Holy sh*t, that was fantastic. Really. Well done.
I kind of feel like I got more out of your quirky list than even the Giant Bomb GOTY videos this year. I mean, you weren't super flashy, but you had a quality and consistency that made explaining it all just work. Nicely done.
My one question regarding your list would be why you listed FEZ as your runner-up for biggest disappointment. Did you beat both playthroughs? I know some people walked away from it early on because it still seemed like a basic platformer, but there was so much more to that game and what it was conveying. I suppose I just can't imagine how someone could experience the evolution of the game and not consider it, if not great, at least mid-range.
Anyway, thanks for sharing! :)
I got the first ending, knowing there was more to the game, but not really enjoying it. I walked away from it with the intent on going back some day, and around that time a friend of mine bought the game and got both endings, reigniting my interest. We talked it over and his description soured me enough that I just watched the second ending on Youtube and decided it wasn't worth it.
Had a couple people ask me in-depth about this on my Tumblr, you may be interested in reading this and this.
I think not doing that second playthrough really colors that final impression. Reading what you wrote, you actually seem to be explaining some of the reasons it's an interesting experience, but you're coming from a perspective of expecting something it isn't. Its whole point is ultimately to not be that.
[Obviously, some FEZ spoilers ahead for anyone looking to avoid them]
In the second playthrough, you gain two abilities that completely break what you thought the game was, on purpose. You gain the ability to fly, which makes the platforming even more insignificant, reemphasizing how trivial it is in the larger matter of understanding the game. And you gain the ability to look in first person, changing it from a purely 2D experience to a 3D one, opening up a view of things you were never able to see before. These open up doors to the language of the game. And it all adds up to a world telling a story about the progression of videogames from 1 plain(Atari era) to 2 plains(NES and SNES) to 3 plains(N64 and PS1) and the potential evolution from there. In that context, it looks at the value of our time and the lengths to which gamers will go to figure things out because they're there. To beat games and climb the mountain because they can.
A lot of gamers wracked our brains to figure out the crazy clues and cryptography of the game until almost every secret was found. Not because there's some big reward, but because figuring things out, talking about theories and trying to find answers, is more important than any big reveal. I cherish my time really sitting down and working out the alphabet, the math, the mind-boggling puzzles, and helping others do the same. In a time where direct narrative and big conflict is king, FEZ is simply a love letter to the basic mechanics of videogames and the very act of thinking about and making videogames.
I can understand your issue with engagement, but to me, the engagement feels clear. Like if you meet someone for the first time that everyone has raved about, but when you spend some time with them, you don't see what's so special. I'm saying there's more to that person than it seems, and while we may not see them the same way, I do believe there's someone well worth knowing there. FEZ is imperfect in many ways, but it's also special in even more.
I imagine it would be hard to go back now, but at the very least, I hope further discussions of the game will help convey a better picture of what it was. :)
See, I don't know. I feel like Fez should have communicated all of that faster and more clearly. Your "artistic statement" should not be buried under layers of boring gameplay and poor control that go on for hours. Fez could have been fun outside of the statements it makes and still done everything you say it does.
That's one of the things that has really rubbed me the wrong way with indie games - the message often overrides whether or not the game itself is actually fun.
Defcon is fun. But Defcon also makes a pretty bleak statement. Fez needed to be a better game in order to more clearly deliver its messages. It's a shame about Fez 2.
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