LTTP: FEZ. Where am I? Where am I going? How did I got here? Wait, what?

[SofNascimento]

Generally I first finish a game before creating an lttp thread, but I decided to change things a little for this one to see how it goes. Anyway, I got FEZ for free in the EGS a while back and finally decided to play it. I remember seeing this game a long time ago and was quite intriged by its mechanic of 2D mixed with 3D.

I thought I was going to play something close to Super Meat Boy but it turns out this game is much less about platforming and much more about exploration. At least in this first couple of hours.

I liked the simple yet interesting premise of the story. Anything that has to do with space tends to be cool. But what hit me the most in the beginning is how disorienting this game can be. Sometimes I turn the camera and feel confident on what is going to happen, but most of the times I'm just moving it almost randomly and trying to find a way foward. And more than once I find myself where I wanted to be without fulling understanding how I got there. It's not easy to paint a mental image of each scenario.

Anyway, I'm liking its take on 2d games so far. Gameplay is not particularly exciting in the moment to moment but the exploration is very nice. It could have a more notable soundtrack though. Some of the tracks when you find an item can be neat, but overall the soundtrack has been very subtle.

Just a gif because why not.

 

[TheLastOne]

Fantastic game with a really clever mechanic used really well. This game evoked a sense of exploration in me that few others have in a long time. Watching the community band together to solve the mysteries after launch was also a great experience.

I'm glad others are getting a chance to play it now that EGS gave it away for free - it's absolutely worth a play.

If only Fez II wasn't cancelled because the creator went off the deep end :(.

 

[Alastor3]

A game i tried to get into 2 times... until it really clicked the third time and it became one of my favorite platformer

 

[Deleted member 873]

My favorite indie game of all time

 

[Deleted member 11637]

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

:)

 

[Futaleufu]

I remember playing it till I got 2 or 3 endings, then I stopped playing for a month or two and when I tried to go back I couldnt remember anything about it so that was it.

 

[BennyWhatever]

I liked this game, but I hated that feeling of always feeling like I'm missing something. I think I was just in the mood for a more traditional platformer and not a puzzle platformer at the time. That anxiety really bugged me though, so I stopped a couple hours in.

 

[Kyuur]

Fez is more puzzle than platformer. Platforming is just a way you solve some of the puzzles.

 

[manustany]

One of my favourite game ever. The soundtrack, the sense of exploration, the puzzles, the mysteries...

Hey Phil I still love/hate you btw 🙃

 

[SofNascimento]

Fantastic game with a really clever mechanic used really well. This game evoked a sense of exploration in me that few others have in a long time. Watching the community band together to solve the mysteries after launch was also a great experience.

I'm glad others are getting a chance to play it now that EGS gave it away for free - it's absolutely worth a play.

If only Fez II wasn't cancelled because the creator went off the deep end :(.

Click to shrink...

What happened?

 

[giapel]

I played a fair bit but always felt the game was too clever for its own good so I never really enjoyed it. I would give it an other shot if it was released on the switch though.

 

[AgeEighty]

Yeah it's not raw platforming, it's a puzzle platformer. One of my favorites of all time. Hoping a Switch version is released, since it's come out on practically everything else.

 

[mentallyinept]

Top 10 game of all time for me. Just amazing.

 

[BAW]

Absolute masterpiece.

 

[Deleted member 2317]

It's perfection, though I'll admit, a few of the puzzles can be straight up "go fuck yourself" territory of you're gonna need a guide if you want to see its hidden treats.

Still a perfect game though.

 

[kubev]

What happened?

Click to shrink...

I recall the launch being kind of messy, with a patch getting issued and corrupting people's saves. Apparently, said patch didn't even fix the more significant issues people were having with the game, and Phil Fish was caught off guard by how much Microsoft was charging devs for each patch issued after the first, so he decided to not issue anymore patches. Between the corrupted saves and not offering any further patches for the game, Phil obviously ended up catching a lot of flak from the community, even getting doxed at some point. To make matters worse, Phil was generally pretty abrasive in how he dealt with the community, so dealing with all of the aforementioned things made him pretty bitter about the industry as a whole. He basically quit via Twitter, canceling Fez 2 in the process.

 

[Deleted member 2317]

I recall the launch being kind of messy, with a patch getting issued and corrupting people's saves. Apparently, said patch didn't even fix the more significant issues people were having with the game, and the creator was caught off guard by how much Microsoft was charging devs for each patch issued after the first, so Phil Fish decided to not issue anymore patches. Between the corrupted saves and not offering any further patches for the game, Phil obviously ended up catching a lot of flak from the community, even getting doxed at some point. To make matters worse, Phil was generally pretty abrasive in how he dealt with the community, so dealing with all of the aforementioned things made him pretty bitter about the industry as a whole. He basically quit via Twitter, canceling Fez 2 in the process.

