14 DAY TRIAL // 
Few independent games have been as eagerly awaited as Fez, the recently launched puzzle platformer from Polytron, which arrived on the Xbox 360 console, via the Xbox Live Arcade service, only last week.
After spending quite a few years in development, during which it earned lots of awards and praise for its novel premise, the game has finally been released and regular gamers can see what all the fuss is about.
Is Fez an actual worthwhile gaming experience or is it more art than game? Let’s find out.
After you get over the vibrant graphics, you’re introduced to the title’s story, which sees the protagonist, Gomez, travel all around his quaint and extremely varied little world in other to piece together a special artifact.
While this may not be the most original concept, Fez’s winning feature comes into play when Gomez is awarded with a … fez hat. This accessory is more than just stylish, as the hat allows the small white creature to manipulate the environment by rotating it 90 degrees at a time.
As such, while in a certain angle you may be faced with a giant chasm between two platforms, turning it to the left or right transforms this into something that can be beaten with just a small jump.
What the game neglects to tell you is that you can pull off these changes in angle even in the middle of the jump. As such, while it may seem like you have nowhere to go, all you need to do is jump and change the angle before you can land on a safe platform.
Those looking for a simple experience with Fez won’t find it, as the game stays true to retro experience in more than just visuals. As such, you’ll find very little hints and the player is left to figure out all of the game’s variety of puzzles.
Expect to backtrack a lot and to talk with other players in order to figure out the best way through a certain level, just like in the 1980s or 90s, when everyone gathered around arcades to share tips and tricks about certain games.
Sadly, while offering a challenge isn’t exactly a bad thing, the game has quite a few bugs and glitches that might annoy you. I’ve found myself entering objects in the level several times while trying to navigate it. Whenever I tried to move, Gomez would fall down and I’d respawn in the same position, so I was forced to restart it.
What’s more, there are also issues when exiting the game, as it caused my Xbox 360 to freeze on the loading screen.
Sound-wise, Fez manages to shine, as you’re treated with all sorts of tracks that induce a Zen-like attitude that soothes the nerves generated by some of the game’s trickier puzzles. There’s no voice acting, but there are plenty of effects that make the world of Fez feel alive and filled with wonders.
Speaking of the game’s world, each level feels fresh and many feature all sorts of special attributes, from tall waterfalls to serene platforms filled with small animals and, of course, your little white Gomez wearing his fez and trying to find the hidden cubes.
While the graphics make you think of 8- or 16-bit games, the attention to detail and the special effects make Fez stand out from the array of other retro-styled games out there, so you won’t get tired of its visuals after the 4-hour campaign concludes.
Fez will keep you entertained for quite a while and there’s even a New Game+ mode that offers a neat little twist in order to make completing the title a second time a more rewarding experience.
It’s quite challenging, it doesn’t try to hold your hand, and you’ll certainly have to put your brain to good use, but you’re rewarded with a visually pleasing experience that always feels fresh and varied. Sadly, there are still quite a few bugs present in the game, so you might want to wait until a few updates appear in order to play it without any problems.
The Good
The Bad
Conclusion
