Fez

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1220 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 702 out of 1220
  2. Mixed: 234 out of 1220
  3. Negative: 284 out of 1220

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  1. StaticSpine
    Jun 11, 2013
    8
    Indie Game The Movie there I've found out about this game. The genre isn't my piece of cake, but I was curious about the game mechanics. I must say this game is pretty original combining 2D and 3D. The graphics are pretty, the music is relaxing. The world has a lot of details and seems to be crafted with love.
    I won't be dissing Phil Fish because he really made a game which can be    Indie Game The Movie there I've found out about this game. The genre isn't my piece of cake, but I was curious about the game mechanics. I must say this game is pretty original combining 2D and 3D. The graphics are pretty, the music is relaxing. The world has a lot of details and seems to be crafted with love.
    I won't be dissing Phil Fish because he really made a game which can be advised to try to almost every gamer because it gives unique and refreshing experience.    … Expand
  2. Brosman
    Sep 12, 2013
    8
    Great puzzle game and is incredibly original. Just genuinely fun to play. Sad to see its score getting effected because of the 360 versions problems..
  3. DKLON
    Jun 11, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It is an amazing game i see the indie game movie i see you work and i cans say OMG WHAT A GOOD WORK MEN AN AMAZING GAMES WITH A LOT OF TRICKY LEVELS IT IS PRETTY AWESOME BUT IT HAVE LITTLE MISTAKES IN THE DOWNLOAD A LITTLE PROBLEM (i just finish the game it is an special game...… Expand
  4. catchao218
    Oct 16, 2013
    8
    This game isn't necessarily innovating much, but the way it utilizes the mechanics and clever puzzles that require more than just in-game tools makes it quite unique. The game has quite a lot of bugs though, and while most aren't game-breaking, it does kind of remove the player from the experience.
  5. edknator
    Sep 8, 2013
    8
    Classic, retro story and art style with a cool new concept. 8 points for originality and putting all the pieces together in a way that makes it a fun, challenging game. Only issue I see, is that it might be a bit repetitive, just take breaks and come back to the game another time, if you get bored, or can't figure something out. Don't look up guides, that's just spoiling the puzzle aspectClassic, retro story and art style with a cool new concept. 8 points for originality and putting all the pieces together in a way that makes it a fun, challenging game. Only issue I see, is that it might be a bit repetitive, just take breaks and come back to the game another time, if you get bored, or can't figure something out. Don't look up guides, that's just spoiling the puzzle aspect of the game. Overall, a definite purchase for indie game fans.… Expand
  6. Arphiax
    Mar 22, 2014
    8
    I really enjoyed exploring this game. The mix of 2D/3D was a really nice concept. The only downside is that it is pretty easy. There are no enemies, and if you fall you respawn immediately with no consequences. Jumping to your death to get a hard to reach cube is a perfectly viable option.
    Most of the puzzles to beat the game are pretty easy, but then there are some puzzles that are    I really enjoyed exploring this game. The mix of 2D/3D was a really nice concept. The only downside is that it is pretty easy. There are no enemies, and if you fall you respawn immediately with no consequences. Jumping to your death to get a hard to reach cube is a perfectly viable option.
    Most of the puzzles to beat the game are pretty easy, but then there are some puzzles that are pretty much impossible. After significant effort I looked some up online to see that I never would have known the solution.
    Overall I highly recommend this game for the neat exploration mechanics, but if you are a super hardcore gamer you might get bored pretty quick.    … Expand
  7. mmmMatto
    Sep 7, 2015
    8
    First and foremost, I think Phil Fish is a despicable person. If you don't know why this is search Google for a few minutes. If he ever decides to re-enter the industry I won't be giving him my money. I'm copy-pasting my original review just so I can add this addendum. That said, I consider my original review unbiased so I won't alter it and I won't change the score I gave.

    A lot of    First and foremost, I think Phil Fish is a despicable person. If you don't know why this is search Google for a few minutes. If he ever decides to re-enter the industry I won't be giving him my money. I'm copy-pasting my original review just so I can add this addendum. That said, I consider my original review unbiased so I won't alter it and I won't change the score I gave.

