Fez: A Twisted Puzzle-Platform Experience

Fez had been just a few weeks from release for well over 5 years by a development team that a Middle Eastern thief could count on one hand. The man behind Fez has built quite a bit of hype for his labor of love, from an appearance in Indie Game: The Movie, to questionable comments made regarding the Japanese game industry and gamers in general - Phil Fish has created some press for himself and his creation. What I think of the man is of little concern at this point, so let me tell you about his game! Fez has you control Gomez, a cutesy StayPuft looking creature who has come of age and inherited a timeless knowledge and power from his village elder. It's all summarized like so: reality is perception. Perception is subjective. It's Gomez time!

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Fez Launches amidst Black Cats, Serial Killers, and Complaints

Fez creator Phil Fish has come under a rain of fire recently for some comments which sensitive gamers call unsavory. I've had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Fish, and he's a bit of a douche bag, though no more than his hipster brethren. Living in the rotten Apple, I see hundreds of people a day with their heads lodged deeper between their cheeks than Mr. Fish, and none of them have created something that looks as mind-bending as Fez, so you know what? Phil is okay in my book. 

If the interwebz is any indication, many people will be avoiding Fez solely due to Phil Fish's dispostion. Present company excluded, of course. Come April 13, I will be playing this title that I have been looking forward to for ages, and I don't care if Fish hand delivers it and then punches me in my face. 

Fez Friday the 13th

Fez Teaches Perception is Reality, and Reality is Subjective

In one of the corners of the PAX East show floor lie Fez, a game I've been salivating over for some months now, and what could end up being one of 2011's best platformers. You who are not concerned with ingenuity and thoughtful gaming can stop reading right now. Though for those brave enough to explore the tenets of "reality is perception," and "perception is subjective," please read on.

The lovely world of Fez is composed primarily of trixels; 3D pixels which lend a decidedly 8-bit feel to the old 3D model formula that has been the norm since the mid to late 90s. Fans of the PS3 exclusive 3D Dot Game Heroes will feel right at home in Fez's town of Villageville.

The real beauty however, comes after the protagonist, Gomez, speaks to his village elder to discover this is a day of great importance. Gomez receives a Fez in a dream sequence of sorts, and when he wakes on what appears to the the same day, something is different. He can now traverse Villageville in a way which he can rotate the world on an Y-axis, allowing new platforming opportunities to be discovered in the most creative of ways. The mechanic is not the easiest for my non-trixel brain to put to words, but the included PAX East gameplay video should allow you a greater comprehension. The mechanic is quite brilliant.

Once I got the hang of the perspective-altering power of the Fez I tried speed-running. That might not have been the best idea, as I missed a bunch of jumps and fell to my death on multiple occasions. Speed-running may require some experience -- AKA failed jumps -- but I'm sure once your mind is calibrated for world-turning and once you've learned the world itself, it can be done effectively. Perhaps speedruns in Fez are unnecessary, as the beauty of the trixels as well as the gravity of what exactly you're doing (twisting the freaking world) should be enough to keep you entertained for hours. The difficulty isn't as steep as something like Super Meat Boy, but Fez is still a joy to play.

If you don't have your frequency set for Fez already, you should get on that. Polytron Corporation's mind-bending game-changer will release sometime this year, and honestly, I don't think that's soon enough.

Fez Challenges Your Perception of Reality

As the next big indie game, Fez has been on our minds for quite some time now. Each Friday, developers Polytron have posted a little teaser to those eagerly anticipating the perception bending platformer. This past friday, we got one of our biggest teases yet; the game's first two and a half minutes.

While the footage may not feature gripping action or jaw dropping cut scenes, it sets the stage for what to expect from Fez with two simple sentences; "reality is perception" and "perception is subjective". Mind = blown.

No release date yet, but with the next 'Fez Friday' falls on Christmas eve, so we may get a gift from Polytron then.

Fez Still Exists, Still Looks Amazing

Way back when, I saw a trailer for a game that looked absolutely incredible. My goldfish memory had since long forgotten about said game, without any updates, screenshots, or trailers the indie title may have well been dead. 

Last night, the fleeting memory of this once forgotten bit of indie amazingness kicked down the the door of my inner cortex, where it had been held hostage, and proceeded to slap the taste out of my mouth repeatedly. And I loved every second of it.

Fez is not dead, thankfully. Developers Polytron are still hard at work finishing it up, being perfectionists I guess. When can we expect a release? Sometime in 2011 hopefully, but honestly, who knows. Are we willing to patiently wait? I dunno about you, but you bet your ass I am. Git 'er done, Polytron!

Side note: Polytron has released some Fez 8-bit musical dopeness to tide us over. They care!