Click to shrink...

Also any interview instantly reveals he's a massively narcissistic cunt who really isn't the coolest kid in the room, but thinks he most assuredly is. He was confronted with the fact that he spoke like a fucking twat, and quit speaking because of the apparent flustered realization.

FEZ remains a top ten game though in its beautiful intricacy.

 

[Zodzilla]

Amazing game. One of the best soundtracks in video game history.

One of the few games I've played through multiple times. Still bummed that certain folks caused the sequel to never occur.

Also any interview instantly reveals he's a massively narcissistic cunt who really isn't the coolest kid in the room, but thinks he most assuredly is. He was confronted with the fact that he spoke like a fucking twat, and quit speaking because of the apparent flustered realization.

FEZ remains a top ten game though in its beautiful intricacy.

Click to shrink...

I've never understood the above level of vitriol against him. Sure, he was upsetting, but I still don't understand sheer intense hatred folks had for him.

Most upsetting was Marcus Beer instigating and prodding both him and Jonathan Blow, only then to play the victim when Phil responded poorly to his taunts. Super needless.

 

[kubev]

Also any interview instantly reveals he's a massively narcissistic cunt who really isn't the coolest kid in the room, but thinks he most assuredly is. He was confronted with the fact that he spoke like a fucking twat, and quit speaking because of the apparent flustered realization.

FEZ remains a top ten game though in its beautiful intricacy.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I figured I'd leave it at "abrasive" in my description, but ugh...his behavior was pretty disgusting. When I think of Phil Fish, I immediately think of this clip:

 

[ThisOne]

I played this for a couple hours on PS4 but couldn't really get into it. I think I had a sense that I had really "missed out" when the game was released and people were solving the puzzles together all at once. Aren't some of the puzzles basically impossible to solve if you're playing solo and not looking stuff up?

 

[Eric_S]

I love Fez, it's a game that deserves to be on every platform that can run it. Such a delightfully relaxing experience.

And I'll echo the opinions voiced in the thread regarding the coveted sequel, and it's surly creator.

 

[Deleted member 2317]

Aren't some of the puzzles basically impossible to solve if you're playing solo and not looking stuff up?

Click to shrink...

Only a few, and only one that really relates to a whole sub-level of puzzles going on. It involves Tetris, that's all I'll say, and everyone should look it up before playing.

I've never understood the above level of vitriol against him. Sure, he was upsetting, but I still don't understand sheer intense hatred folks had for him.

Click to shrink...

I wasn't even paying attention to this insignificant cunt when all this PR stuff was going around, all I needed to see was five minutes of interview time on that indie development film and I wanted someone to walk into frame and knock his fucking teeth out for being such an arrogant prick.

Great game though!

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

:)

Click to shrink...

 

[Zodzilla]

Only a few, and only one that really relates to a whole sub-level of puzzles going on. It involves Tetris, that's all I'll say, and everyone should look it up before playing.

I wasn't even paying attention to this insignificant cunt when all this PR stuff was going around, all I needed to see was five minutes of interview time on that indie development film and I wanted someone to walk into frame and knock his fucking teeth out for being such an arrogant prick.

Great game though!

Click to shrink...

Yes, I think it was a shitty response, I won't apologize on his behalf for that.

But a couple of things for context. First, this was a quote from Futurama, as spoken by Bender. Also, Phil didn't instigate this conversation, Marcus Beer was calling him a Tosspot and publicly shitting on him for literally no reason.

Doesn't excuse this being a garbage response, but I think context is needed.

 

[smocaine]

Wasted potential. Most of the 'puzzles' are spin the screen to win. It's 'an idea', but never really evolves from that. It's basically just used to obscure platforms, usually slowly floating ones that make you rotate... wait 5 seconds for platform to level... jump... repeat. Hell, a lot of the time there is no rotation gimmick at all, just waiting around for the most basic of platforming. There's hardly any 'game' to it, from the offset it's basically 'LOOK THERE'S PUZZLES'. And 'scanning a QR code' or 'solve morse code' is hardly a 'puzzle'.

 

[Deleted member 2317]

Yes, I think it was a shitty response, I won't apologize on his behalf for that.

But a couple of things for context. This was a quote from Futurama, as spoken by Bender. Also, Phil didn't instigate this conversation, Marcus Beer was calling him a Tosspot and publicly shitting on him for literally no reason.

Click to shrink...

Just google image search "phil fish tweet" and then try to refute the pure garbage fuel you find.

