Fez

Fez is awesome.

I picked this game up during the XBL Christmas sales. I had never even heard of it until I read many different websites' "Top 10 Games of the Year" lists, and sure enough, Fez was on almost every one of them, commonly claiming a spot in the Top 5.

Fez is a puzzle-platformer in the same category as other downloadable hits like Braid and Limbo. It lacks Braid's time-altering mechanics (and pretentiousness) and Limbo's grit and grime, but makes up for it with a vibrant style and the ability to rotate the entire world. This is a 2-D world, but with 4 different sides, if that makes any sense. By pulling the Left and Right triggers, you rotate the entire world one-quarter turn. Stages are very vertically-oriented, involving a lot of climbing and rotating the world so that different platforms "change" position on the screen, further allowing your ascent. This made for some really fun and challenging gameplay. Sometimes you will also have to turn platforms, raise and lower water levels, line up ladders, etc. Later stages had some "timed" wall climbing, where you only have a certain amount of time to climb and rotate before panels begin flipping and you lose your grip. There are also some bomb sections where you'll have to rotate the world in snyc with the explosion to keep it going. Here is the launch trailer with some gameplay footage to kind of give you a visual of what I'm trying to explain.

One thing I love about all these different aspects of the game is how none it is really spelled out for you. The game will tell you how to rotate a platform or that you can pick up a bomb and either throw it or drop it, but that's about it. It doesn't hold your hand at all and I really appreciate that.

Puzzles in this game can get straight-up baffling at times, which I also really like. Half the time, I'll leave a room without even realizing there was a puzzle in that room. The only reason I DID know was because of the map. The map has a key that will tell you what's in each room: bits, cubes, treasure chests, key-doors or puzzles. A great example of what I'm talking about is a very simple room with what appears to be a throne in it. I got the bit sitting on the throne, then left and looked at my map. There was (and still is) a ? on my map next to that room, meaning I can do SOMETHING in there. I have no idea what, and I love it.

There is also some type of "code" in this game that I haven't figured out yet. Hell, there are probably multiple codes that I need to decipher. I feel like I'm close to one because I've found a room with a panel that lights up in different "shapes" when I perform different actions. If I jump, a square shape lights up on the panel. If I look right, a certain shape shows up. If I rotate the world left, different shape. And it's always consistent. There are signs in the world sometimes with these shapes on them, but my problem now is that I can't form some of the shapes with my available actions. I don't know how to make those other shapes, but when I find out it's going to be epic.

There is not really a "story" to speak of. There is a giant cube (the hexahedron) that shatters into bits, and you must collect the pieces to put it back together. You find out eventually that the hexahedron consisted of 32 Cubes and 32 Anti-Cubes. You can find entire cubes all at once, or tiny bits. 8 bits=1 cube.Gathering any combination of 32 Cubes or Anti-Cubes will allow you to finish the game, but getting all 64 will most likely unlock the full, true ending. At least that's what I'm guessing. The simple story doesn't bother me in the slightest, because the gameplay and challenge are so solid and satisfying.

I think it took me about 8 hours to find the minimum 32 cubes to "finish" the game. I'm guessing at least double that to get actually get everything. A stellar game for $15. An absolute steal for me since I picked it up at 50% off. This game is excellent and I highly recommend it. Look out for it on sale again. Or don't.