    A lot of people say they had problems running the game. It ran just fine on my old Core 2 Duo build with a cheapo GeForce 210 card. Maybe I just got lucky.

    Some of the other common criticisms:
    -The graphics weren't groundbreaking, or even original, just retro-platformer style with a 3D twist tossed in.
    I thought it was aesthetically pleasing enough, and the different areas had varied looks and feels to them, so I didn't think it was monotonous. Awe-inducing? No. Original? Not particularly. It may not be groundbreaking but I didn't think it was boring.

    -Navigation requires a lot of back-tracking.
    Yeah, it does at times. Once you learn a section you can get through fast enough though, and there are some warp gates that let you jump past a few otherwise long journeys. Annoying at times, but not unbearable.

    -You can't die, ergo there's no challenge.
    I was okay with that. I enjoyed it more for the puzzles, and honestly if I had to go back to the bottom of the screen every time I fell off a ledge it would be a lot more frustrating than fun.

    -The puzzles were too easy, ergo there's no challenge.
    Maybe I'm just stupider than the other people who played this game, but I thought the puzzles were challenging enough to be interesting but not so abstract that I wanted to pull my hair out. They at least took some time and thought to figure out. I enjoyed working out the cryptograms for the alphabet and numbers, then going back to solve the puzzles that required the ability to read, and I didn't mind the fact that some of the puzzles could only be solved during the second play through.

    My final thoughts: It was pretty fun. It isn't stressful so you can play casually. You have to play through twice to solve all the puzzles, but the second time around the puzzles you solved stay solved so it's not too painful. It held my interest long enough that I didn't mind. I think the people who gave bad reviews just have really high expectations.    … Expand
  8. DDilettante
    Jan 17, 2015
    8
    FEZ is a quirky little indie-platformer with a simple yet completely fresh gameplay mechanic. Gomez, the little protagonist, lives happily in a 2D world, with 2D folk, until he suddenly comes across a third dimension.

    Well, pretty much a third dimension. You now have the ability to rotate the world 90 degrees at a time, being able to see and interact with previously hidden objects and    FEZ is a quirky little indie-platformer with a simple yet completely fresh gameplay mechanic. Gomez, the little protagonist, lives happily in a 2D world, with 2D folk, until he suddenly comes across a third dimension.

    Well, pretty much a third dimension. You now have the ability to rotate the world 90 degrees at a time, being able to see and interact with previously hidden objects and platforms. Initially, the gimmick of a new perspective isn't too challenging. See a platformer too high to jump? Rotate the world to see a platform you can can get to. That ledge much too far to jump? Again, rotate the world and the gap is much less.

    Eventually, though, the platforming challenge becomes greater, but not impossible. The level designs are ingenious, but not overly taxing. But if you want to solve the more subtle puzzles, and collect more of the cube-pieces scattered about the world, you'll want to break out the notepad and pen.

    This is where FEZ really calls back to it's retro roots. The codes, passwords, and clues in some areas need to be jotted down to be used in other areas, just like the games of old. It teaches us to be classic gamers again. And the amount of humour that classic gamers will get, is always a treat (what, your companion is supposed to know what things mean?).

    The integration of modern mechanics is interesting as well. At times, QR codes can be found, and provided you've got a smartphone with the right app to unlock some collectables! I like this because it's not a DLC-aspect thing, it grounds you into reality. Breaking down the 4th wall, which is understandable since in the game they only just discovered the 3rd wall.

    The pixellated style is fantastic and varied, all of the areas have something different about them.

    Oh, and just be prepared for a psychedelic ending. I was not, and felt like I was falling through a rabbit-hole. If I were high, I would have been trippin' hard.

