[FEZ] is out on Live Arcade! Use spoiler tags when discussing puzzles and their solution!

Turkey

Yeah, after some thinking it's true that my dislike of Fish doesn't mean that the game will be bad, or that the rest of the team doesn't totally deserve my money if the game is good.

Plus, I'm a sucker for Metroidvanias.

vonPoonBurGer

Bossking wrote: »

He tried to make a PC version, but when he showed it off, it wouldn't stop crashing.

His official stance is now "Consoles are for games, PCs are for spreadsheets." So don't count on it.

So, I just noticed this post, and I don't think this is accurate. Well, I'm sure Phil said that quote or something like it, it sounds like the ridiculous sort of thing he'd say. The version that I played was on a PC with a 360 controller attached though, so I think a PC version is pretty likely. I think that was the build submitted to IGF (the second time), but I could be wrong.

anoffday

I'd love to play it assuming it gets a PC release so if that happens I'm there.

Also, Metroidvania? Yes please.

Fireflash

After seeing the actual gameplay video I'm wondering how this game plays out. Are there any enemies/threats or is this all 100% platforming/puzzle solving?

Either way it still looks interesting, although I wasn't expecting to be constanly rotating the level as frequently as that.

vonPoonBurGer

Fireflash wrote: »

After seeing the actual gameplay video I'm wondering how this game plays out. Are there any enemies/threats or is this all 100% platforming/puzzle solving?

Definitely no enemies, though there are hazards that are part of the puzzle gameplay. So hmm, I guess that makes it less Metroidvania. The exploration and world map are what gave me a Metroidvania vibe I guess.

Monger

Fez is coming out?

Like, for actual reals?

About goddamn time.

Ah_Pook

wasnt this supposed to come out on multiple platforms at some point in its million year long dev period? pretty cool that its actually finally coming out though.

vonPoonBurGer

Ah_Pook wrote: »

wasnt this supposed to come out on multiple platforms at some point in its million year long dev period?

Yes, I think so. FEZ has had a long and difficult development period from what I can gather. Some of it self-inflicted, some due to inexperience and some due to personality, but a lot of things sort of beyond there control as well. I've only had intermittent glimpses into the whole process though, so I don't have the whole story. I think a post-mortem on Fez would be fascinating, a lot of things must have gone on in that five years. At any rate, I'm pretty certain a PC version will happen after the Xbox Live exclusivity period ends, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it on other consoles eventually.

Fawst

Am I confusing Indie devs? I could have sworn I'd read that his next game will be specifically NOT on XBLA due to the exclusivity situation... I'm probably confusing devs. Regardless, I've got a point card sitting next to my 360, ready to be used as soon as this is available. I love everything about what I've seen of it. That's rare. I wish I had friends with PC talents so we could make a game.

pablo_price

you're probably thinking of Jonathan Blow, who made Braid, and doesn't have a lot of kind things to say about microsoft's xbla shenanigans

Fawst

That is exactly who I was thinking of. Nevermind, nothin to see here =)

SteevL

I remember seeing trailers or video footage of this game many months before I got my 360, which was in mid-2008. Jeez.

Looking forward to it.

pablo_price

yeah, seeing gameplay video years ago sold me on the game. makes me wonder why the official trailer is just spinning shit though.
if I didn't already know what the game was about, the trailer wouldn't really interest me.

also, don't think this has been posted yet:

darleysam

Hm, I worry that's going to look too much like a kid's game, and might miss a lot of valid attention. Damnit.

anoffday

darleysam wrote: »

Hm, I worry that's going to look too much like a kid's game, and might miss a lot of valid attention. Damnit.

I dunno. I think most gamers acknowledge the fact that games come in many styles, and that cartoony doesn't always mean kids game anymore. I think the only people who don't know are the ignorant people who assume all video games are for kids, buy their kid GTA and see what's in it and demand there be some kind of rating only to have someone point out that it's already there.

Aside from them, kids who just discovered swearing and hardcore COD players might put it down, but I think enough people have been interested in fez for awhile to make it successful.

