Fez

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 376 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 219 out of 376
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 376
  3. Negative: 127 out of 376

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. ramiismail
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    Fez is an amazing piece of work that shows meticulous attention to every little detail that it shows to the player. What makes Fez stand out, however, is all the little things that aren't directly obvious. There is an almost intimidating and uncountable amount of content that is hidden, secret or written in non-existent language. Fez presents itself through amazing art and animation, musicFez is an amazing piece of work that shows meticulous attention to every little detail that it shows to the player. What makes Fez stand out, however, is all the little things that aren't directly obvious. There is an almost intimidating and uncountable amount of content that is hidden, secret or written in non-existent language. Fez presents itself through amazing art and animation, music and a careful tendency towards being a calm & peaceful place with a darker undertone. The lack of combat might make Fez feel somewhat slow or uninteresting to some that are more pre-disposed towards Call of Duty or more action-oriented games, but to me Fez stands out as the first real adventure game in a decade. It is a game I want to play without walkthrough or spoilers simply because it so subtly challenges me to figure it out myself through its elaborate world and fiction.

    Fez appeals to me in the nostalgic craving for a proper adventure game, yet stands out because it goes beyond just being a nostalgic throwback. Fez isn't scared to radically overthrow some notions about what games should be while being a truly interesting game first and foremost at all times.

    Fez is something remarkably special.    … Expand
  2. somelady
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    If you want to explore, solve mysteries, decode lore, and get lost in a visually and musically fantastic gaming experience, play this. It will make you feel like a kid again.
  3. futaihikage
    Apr 27, 2012
    4
    FEZ on the whole, presents an atypical approach to its world design by presenting a pixelated 2D world in 3D terms. The concept of turning 2D to 3D isn't new; this concept can be seen in Paper Mario (by Nintendo) and Crush (by Sega). What is new is the use of pixels instead of completely flat polygons. This is a credit to Renaud Bèdard's programming ability, even though he'sFEZ on the whole, presents an atypical approach to its world design by presenting a pixelated 2D world in 3D terms. The concept of turning 2D to 3D isn't new; this concept can be seen in Paper Mario (by Nintendo) and Crush (by Sega). What is new is the use of pixels instead of completely flat polygons. This is a credit to Renaud Bèdard's programming ability, even though he's new to the game programming realm, the world he coded for FEZ with those pixels is warm, cute and somewhat inviting; however, its not very engaging. There's nothing that draws you personally into FEZ's world and you don't get the same sense of imminent danger that the game wants to present to you.

    FEZ's story is that he has to find smaller bits of larger cubes in order to keep his world from disappearing. But you don't get a sense of that at all in the game's world, from the initial explanation of the story at the beginning of the game nor at the end of the game. None of the non-playable characters give you that sense either. So, since there are no time limits, "lives", or much of a story, you end up with an experience that has only the following three elements left: The 2D world that's viewable in three dimensions, exploration and puzzles.

    The 2D spin-able world looks nice. The color palette has a nice range of colors, but your eyes will beg for more. AT least mine were like that, I definitely desired to see more depth and variations in the color choices as I played the game. The creators of this game wanted it to be some kind of love letter to old games in the past, so you're only getting a color palette that's a bit better than what the original Nintendo Entertainment System could display. Moving around FEZ's world feels a bit slow due to how the main character moves and I did have one or two issues with the game play itself. After playing for an hour or more, when I went to spin the world to get another perspective to see what I had to jump on next, this action seems to happened slower and slower with each passing minute I played over that hour. When that started to happen, jumping became a minor issue as the movement would stutter. Like many other users, I did experience the crash back to the Xbox's Home screen. Fortunately, I felt that these didn't make the game unplayable, as you can quickly get back to where you left off if you restart your Xbox if these problems start occurring. I'm hoping a future patch will clear these issues up. The map isn't very helpful in finding where you are and where you've been, so I mostly skipped it in favor keeping track of places with that notebook I was using to keep puzzle hints.

    As for the puzzles, which outside the 2D/3D thing, is the core of FEZ, there's not much I can say without giving away hints or cause spoilers to appear in this review. The puzzles do range from the very easy, like pushing a block onto a switch to some more obtuse and abstract puzzles where being observant is the key to figuring out the answer, which allows you to get another cube piece. I think Brain Lord for the SNES had harder puzzles to figure out. But I can't really compare those two games since they are different experiences all around in navigating to the next puzzles with in the game world.