    Regardless, a great small game with many collectables and a fresh perspective on gaming.    … Expand
  9. TasselHat
    Aug 2, 2015
    8
    Good game, just because the dev is a prick doesn't mean you shouldn't try it. It's an interesting concept that is well executed and the whole world is also adorable. Although the dev doesn't deserve a cent from the purchases of this game. Maybe just become a pirate and sail the seven seas instead, arrg.
  10. leSange
    Dec 2, 2016
    8
    This game have Perspective. Haha, got it?
    Really enjoyed music room and last-hardcore lava room.
    This game was made with love, dude.
    True indie.
    Ending is very exciting.
  11. Danil_Shtangeev
    Dec 15, 2018
    8
    Exciting 2D/3D visual experience. I've played this game many years ago. But it's still looking interesting for me.
  12. Ivan_Kras
    Sep 24, 2019
    8
    lack of good control settings
    отсутствие нормальной настройки управиления
  13. explorerbay
    Aug 5, 2020
    8
    Really good puzzles and platform, the 2d/3d is amazing and makes you try it every time to see what is hidden
  14. irai16
    May 4, 2022
    8
    Great game! It's charming and beautiful with an amazing soundtrack and an excellent premise. I love how chill it is, you just traverse through these awe-inspiring levels collecting cubes, with no pressure or enemies to fight. There is quite a bit of backtracking, and the ending doesn't really make much sense, but overall, it's one of the best puzzle games I've ever played.
  15. phdr_vrba
    May 4, 2013
    7
    The initial PC release had a tendency to crash, but that seems to be resolved by now. Besides that, Fez is about as good as you could expect: nice pixealart graphics, interesting and unique game mechanics and levels/puzzles that make it shine. And unless you plan on getting all the secrets, Fez is also rather short and easy, and I didn't really mind that, because...

    ...while the game is    The initial PC release had a tendency to crash, but that seems to be resolved by now. Besides that, Fez is about as good as you could expect: nice pixealart graphics, interesting and unique game mechanics and levels/puzzles that make it shine. And unless you plan on getting all the secrets, Fez is also rather short and easy, and I didn't really mind that, because...

    ...while the game is fine as it is, I did not feel like playing something memorable and there are acpects of the design that are simply bothersome. First there are those black hole things that block your movements. They are just annoying and in most cases reentering the level makes them dissapear. And this does not seem to be a bug. I am not really sure what is the point of having those obstacles, if I can just get rid of them and even if I don't, there does not seem to be any kind of reward for navigating around them.

    Then there is the matter of traveling across larger distances in the world. The world itself is a bunch of interconnected levels with a few (like 5) hubs that allow instant travel between them. Also at the end of some of the levels there are small teleports that will get you to closest hub. So, travel between the hubs is fast and easy, but getting to the actual puzzle further away from the hub requires you to jump again through all the levels on the way. Which is as annoying as it sounds, if not more. I really wish that I could just get instantly to any level I have already been to.

    Furthermore the retro 3-colored levels are pain to navigate and the world feels just incredibly empty. The village at the beginning is just filled with interesting NPCs, and there is a similiar one near the end of the game, but inbetween, all those locations feel just like puzzles with fancy props, devoid of any actual life. A bunch of reappearing NPCs throughout the world would help the immersion so much, but no luck thre either.

    So, yeah, Fez does what was expected of it and does it well, but there is not much more beyond that, which is kinda shame. And yeah, there seem to be loads of secrets that might ramp up the playtime and difficulty considerably, but the game wasn't really that fun for me to bother with those.    … Expand
  16. micic00
    Oct 29, 2015
    7
    Interesting concept and that's about it. Nothing was done with it. No story, no real puzzles for anyone above 10 years old, no challenge whatsoever, weird map though and great sounds and music. Recommended to try it out and for your kids. It blew my mind every time I rotated screen from 2d into 3d (or another 2d) and it adds great feeling. But that's about it. Should be expanded upon.
  17. SimpleMethod
    Jul 17, 2013
    7
    Fez would be perfect if it worked the way it should have on launch. The game itself is really interesting, featuring a bright color palette and is jam packed with interesting design choices. Unfortunately, I can't recommend you buy it on PC, as it is was very poorly optimized and could easily blue-screen your rig. If an Xbox or PS3 is an option, play this game there.
  18. Libertardian
    May 3, 2013
    7
    It's a solid "Yet Another Indie Puzzle-Platformer", but it's puzzle design suffers from "Cleverer Than Thou" syndrome. Many puzzles rely entirely or mostly on the player's ability to figure out various alphabetic, numerical, or input code systems. The much-hyped perspective shifting gameplay doesn't really play out that much in the actual puzzle solving.