Adda

In case anyone is interested in that kind of thing, the FEZ cover above was done by Brian Lee O'Malley of 'Scott Pilgrim' fame.

Linespider5

Huh. I honestly have to say that the character in the Fez looks pretty weak on that box. Like, his head is really flat and out of perspective with the rest of his body. Not that that's something a fan of Scott Pilgrim would care about in art or anything.

darleysam

Linespider5 wrote: »

Huh. I honestly have to say that the character in the Fez looks pretty weak on that box. Like, his head is really flat and out of perspective with the rest of his body. Not that that's something a fan of Scott Pilgrim would care about in art or anything.

Well, he is a two-dimensional character. He's meant to look flat.

jclast

For only $10 this look phenomenal. Now I just need to round up 400 points by next week and I'm golden.

Linespider5

darleysam wrote: »

Linespider5 wrote: »

Huh. I honestly have to say that the character in the Fez looks pretty weak on that box. Like, his head is really flat and out of perspective with the rest of his body. Not that that's something a fan of Scott Pilgrim would care about in art or anything.

Well, he is a two-dimensional character. He's meant to look flat.

I really don't want to have this conversation, but even a flat character, or, if for some reason his head is two dimensional but the rest of his body isn't (see that shading and foreshortening from the light casting shadows on the figure?) the head would STILL be better positioned than it is. The way the arms are positioned around the head make an incredibly weak figure composition. See how the outreached hand gets a forced shadow on it so we 'know' the hand is in front of the face? See how the neck is off-center with the body?

Don't get me wrong, the entire background and colouring is gorgeous, but...whitey there is the centerpiece of this image and, if this was the cover of my game, I'd send it back and tell him to get it done right.

darleysam

Linespider5 wrote: »

darleysam wrote: »

Linespider5 wrote: »

Huh. I honestly have to say that the character in the Fez looks pretty weak on that box. Like, his head is really flat and out of perspective with the rest of his body. Not that that's something a fan of Scott Pilgrim would care about in art or anything.

Well, he is a two-dimensional character. He's meant to look flat.

I really don't want to have this conversation, but even a flat character, or, if for some reason his head is two dimensional but the rest of his body isn't (see that shading and foreshortening from the light casting shadows on the figure?) the head would STILL be better positioned than it is. The way the arms are positioned around the head make an incredibly weak figure composition. See how the outreached hand gets a forced shadow on it so we 'know' the hand is in front of the face? See how the neck is off-center with the body?

Don't get me wrong, the entire background and colouring is gorgeous, but...whitey there is the centerpiece of this image and, if this was the cover of my game, I'd send it back and tell him to get it done right.

Oh I can see that, I was just half being a smartarse.

vonPoonBurGer

I think the semi-odd "box art" is kind of intentional, sort of a nod to the off-kilter box art you'd sometimes see in the olden days.

Also, I got a code for the game! The version I played before was on a PC with a wired 360 controller attached, I definitely like it more on my TV screen. Apparently there's a "media blackout" (??), so I'm only supposed to talk about the game in "very vague terms". I'm trying to find out if it's Ok for me to do a video and commentary of the first ~20 minutes of gameplay or something, and if so, when it'd be acceptable to release that.

In the meantime, here are some "vague terms" I'd use to describe my first hour or so with the final build: surprisingly funny, super retro vibe, a lot of nods to classic games (particularly Nintendo's, there's definitely a lot of Zelda DNA in Fez), an exceptional amount of atmosphere in some levels, tons of secrets to find, the world map is neat.

darleysam

Saw a LOT of Fez talk on Twitter over the weekend, so I'm guessing it was a hit at PAX. Can't wait until Friday.

SkyTurnsRed

vonPoonBurGer wrote: »

I think the semi-odd "box art" is kind of intentional, sort of a nod to the off-kilter box art you'd sometimes see in the olden days.

Also, I got a code for the game! The version I played before was on a PC with a wired 360 controller attached, I definitely like it more on my TV screen. Apparently there's a "media blackout" (??), so I'm only supposed to talk about the game in "very vague terms". I'm trying to find out if it's Ok for me to do a video and commentary of the first ~20 minutes of gameplay or something, and if so, when it'd be acceptable to release that.