    Finally to the exploration aspect of the game; which I thought was a bit tough to do. Most puzzle platformers give you something to draw you into the experience. Since many of these games like FEZ rely heavily on puzzles, most of them bring you into the experience by using sound effects or music. Unfortunately for FEZ, the music is a selection of soft ambient tunes; they were so soft at times, it felt almost nonexistent to me. The chiptune sounds aren't bad in the slightest, they are wonderfully composed pieces. But having something with a bit more pep or using music to add to the tension would have gone a long way in making the game more enjoyable while you're wandering around collecting cubes and solving puzzles.

    How to wrap up this review? I think all in all, this is a wonderful tech demo and not a fully fleshed out game. I didn't experience the mind numbing brilliance that many other reviewers had seen when they played FEZ. However, it has a nice pixelated world spinning mechanic, some soft ambient music and puzzles that will keep you coming back, especially if you're a perfectionist. I don't think this game was fully realized and it feels lacking in some aspects. Buy this game if you're looking for a game you can slowly complete with you don't have anything else to play or on rainy days. There's no pressure, from the main character or his world. Think of MYST for PC in terms of puzzles and pressures to complete the game, mix in ambient chiptunes, a "retro" graphics engine and you have FEZ.    … Expand
  4. Superdajk
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    Fez is a wonderful looking game with an overall feel that hark back to the magical days of the SNES, pen and paper notes and all. Also, Disasterpeace's ambient music is really good and soothing when you're working on homework or the like! I highly recommend this game to anyone who is looking for a good challenge.
  5. Cinemamacula
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    A truly great gem of a game from the Xbox Marketplace. Vibrantly colourful, wonderful music, and oozing with style. I've played a good few hours of it now since its release and I've been pleasantly surprised with the challenging difficulty which has stumped me but not to the point of giving up and searching for a guide, with similar games like Braid. Definitely worth 800 points, theyA truly great gem of a game from the Xbox Marketplace. Vibrantly colourful, wonderful music, and oozing with style. I've played a good few hours of it now since its release and I've been pleasantly surprised with the challenging difficulty which has stumped me but not to the point of giving up and searching for a guide, with similar games like Braid. Definitely worth 800 points, they probably could have priced it at 1200, to be frank.… Expand
  6. Keevin93
    Apr 13, 2012
    9
    Great art direction, Graphics, soundtrack and level design. Figuring out what to do is a challenge but it is so rewarding thanks to the great levels! It's only 800 Microsoft Points, Download it now!
  7. Darthultros
    Apr 13, 2012
    5
    No objectives but collecting blocks put in plain sight, no goals otherwise. No indication of where to go. Music is just ambiance, and every time you enter a new area there's a long intro scoping around it like it's some piece of art.

    It obviously thinks it's something deep and gorgeous when it's a bare bones platformer. Exploration isn't fun or interesting, just boring. No consequences,    No objectives but collecting blocks put in plain sight, no goals otherwise. No indication of where to go. Music is just ambiance, and every time you enter a new area there's a long intro scoping around it like it's some piece of art.

