FEZ USA
FEZ USA is a 2012 indie puzzle-platform game developed by Polytron Corporation and published by Trapdoor. The player-character Gomez receives a fez that reveals his two-dimensional (2D) world to be one of four sides of a three-dimensional (3D) world. The player rotates between these four 2D views to realign platforms and solve puzzles. The objective is to collect cubes and cube fragments to restore order to the universe.
The game was called an “underdog darling of the indie game scene”[1] during its high-profile and protracted five-year development cycle. Fez designer and Polytron founder Phil Fish gained celebrity status for his outspoken public persona and his prominence in the 2012 documentary Indie Game: The Movie, which detailed Fez‘s final stages of development and Polytron’s related legal issues. Fez met critical acclaim upon its April 2012 release for Xbox Live Arcade.
Gameplay – FEZ USA
Fez is a two-dimensional (2D) puzzle platform game set in a three-dimensional (3D) world. The player-character Gomez lives peacefully on a 2D plane until he receives a red fez and witnesses the breakup of a giant, golden hexahedron that tears the fabric of spacetime and reveals a third dimension. After the game appears to glitch, reset, and reboot,[2] the player can rotate between four 2D views of the 3D world, as four sides around a cube-like space.[1][3] This rotation mechanic reveals new paths through the levels by connecting otherwise inaccessible platforms, and is the basis of Fez‘s puzzles.[4]
For example, floating platforms become a solid road, discontinuous ladders become whole, and platforms that move along a track stay on course.[5] The object of the game is to collect cubes and cube fragments,[2] which accrete to restore order to the universe.[4][a] In search of these cubes, Gomez traverses the game environment by jumping between ledges.[1] Other platforming elements change with the level themes, including crates that activate switches, bombs that reveal passages, and pistons that launch Gomez airborne.[5]
Development – FEZ USA
Main article: Development of Fez
See also: Phil Fish and Indie Game: The Movie
Fez‘s five-year[14] development cycle is known for its protracted length and amount of public exposure.[1] Nathan Grayson of VG247 likened its rocky history to “an indie Duke Nukem Forever“,[15] and Polygon reviewer Arthur Gies noted its standing reputation as an “underdog darling of the indie game scene”.[1] Its designer, Phil Fish, became renowned in a way unusual for game developers due to his prominence in the 2012 documentary Indie Game: The Movie.[16] Apart from Fez, which was released to wide acclaim, Fish himself became known for his outspoken and acerbic public persona.[17][18]
Reception – FEZ USA
Reception – FEZ USA
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | X360: 89/100[83] PC: 91/100[84] PS4: 90/100[85] VITA: 91/100[86] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Edge | 9/10[5] |
| Eurogamer | 10/10[2] |
| Game Informer | 9.25/10[4] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[87] |
| IGN | 9.5/10[11] |
| Polygon | 8/10[1] |
| TouchArcade |   [88] |
Reviews upon Fez‘s original release were “generally favorable”, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[83] Later releases received “universal acclaim”.[84][86][85] Each release was consistently among the top-rated releases for each platform’s year.[84][85][83] GameRankings ranks Fez within its top 100 highest-rated Xbox 360 games,[89] top 20 PC games,[90] and top 20 PlayStation 4 games.[91]
FEZ USA Soundtracks
1. Track 1
2. Track 2
3. Track 3
4. Track 4
5. Track 5
