It is one of the best indie game's of all time and you can very clearly see why. The graphics are beautifully hand crafted pixel graphics, the mechanics and controls are tight and satisfying and the plot is both well written and something that makes you contemplate society which is something that rarely any other games do. Well let's get into it then

WARNING: CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST LEVEL. DEAL WITH IT

The graphics of this game blew me away the first time I played it on PC, mostly because I had already heard that it was made by one guy. All of the textures are beautifully made and look like they were hand made, which they were. The textures are like snowflakes, there are no two that are the same. Oh, sure there are several graphics that are the same, but the atmosphere and music and animations make them feel individual and alive. The whole feel of the game is great. The happy, upbeat parts make you feel great and uplifting, and the creepy, lonely parts make you feel desolate and alone. The music only adds to this, with symphonic songs that draw you in and go perfectly with the stupefying visuals. This game just feels like it's a grand adventure. Not to mention that every time you rotate the screen (which is something I'll talk about later) you can just see how intricate and smooth every single block and pixel looks. Not to mention the whole 1080p 60fps thing, which most triple A games can't even do.

The premise of Fez is simple, yet at the same time has so many secret meanings and messages. You play as Gomez, a little pixel person (Human? I don't know)

who lives in a floating 2D village. The village elder requests to speak with you, and he tells you that the fez he wears allows him to see the world as it truly is, and he gives you a fez. This very special piece of head wear allows you to rotate the 2D world around you as it is actually 3D, but you can only see one plane at a time. Then, a magical hexadecahedron thing shows up, telling you in a non-understandable language that it is your friend and that it is looking to repair a special cube that will save the universe or some other cool thing. The pieces of the cube have been scattered all over the world and you must find them. You then set out on a quest to find them and that's that. The story is very good and one that will most likely stand the test of time.

The mechanics of Fez are really simple, but are executed perfectly. It is a platformer and Gomez can jump from platform to platform and climb vines and ropes. But the really cool thing is rotating the world 90 degrees. If a platform is unreachable or you need to align two platforms up to go somewhere, you can rotate the world until you can get the platforms aligned. It is very nice and while you master it quickly, there are puzzles that make you have to use your skills to their max to solve them. I loved it ,mainly because even though there are no enemies, there is a very present danger and a feeling of challenge that only very good games can get right. I loved it.

So in summation, this game is amazing and worth the ten dollars it's being charged for. But for free on PS+ for the month of August really seals the deal and I recommend this to anyone who likes platformers or art games. I do have to mention that there are bugs that glitch the game if you save at waterfalls or black holes, but I didn't experience any of them. But yeah, this game is good and amazing for an indie game. And I would say anyone that buys this game should go watch Indie Game: The Movie because it's very inspiring and just a good story.