    It obviously thinks it's something deep and gorgeous when it's a bare bones platformer. Exploration isn't fun or interesting, just boring. No consequences, fall damage prevents needing to redo platforming you screwed up on.    … Expand
  8. ZacOfTheZombies
    Apr 13, 2012
    4
    The game promises revolutionary gameplay the likes of which would change the gaming world. What FEZ presents is a watered down experience from an indie blender. The art style of Cave story, mixed with the gameplay mechanics of Paper Mario and Monolith. All in all, the game leaves much to be desired, especially when you can get better for free.
  9. StarlessBB
    Apr 13, 2012
    3
    I really can't give this one the pass. The game is extremely boring, there's never a sense of challenge. Perhaps there were some puzzles I had hit that made me rack my head but for the most part the game is just jumping and rotating.
    What we have here is just another indie platformer. Average chiptunes soundtrack, gimmick trying to carry the game, and trying to have some sort of charm.    I really can't give this one the pass. The game is extremely boring, there's never a sense of challenge. Perhaps there were some puzzles I had hit that made me rack my head but for the most part the game is just jumping and rotating.
    What we have here is just another indie platformer. Average chiptunes soundtrack, gimmick trying to carry the game, and trying to have some sort of charm. It's a cookie cutter indie game. I'd pass it up, there's a flash game called Sky Island that has the same gameplay and that one's free. And also has enemies so there's an actual threat to you.    … Expand
  10. Sno
    Aug 14, 2013
    2
    Overall a terrible game. Not fun at all and not to mention phil fish is a douche. The game is extremely boring and all the oh so revolutionary concepts in the game were used many times before. Not worth buying
  11. Plasmaneedle
    May 24, 2014
    9
    Fez is a breath of fresh air in this console generation. It's innovative game world is brilliant and fun to navigate. It's retro style is a façade for a very new experience. It moves away from the hand holding that is becoming prevalent in this generation of games. Fez creates an excellent sense of exploration and is backed up with outstanding gameplay.
  12. selfish23
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    It's a triumph! A gorgeous exploration of what games can be. A beautiful and serene world to explore and relax in. It took me back to the past, when games were full of wonder and mystery.
  13. Knight83
    Apr 14, 2012
    9
    A very nice XBLA game, with retro 16 Bits graphics (that have some beautiful scenarios, colors and details in them by the way), and a gameplay that is a cross between platform and puzzle games... you're in a 2D world, but with RT / LT can rotate this world, creating a pseudo 3D world to explore, and reunite 32 cubes scattered in this world, that needs some thinking to solve the puzzles.A very nice XBLA game, with retro 16 Bits graphics (that have some beautiful scenarios, colors and details in them by the way), and a gameplay that is a cross between platform and puzzle games... you're in a 2D world, but with RT / LT can rotate this world, creating a pseudo 3D world to explore, and reunite 32 cubes scattered in this world, that needs some thinking to solve the puzzles. One of the best creations in the last months - games are not only about graphics guys, they're about gameplay and originality too. My score: 8,6 / 10,0 .… Expand
  14. Dicky
    Apr 15, 2012
    10
    A stunning game. Atmosphere, music, animation, style. At only 800pts it's superb value too.
    I'm about 40% into the game so far and just keep enjoying the more I play. Easily one of my top games of the last 2 years.
  15. utingme
    Apr 13, 2012
    9
    Charmed. While playing this game, I'm absolutely delighted. With a grin on my face, I think back to older platform puzzlers, a mechanic that reminds me of Paper Mario, the mysterious "save the world premise" all bundled into an attractive pixel art style with superb music and topped off with just the right level of humor. There's no penalty for death - so you are empowered to explore andCharmed. While playing this game, I'm absolutely delighted. With a grin on my face, I think back to older platform puzzlers, a mechanic that reminds me of Paper Mario, the mysterious "save the world premise" all bundled into an attractive pixel art style with superb music and topped off with just the right level of humor. There's no penalty for death - so you are empowered to explore and experiment as you please. Only not a 10 because I've run into a few bugs and the world map and some UI elements aren't as clear as I'd like, but nothing that detract from the overall amount of enjoyment of the game.… Expand
  16. thegooseis
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    Fez is a beautiful, and sometimes psychedelic world with painstakingly crafted pixel-art. Its puzzles aren't too hard, so its a great game for everyone, but even the experienced gamer will have trouble finding every little secret that lay hidden around this 3D world.
  17. beuh_pudding
    Apr 13, 2012
    9
    This game is a pleasure to play. The levels are always fresh and beautifully designed and as you progress the puzzles get increasingly difficult. It's a lot of fun and a fresh change from the same old shoot'em up **** marine games that tend to repeat themselves.
  18. oskie33
    Apr 18, 2012
    9
    What is FEZ? Well it certainly is not the name of our hero in this game. His name is Gomez. FEZ however is a Indie game that raises the BAR for all Indie platform games. Simple and subtle yet hard when it needs to be.What is FEZ? FEZ is not predictable. Though you may think it is because you were able to figure out a couple of puzzles in route to gaining those hard to reach cubes andWhat is FEZ? Well it certainly is not the name of our hero in this game. His name is Gomez. FEZ however is a Indie game that raises the BAR for all Indie platform games. Simple and subtle yet hard when it needs to be.What is FEZ? FEZ is not predictable. Though you may think it is because you were able to figure out a couple of puzzles in route to gaining those hard to reach cubes and ant-cubes scattered across every world you encounter. Not to mention warp zones and secret rooms and cryptography puzzles and blah, blah,blah. What is Fez? Well the game itself has not even begun until its ended..twice! What is FEZ? To me its a cross between Super Mario Bros. 2, Sonic the Hedgehog{w/o the super speed} , and Tetris.What is FEZ? A game that looks cute on the outside but in reality is a total mind f#@$! What is FEZ? A impressive challenging game that will stump the smartest gamer with its puzzles and retro 8-bit graphic style coupling 2d and 3d mechanics all in one while listening to a soundtrack that is almost teasing you while you stumble through this game..oh yeah you will stumble. What is FEZ? Loads of fun. Gamers that grew up in the 80's will feel at home with this throw back title as well as the new school gamers that want to try a game with a bit of nostalgia. Best Indie game I ever played!...A bargain buy for 800 MS points1… Expand