 

[Abdulrahman]

I really loved the atmosphere and the music.

 

[blame space]

one of the goats

 

[SofNascimento]

I played this for a couple hours on PS4 but couldn't really get into it. I think I had a sense that I had really "missed out" when the game was released and people were solving the puzzles together all at once. Aren't some of the puzzles basically impossible to solve if you're playing solo and not looking stuff up?

Click to shrink...

There was a room with a secret with a bunch of things written. Turns out I had to press a bunch of buttons in a certain order. I have no idea how to reach that conclusion. But I'm assuming something later in the game will give me some light.

 

[Zodzilla]

Just google image search "phil fish tweet" and then try to refute the pure garbage fuel you find.

Click to shrink...

I just took you up on your offer to google that exact phrase and I don't disagree with him on a lot of these things he's tweeted.

One, he asks MarcusBeer to feel some empathy after the aforementioned unprovoked name calling and shitting on. I can understand that.

Two, he says that people who are attacking Zoe Quinn are cowards, which I agree with.

Three, he says that the nagging folks of the internet (entitled gamers) are poisoning the water for game creators, which I agree with.

Four, he asks that youtubers who share content featuring games should share a percentage of the cut with game creators, which I don't necessarily agree with, but I could see as being reasonable.

Yes, he could be abrasive, egotistical and irritating, but I still never understood why there was so much actual hatred at the person.

 

[Deleted member 51539]

This is not my beautiful wife.

 

[Deleted member 2317]

 

[.exe]

FEZ is great! One of my all-time favorites. It is an exceptionally designed game, top to bottom, front to back, start to finish. Keep playing and try to read as little as you can about the game online. It's really magical when you discover its many layers on your own. Have fun!

Yes, he could be abrasive, egotistical and irritating, but I still never understood why there was so much actual hatred at the person.

Click to shrink...

He also dared to dislike last-gen's games from Japan before people widely recognized the transitional growing pains its developers had.

I wasn't even paying attention to this insignificant cunt when all this PR stuff was going around, all I needed to see was five minutes of interview time on that indie development film and I wanted someone to walk into frame and knock his fucking teeth out for being such an arrogant prick.

Great game though!

Click to shrink...

And you definitely sound like a totally reasonable person yourself when talking about this guy you know little to nothing about.

 

[SimonSimon]

I don't disagree that Phil Fish is a jerk, but there's a really nuanced take by InnuendoStudios (pre his work on Alt Right playbook). I highly recommend watching it:

 

[Lueken]

FEZ is an amazing game. I missed all the craziness when it happened, but the end result of FEZ II being cancelled is too bad.

 

[Ploppee]

There was a room with a secret with a bunch of things written. Turns out I had to press a bunch of buttons in a certain order. I have no idea how to reach that conclusion. But I'm assuming something later in the game will give me some light.

Click to shrink...

One of my favourite games of all time, absolutely mindmelting when I first played it. No way I could get any of the harder puzzles without a guide though.

 

[Pancracio17]

One of the most incredible games ive ever played. I only played it recently but I think it snuck into my top 10 of all time. Or at least very close to it.

Some puzzles are absolutely mind bending though, I havent finished it, but the only time ive used a guide was to

Spoiler

translate the games writing. I kinda wanted to figure it out myself, but that wouldve taken soooo much time.

 

[.exe]

There was a room with a secret with a bunch of things written. Turns out I had to press a bunch of buttons in a certain order. I have no idea how to reach that conclusion. But I'm assuming something later in the game will give me some light.

Click to shrink...

There are things in the game that tell you how to interpret stuff that seems too abstract to parse at first. It of course depends on what you want to get out of the game, but I found it most enjoyable to let the stuff I didn't get be until I found the "key" to understanding those. You're definitely not expected to get that stuff immediately. And some old fashioned pen and paper can help!

 

[Rodney McKay]

I was so excited to get into this game but one thing or another Fish said put me off enough to not buy bit for a long time.
I think it was him that just wanted his game on consoles (and not PC) because it was meant to be played on a couch? And then he eventually brought it out on PC and Vita anyways. That was really irritating to me back then.

Eventually it was on PS+ or in an indie bundle and I had a similar experience to the OP, mainly being really disorientated.

I'd just go as far as I could in one direction, go through doors I'd find that'd take me... somewhere, and eventually I'd hit what feels like a dead end and not really feel like I knew how to get back.
I didnt really get far enough to even understand the mechanics of the game either, like I couldn't even understand if I was supposed to be solving a puzzle, or if I couldn't solve a puzzle because I didn't have the right tool/ability, or if the game even has tools/abilities like a lot of indie platformers.