    It is possible to complete the    It's a solid "Yet Another Indie Puzzle-Platformer", but it's puzzle design suffers from "Cleverer Than Thou" syndrome. Many puzzles rely entirely or mostly on the player's ability to figure out various alphabetic, numerical, or input code systems. The much-hyped perspective shifting gameplay doesn't really play out that much in the actual puzzle solving.

    It is possible to complete the game without spending time on the cipher systems, if you feel like figuring out all the puzzles yourself. Full completion will most likely require consultation with GameFAQs.

    Worth a buy if you're willing to deal with infrequent, albeit harmless crashes (unless you're on Intel hardware, in which case don't bother) and the biggest douchebag developer on the planet.    … Expand
  19. xTreeCutterx
    May 19, 2013
    7
    Not a bad game, but not amazing as well.
    This is a puzzle platforming game, with a calming ambiance. The colorful graphics, and the soothing music really comes together to create a relaxing atmosphere. However, this game goes overboard on that aspect, as I found myself quite bored at times. The character moves really slow, and there's nothing really engaging.
    The visuals are quite    Not a bad game, but not amazing as well.
    This is a puzzle platforming game, with a calming ambiance. The colorful graphics, and the soothing music really comes together to create a relaxing atmosphere. However, this game goes overboard on that aspect, as I found myself quite bored at times. The character moves really slow, and there's nothing really engaging.
    The visuals are quite beautiful at first, but then you come to realize that every "new" environment, is just the same old graphics, but put through some filter.
    Don't get me wrong, I did have fun playing this game, but I was never truly excited to play this game, like I never actually felt a strong urge to load this game up and find the next puzzle piece. I guess I was always hoping for some kind of change to blow me away and to captivate me, but unfortunately FEZ remains about the same all throughout the game.    … Expand
  20. kdamica
    Jun 2, 2013
    7
    Fez has some problems, but it is worth playing. The music and atmosphere are great, and many of the puzzles are a lot of fun to solve. But ultimately, it's the puzzle design that left me with the feeling that the game comes up short. While the beginning of the game has a lot of great puzzles, the later game is filled with challenges that are either frustrating or downright impenetrable. IFez has some problems, but it is worth playing. The music and atmosphere are great, and many of the puzzles are a lot of fun to solve. But ultimately, it's the puzzle design that left me with the feeling that the game comes up short. While the beginning of the game has a lot of great puzzles, the later game is filled with challenges that are either frustrating or downright impenetrable. I solved some of them without really knowing why, while others required a lot of tedium. Then there are those that require you to crack codes. Since they all had basically the same solution once you cracked the codes (or looked them up online), this came off to me as a total cop-out.

    In short, Fez is well worth your time, but trying to solve the later puzzles requires so much drudgery that you'll put the game down before you ever get to all of them.    … Expand
  21. Awesumo
    Jul 22, 2013
    7
    While it is a perfectly passable platform puzzle game it has none of the *WOW* factor that would justify it's 10/10 reviews. It's an above average game, but it doesn''t do anything to make you fall in love with it or remember it for years to come, like say Portal.
  22. claradina
    Jul 12, 2013
    7
    This is an EXCELLENT game. I loved while playing this game. This has brought a new 3d worlds playing in 2d world. It's an amazing puzzle game and it does not cost that much at all. GET IT.
  23. MacGamer
    Oct 19, 2013
    7
    FEZ is a very beautiful game and has many creative features. The one problem with the game is that in the beginning, it is very confusing to get the hang of the controls when adjusting perspective. FEZ also has a large number of glitches but do not affect the gameplay to heavily.
  24. demolisher7778
    Oct 27, 2014
    7
    A visually stunning game that has a questionable story, FEZ takes a bold step into the modern gamer's realm and manages to topple my expectations. Overall, it is a pretty solid game.
  25. razmataz5000
    Aug 4, 2014
    7
    Fez in theory is a great idea. You take a retro sort of feel, and literally put a spin on it. And for the most part, Phil Fish did a great job. I enjoy the game, but it is a little slow paced for my taste. With that said, everything else is pretty nice. The graphics, the sounds, the controls. It was all good, I just found myself bored after a while.
  26. shootinstah
    Aug 14, 2017
    7
    I really like games that take you in and allow you explore vast areas, and FEZ pleases that love of mine pretty well, the atmosphere of the game is beautiful, great sprite-work, and calm ambiance. The game is kind of a collect-a-thon of sorts, you just jump around hills and help yourself by switching your view from 2D to 3D, a neat mechanic but nothing too special. For something like thatI really like games that take you in and allow you explore vast areas, and FEZ pleases that love of mine pretty well, the atmosphere of the game is beautiful, great sprite-work, and calm ambiance. The game is kind of a collect-a-thon of sorts, you just jump around hills and help yourself by switching your view from 2D to 3D, a neat mechanic but nothing too special. For something like that it could've been done more interestingly, like with, uh, actual threats. The game might be boring to some without much to do besides finding stuff in some areas and looking for new places, although I think its just find. It's pretty overhyped but its just a decent indie game and not much more.… Expand
  27. nitorita
    Aug 26, 2019
    7
    I had my doubts about this game after reading some negative reviews here, but after I gave it a try, it was actually quite a pleasant game to play.