  19. Ex_Parte
    Apr 19, 2012
    5
    FEZ: a fun experience; a bad purchase. While not an original theme or gameplay premise, it can still be a fun game. However, due to repetition, lack of challenge, and technical issues, FEZ is more for nostalgia enthusiasts to experience than for average players to enjoy at the current price. Some negatives... This game has a number of technical issues that are inexcusable in a game so longFEZ: a fun experience; a bad purchase. While not an original theme or gameplay premise, it can still be a fun game. However, due to repetition, lack of challenge, and technical issues, FEZ is more for nostalgia enthusiasts to experience than for average players to enjoy at the current price. Some negatives... This game has a number of technical issues that are inexcusable in a game so long in development. It may be retro-themed, but it is still held to the standards of a modern game release. "Old-fashioned" is only quaint if it's functional. Some positives... Conversely, originality is not the sole benchmark of a fun game. FEZ's premise still provides a fun spin on the platformer experience, and players should check out the free demo first to see if it suits their tastes.
    Final... "Retro" is only a theme, and it is only a good thing regarding nostalgia, not quality. The game may be different from a lot of other games, but the money out of pocket is the same. And it isn't worth $10. Wait for a sale...or go to a retro enthusiast's home to play it.    … Expand
  20. MjrFruits
    Apr 14, 2012
    10
    Fez is not just a game , it's art. A beautiful environment combined with a great soundtrack and a good story. You have to understand the meaning and the work which has gone in the makings to really understand it.
  21. BorisMagee4444
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    Wrote a long review, didn't work. Get this game if you love titles like Braid, Limbo, VVVVVV. Enough said. If you like those games, you will LOVE this one.
  22. Kermie
    Apr 15, 2012
    10
    I wanted to wait until I fully completed FEZ to write a fair review, but I just can't hold it in any longer. Fez is a spectacular Indie game, which features a mind bending perspective changing mechanic. Fez starts out as any other indie platformer would begin. But then, a few hours in you begin to see patterns, reach rooms which have no foreseeable solution, and have to turn back.I wanted to wait until I fully completed FEZ to write a fair review, but I just can't hold it in any longer. Fez is a spectacular Indie game, which features a mind bending perspective changing mechanic. Fez starts out as any other indie platformer would begin. But then, a few hours in you begin to see patterns, reach rooms which have no foreseeable solution, and have to turn back. That's the brilliance of FEZ; it takes the best of games like Metroid and Castlevania (in an exploration sense) and utilizes them to create an amazing and unique world. It's no only fun and challenging to explore, but it is also extremely intriguing and magical as well. The scope of the game is gigantic. Then comes the meat of the game, which obviously not one negative review could understand. What pretty much every negative review is claiming is that there are simple puzzles, ones which with a little manipulation are easy to figure out. Play this game to a solid end, people. The game just doesn't have platforming, but also very difficult puzzles that, if you care, you'll solve. I guarantee that the metabombers responsible for such a low score only played and explored until strange symbols block your path. While some of the platforming gets challenging, the puzzles are wicked tricky. I literally have a sheet with esoteric symbols and characters and decoders to be able to solve the puzzles in this game; something I haven't needed to use for a game since my first time play through tLoZ: OoT when I was a kid. It's brilliantly nostalgic. Collecting the cube is only part of the game. The major part of the game is discovering a long lost civilization and language. Doesn't sound like the negative reviews understood this game at all. It's incredibly challenging, wonderfully crafted, and has an absolutely wonderful and charming chip-tune score along with a beautiful 16-bit graphical pallet that is artful as well as colorful. The 16-bit world is wonderful to explore, and your protagonist, Gomez, is an extremely lovable character. Fez is a triumph. It's platforming is not what you come for, but to explore a rich and deep world that truly makes the player think and wonder about what happened to it, and what it was like before the...well...you'll just have to experience FEZ for yourself.… Expand
  23. Bibowski
    Apr 16, 2012
    10
    I've had an absolutely amazing time playing this. The amount of hype (at least that I've experienced) is fully justified. The soundtrack alone is worth your $10, let alone the huge world and atmosphere contained within this spectacular platform-puzzler.
  24. Locimento
    Apr 20, 2012
    8
    An extremely fresh and new platforming game the oozes style. Fez features well done music, cool game play, neat puzzles, and a really nice retro looking style. One of the major highlights of Fez is rotating the world left or right in order to solve puzzles or get a grasp on the area. I have seen a couple glitches with this title though, such as one block from the first block puzzle in theAn extremely fresh and new platforming game the oozes style. Fez features well done music, cool game play, neat puzzles, and a really nice retro looking style. One of the major highlights of Fez is rotating the world left or right in order to solve puzzles or get a grasp on the area. I have seen a couple glitches with this title though, such as one block from the first block puzzle in the game went through a platform and ended up on the other side somehow, or Gomez falling through platforms he should have grabbed on to. The game is also far too easy as there is zero penalty for dying as you re spawn pretty much right where you died. The maps you collect could use a little more indication of what they mean but i guess that's half the fun of figuring it out. For 10 dollars this is a great title to check out.… Expand
  25. C418
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    5 years in the making. Holy hell, it's finally here.