I didn't play it for long, and I would like to get back to it at some point. I'm curious if the confusion will clear up on its own with enough time.

I only spoiled myself on one thing that happens in the game. Back when it came out Giantbomb would take about it for weeks on their podcast and I think on the GOTY podcast I finally broke down and listened to the big thing that happens when you beat the game the first time.

Spoiler: Post-game spoiler

Apparently you get the ability to fly or something? It's been so long I even forget exactly what the spoiler was, but I think it was something like that.

 

[Conal]

Also any interview instantly reveals he's a massively narcissistic cunt who really isn't the coolest kid in the room, but thinks he most assuredly is. He was confronted with the fact that he spoke like a fucking twat, and quit speaking because of the apparent flustered realization.

Click to shrink...

You sound like an massively narcissistic cunt tbh. Imagine strangers talking to you like this all day everyday. No wonder he quit the industry.

 

[Ruruja]

Incredible game.

 

[Xavi]

I think FEZ was the first game I bought on Steam, never finished it but I had lots of fun

 

[Zodzilla]

I don't disagree that Phil Fish is a jerk, but there's a really nuanced take by InnuendoStudios (pre his work on Alt Right playbook). I highly recommend watching it:

Click to shrink...

Thanks for posting this, I've never seen this video, but it pretty much sums up my views on the guy and I'm happy someone else has found a good way of expressing my confusion on the issue.

Don't admire him but admire his work, don't understand the seething hatred.

Even the infamous "choke on it" tweet posted above was initially instigated by someone trying to rile him up and provoke him.

If anything, I've always disliked Marcus Beer and his useless "hot takes" when he used to show up on Weekend Confirmed (I remember, in one particular episode where he went on a soliloquy that GTA V's cynical tone was "a beacon for the people of America that are fighting against the dying light and furious about the hardships of their every day life". What a misplaced sense of sentimentality and BS.) His personality of being the "annoyed gamer" was always built on bad faith conversation and I wasn't a fan. I think what he did to instigate a fight between Phil Fish, have Fish fight back only to suffer the twitter hords, and then walk away without taking any heat was just sad for the industry.

 

[Jimbojim]

Definitely one of the highlights of my gaming experience. Love the soundtrack as well

 

[SofNascimento]

This game is a maze. I've lost count how many times I entered a door thinking it would be a small room just to a entire new area of the game to open up. And the map!

Of course, being able to move it around is what make it work. And I think adding to the feeling of disorientation is a plus, not a problem. I just wished it was more clear with those small doors that work as shortcuts. Maybe color code them so you know where they lead. But I'm getting better at it, sometimes I almost feel like I know what I'm doing.

In terms of platforming the game still pretty light. There have been some instances where a bit more speed and precision were needed, but nothing beyond that. It's not boring, but I feel that a bit more of that could make for a more engaging gameplay. At the same time, the game is going for exploration rather than that.

Moreover, I found a room that explained those tetris symbols and managed to solve one of them, so I guess I can backtrack to those weird monuments with the symbols and solve them.

Also, is there a point of no return in this game?

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

Mediocre. Couldn't get in to it at all. Even the fact it was on the Vita couldn't save it.

 

[SofNascimento]

I fnished the game with some 110% stuff done. The ending sequence was very cool. Now I'm using a guide to get everything and I just "solved" the Black Monolith puzzles and was reading about it. Crazy stuff.

I believe one of the coolest aspects of Fez is how there is a sense of mystery and unkown to it. The fact that it's dealing with dimensions already makes that likely, but the way the game is built really enhances it. Every door leads to something new and just makes you wonder more. I wonder how many other secrets the game still has in stores for me.

 

[SigSig]

Just dropping in to say that everybody who STILL reproduces the "Phil Fish is an asshole/went off the deep end" narrative in 2020 needs to shut and read the fuck up. You were terrible on GAF, you are terrible here. Dude endured a metric ton of abuse, which people like you enabled. Did he snap at people_ Sure, after he got pushed to his limits. He wasn't "fed up so he left" and he didn't just get "doxxed". People published shit like his bank info because he spoke out for Zoey Quinn ffs.

Watch the This is Phil Fish video, read up on the dude or just stop posting info so incomplete it borders on defamation.

 

[SofNascimento]

Ok, finished doing everything. I was trying to gauge how much I did myself and how much I think I could do myself given enough time, and I'll would definitely not be able to get all the 64 cubes, and no way in hell the red ones. I managed to figure out the tetris symbols, but not the language or the numbers.

Overall, I enjoyed the game and I do want to know more about it. In the sense of its universe and theories abou it and the endings. Any recommendation?