    Fez feels like a platformer on zen mode where the main focus is to explore its vast world and take in the sights, which are really nice to look at. There are puzzles added in to make it a little challenging and to spur your curiosity. There    I had my doubts about this game after reading some negative reviews here, but after I gave it a try, it was actually quite a pleasant game to play.

    Fez feels like a platformer on zen mode where the main focus is to explore its vast world and take in the sights, which are really nice to look at. There are puzzles added in to make it a little challenging and to spur your curiosity. There are no enemies and you have unlimited lives, so you can play at your own pace without any pressure.

    There are lots of secrets to unlock in the game which are gated behind puzzles that can be difficult to solve without the use of a guide. From what I understand, the puzzles are "optional," but only in the sense that although you'll need to complete a few of them to beat the game, you can pick and choose the ones you want to, so you can always do the easy ones and ignore the hard ones, which seem to revolve around codebreaking.

    Overall, I couldn't give the game an 8 because it didn't really have a lot going for it. The enormous map that branches off into many directions is nice to explore, but that's all there is. The NPCs don't matter, the story is virtually nonexistent, and there is no actual goal besides collecting a bunch of yellow cubes. It was a decent indie game though, so it gets a 7 from me.    … Expand
  28. PanMrkvicka
    Aug 7, 2020
    7
    Its fine not mindblowing most people didint even finish it which is shame because it get slightly better and more fun after finishing, learning the language and all that sounds nice on paper but it doesnt really work its tedious and not fun but yeah art over fun i guess. Platforming is basic so its bad and the new mechanic of making everthing 3D isnt all that interesting and puzzles areIts fine not mindblowing most people didint even finish it which is shame because it get slightly better and more fun after finishing, learning the language and all that sounds nice on paper but it doesnt really work its tedious and not fun but yeah art over fun i guess. Platforming is basic so its bad and the new mechanic of making everthing 3D isnt all that interesting and puzzles are kinda meh most of them are finding out the code and then typing in the sequence and some of them doesnt even make sense or its some ridiculuous thing solved by community. It sounds cool and so hardcore but thats not how you make a good puzzle, Baba is you or Talos Principle is much better. Still visuals are nice and soundtrack and exploration as well.… Expand
  29. Gillfinnfish
    Apr 11, 2020
    7
    A good game who's hubris stops it from being great. The gameplay is initially amusing and the aesthetic endlessly charming, but towards the end becomes unreasonably unfair. It's fun but doesn't want you leave satisfied.
  30. kezzyhko
    Aug 5, 2020
    7
    ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2013
43
#43 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
34
#34 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Jun 23, 2013
    100
    A masterpiece by any measure. [July 2013, p.89]
  2. PC Gamer UK
    Jun 19, 2013
    90
    A gorgeous puzzle-platformer that's both a treat for the eyes and a thorough workout for the mind. [July 2013, p.82]
    Read full review
  3. PC Master (Greece)
    Jun 5, 2013
    85
    The variation of the broken-down elements of the game is such that, if you miss two or three of the dozens of screens of the game, you will have missed on something special and unique. [June 2013]
See all critic reviews »