    Fez is one of the greatest games I've played in YEARS. It gave me happy tears. The first things I realized while playing it: The visuals are amazing. 2D, but revolving around a 3D axis that is made of voxel like worlds The platforming is great. Renaud must have put in a lot of attention so the game feels good to play The game is huge    5 years in the making. Holy hell, it's finally here.

    Fez is one of the greatest games I've played in YEARS. It gave me happy tears.

    The first things I realized while playing it:
    The visuals are amazing. 2D, but revolving around a 3D axis that is made of voxel like worlds
    The platforming is great. Renaud must have put in a lot of attention so the game feels good to play
    The game is huge and insanely detailed. Everything you see in screenshots usually has a reason to be there. Wow.
    The music is the best thing Iâ    … Expand
  26. pyxilion
    Apr 13, 2012
    10
    motiva que los creativos indie rescaten esa estética de lo pocos bits que es tan singular y veía perdida en la nostalgia... hacer cosas visualmente bellas retomando las "carencias" de la vieja escuela
  27. my-junk-it-does
    Apr 13, 2012
    9
    Fez is something special, the graphics and its soundtrack isn't the only thing that is impressive and charming, but the adventure and exploration is something worth to behold. Though this game isn't for everyone as you can tell from some users on here. But for some like me who enjoy a harmless, colourful and creative retro style game like Fez is definitely worth your 800 points.
  28. Billy_Basso
    Apr 27, 2012
    10
    One of my favorite games so far this year.. The fact that it required the internet -- the collective hive-mind of humanity -- over a week to solve the last puzzle is unprecedented. Solving some of the puzzles in this game without help is one of the most rewarding experiences gaming has to offer right now.

    The art's beautiful. The sound track's awesome. The elements of the world make so    One of my favorite games so far this year.. The fact that it required the internet -- the collective hive-mind of humanity -- over a week to solve the last puzzle is unprecedented. Solving some of the puzzles in this game without help is one of the most rewarding experiences gaming has to offer right now.

    The art's beautiful. The sound track's awesome. The elements of the world make so much sense together, it's almost kind of magical.

    The only problem I have with it is the inconsistent frame rate. Hopefully, when Phil Fish gets around to porting it this to PC, that will no longer be an issue.

    Highly recommended.    … Expand
  29. ISeeDeadPikmin
    Apr 14, 2012
    9
    Fez is a true masterpiece, such blocky old school visuals familiar to anyone who gamed through the 80's except the attention to detail is amazing. Simply put, although this game looks retro it's only because of the modern hardware that it's made possible.
  30. bosconian87
    Apr 15, 2012
    10
    Fez is perhaps a true example of someone coding a game not because they feel they have to fill a niche, but becasue they have a great idea, and the determination to show us that the idea works, and we want to play it!! Beautifully styled and integrated graphics and sounds wash over you, and coupled with the gimmick - its a 2D game, in a 3D universe - very quickly you become immersed. ItsFez is perhaps a true example of someone coding a game not because they feel they have to fill a niche, but becasue they have a great idea, and the determination to show us that the idea works, and we want to play it!! Beautifully styled and integrated graphics and sounds wash over you, and coupled with the gimmick - its a 2D game, in a 3D universe - very quickly you become immersed. Its easy to wind-up lost in Fez, but that I feel is the intention - it was only when I was lost that I suddenly embarked on stunning moments I never expected. With simple controls leaving you to enjoy the game, its perhaps best only to say this; the only downer to Fez is that you will either 'get it', and enjoy it, or you won't. At least try it, to see a beautifully realised game, that they sadly never release much anymore.… Expand
prev
Page:

Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012
29
#29 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012
41
#41 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 66 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 66
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 66
  3. Negative: 0 out of 66
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Jun 20, 2012
    91
    An interesting and fun puzzle platformer. The visually flat, but actually three-dimensional levels are very cleverly built. [June 2012]
  2. Hyper Magazine
    Jun 13, 2012
    90
    It's the most thought-provoking and fascinating game I've played all year. [July 2012, p.66]
  3. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Jun 5, 2012
    90
    Its hidden depths might be too obscure for some, but this is the kind of title XBLA was made for. [Issue#85, p.91]
See all critic reviews »