Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics: FEZ
I was 16 or something when I first played FEZ, but it’s definitely still a gem of a game to me and always will be. It’s a single-player game for PCs, and may be broadly categorized as a “puzzle-platform” game. It was developed by Polytron and released in 2012, with an incredible amount of work from Phil Fish (he’s featured in Indie Game: the Movie, which highlights his incredible dedication to detail — totally adds to my appreciation of this game).
Here’s a little breakdown of why I enjoy FEZ so much, through the Mechanics, Dynamics, and Aesthetics of the game.
Mechanics & Dynamics
The mechanics are quite simple but lead to refreshing dynamics — arrow keys to move left and right and to jump, but the most interesting thing is that the ‘A’ and ‘D’ keys rotate the “perspective” of the world by 90 degrees.
This ability is activated after the main character, Gomez, receives a magical fez hat and can suddenly view his 2D world in dazzling 3D!
By adding the switching perspective to the traditional arrow key mechanics found in many platform games, FEZ added a new element to its dynamics; players not only use dexterity to run and jump, but also to glide back and forth between different views as they play the game. In some cases, timing and finesse are key with the changing perspectives, but this mechanic also leads to a lot of observation and visual problem-solving.
Aesthetics
FEZ’s dynamics lead to the aesthetics of challenge, sense, and discovery. Let me tell you a little bit about each.
Challenge
In many of the mini-worlds found in FEZ’s sprawling map, you need to move to the right place and rotate the world in the right way in order to reach doors that will bring you to other areas, or unlock objects. Players have to think critically and build a mental model of the 3D world in order to advance in the game. After each area has been “solved” you feel a sense of accomplishment — definitely what gives this game its puzzle-like quality.
Sense
I absolutely love the graphics and colors in FEZ, and can easily spend time just staring at the pixel landscapes with their gorgeous color schemes and lovely shapes. However, on top of the static imagery, the dynamics of rotating the world are also incredibly pleasing in a visual sense. We get to view the world in vibrant motion, and watch it snap satisfyingly into place. Just rotating around and around is a treat for the eyes.
Discovery
This one’s the biggie: in the end FEZ is all about unlocking new areas in the map and exploring their intricacies fully, and rotating the world will allow you (and encourage you!) to examine every last facet. I definitely think this is what motivated me the most to keep playing on and on. There was always something else I could uncover with another 3D turn.
Beyond the basic travel to different rooms and landscapes, a secret language in glyphs can be found throughout the game. However, this aspect of the game is independent of the movement mechanics and requires some note-taking to crack — it likely pleases many “Explorers” as Richard Bartle would call them.
Overall
FEZ is a lovely game! Everyone should try out its refreshing use of rotational mechanics to create compelling dynamics, and aesthetics of challenge, sense, and exploration (and then watch the documentary to see how much care and dedication really went into making this game).
