Fez has pretty much released every platform there is, so it must be doing something right I guess? The game, a 2D platformer with exploration at its heart, only recently featured in PlayStation Plus’ Instant Game Collection, which let you get your hands on all three versions of the game (PS4, PS3 and PS Vita) for free.
Personally I didn’t like Fez. With the exception of Minecraft, pixel visuals aren’t my thing at all, so from the off I could tell I wasn’t going to enjoy the game. Hopefully this WeView could persuade me to download it again and give it another chance.
Dom was on review duty for the PlayStation versions of Fez, scoring the game a wonderful 9/10. He asked “whether you should still be interested in a game that released two years ago”, later going on to say “the answer is of course an unequivocal yes”.
Although the game had previously released on Xbox, he felt “the PlayStation releases are the definitive way to experience one of the finest indie games of recent years”, partially thanks to the cross-save feature.
For those who are fans of the visual design of Fez Dom said “the pixel-art is endearingly rendered and displays a deep-seated love for classic videogames with various touchstones eliciting memories of Zelda, Mario and even Tetris”. The game was also brought to life “with wildlife hopping, swimming or flying about”. Apart from the “odd glitch here and there” Fez “plays exceedingly well, no matter which flavour of PlayStation you have”.
Fez is an indie game. It’s also an indie game you should experience, and if you own any of Sony’s current consoles you have very little excuse not to.
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.
What did you think of Fez? Were you equally as impressed as Dom, or were you put off by the pixel-art presentation? Let us know in the comments below giving the game either a Buy It, Plus It, Sale it or Avoid It Rating. Remember to get your comments in by Sunday evening.
zb100
Fantastic, old school platforming mixed with a nifty twist (although similar was done in Crush on the PSP before it) and the cross-play is an absolute godsend.
BUY IT.
Lyts1985
I gave it an hour after becoming intrigued by the demo but just found it needlessly complicated and overwhelming, and I soon got fed up of it.
It clearly has fans out there so I can’t write it off completely and seen as it’s already been on PS+ I’ll have to vote “Sale it”. If you can get it cheap enough, give it a try, you might like it, but it’s not worth the risk of stumping up full whack as it’s very divisive…
psychobudgie
Was lucky to pick it up via Plus but having played it would have been quite happy to pay the £9.99 they were asking. It’s an old school platformer with more than a passing nod to paper mario which is no bad thing. Incredibly inventive gameplay, mixed with some great presentation, it’s easy to see just how much Phil Fish put into it. It’s a sale it though, as while I would pay for it, I think it has limited appeal and for that reason, sale it. You won’t regret it, maybe.
TSBonyman
I thought the opening story level was brilliant and i enjoyed the three or four hours i put into it. The unique rotating level design, charming visuals and 8-bit seagulls would have been all the more lovely if the levels didn’t then branch out in a manner which i found increasingly difficult to follow. I’m not done with it yet but i’m also in no rush to go back to it.
Despite that flaw, i still have to recommend the game. It’s simply unique and i have no doubt that people with more time and patience than i had (and possibly a notepad) would get more out of it.
I bought it on sale a few weeks before it was free on plus but don’t regret it. Sale it.