In the meantime, here are some "vague terms" I'd use to describe my first hour or so with the final build: surprisingly funny, super retro vibe, a lot of nods to classic games (particularly Nintendo's, there's definitely a lot of Zelda DNA in Fez), an exceptional amount of atmosphere in some levels, tons of secrets to find, the world map is neat.

Any idea when that blackout gets lifted?

vonPoonBurGer

SkyTurnsRed wrote: »

Any idea when that blackout gets lifted?

I'm told it's tomorrow, April 11th. I'm planning to record the first ~15 minutes or so of the gameplay (minus the intro, which I thought was cool and surprising and totally worth not spoiling), with some commentary.

More "vague" info. The game is pretty large, I'd go so far as to say that it's a great deal at 800 MSP. I can't get any time on my fucking Xbox right now because my girlfriend keeps hogging it to play Fez. Man, I so want to talk about a bunch of the neater stuff in the game but I don't want to spoil anything.

SkyTurnsRed

Some guy uploaded gameplay videos:

vonPoonBurGer

Hmm, I get "This video is private". I imagine he got a message about the media embargo thingy, or he realized that he meant to upload them private in the first place. They might reactivate tomorrow.

SkyTurnsRed

http://kotaku.com/5900926/fez-the-kotaku-review - glowing review!

Turkey

Quick Look: http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-fez/17-5862/

Morran

Soundtrack available on spotify (fez by disasterpeace)

darleysam

Better to preorder it through the bandcamp page than listen on spotify. You get basically no money from spotify plays. I have only listened to one track, Adventure, and it has completely sold me on everything to do with Fez. It is incredible.
http://disasterpeace.com/album/fez

SkyTurnsRed

Ahhh man. I cannot WAIT for this!

vonPoonBurGer

So I was gonna do the commentary thing, but I'm not nearly as well set up for video/audio/voice capture as I thought (my mic sucks, and I'd be limited to 480p with the hardware I've got). The Giant Bomb video probably did a far better job than I could, and it includes everything I was planning to show anyway.

SkyTurnsRed

vonPoonBurGer wrote: »

So I was gonna do the commentary thing, but I'm not nearly as well set up for video/audio/voice capture as I thought (my mic sucks, and I'd be limited to 480p with the hardware I've got). The Giant Bomb video probably did a far better job than I could, and it includes everything I was planning to show anyway.

I assume you're loving it? How far are you, would you say?

Xenogear_0001

A friend of mine at work turned me onto this, and I'm glad he did. Well, I'm glad, but my wallet is sobbing in the corner. Kind of a straw breaking a camel's back kind of deal. So many games to play, so little time.

Magus`

IGN thinks this is also out for the PC. Fuckers.

peterdevore

The XBLA temporary exclusivity made me really pissed at first, but then I realized the deal might have made it possible for the game to come out instead of getting canceled, or at least be a better game in the end because of it (assuming they got money up front out of the deal, can't imagine otherwise).

I can wait another half year or so for the PC version, although avoiding the spoilers will be tough. Seems the game is chock full of secrety bits.

vonPoonBurGer

SkyTurnsRed wrote: »

I assume you're loving it? How far are you, would you say?

I've really enjoyed it so far, but my progress on the game has kind of stalled because my girlfriend has completely co-opted my XBox. We've spent some time with her playing and me watching, trying to tease out the solutions to some of the more difficult puzzles. Early in the game I thought "oh man I'm going through this too fast, it'll be over too quickly." Ha! Naive optimism, soon to be crushed by iron reality. There are some puzzles in this game that I am completely stumped on, including that goddamn giant bell. Argh, I get frustrated just thinking about it. I'm actually really looking forward to the game's release tomorrow, mainly so other people can take a crack at these puzzles and I can get a hint if I'm still stumped later on.

Incidentally, the PA Report has an interesting write-up on Fez. Looks like they too are baffled by the giant bell.

MrDelish

So, should this be available at midnight sometime or in the morning? I just finished classes and have convinced myself this is what will liven up my pre-summer time.

pablo_price

xbox content usually goes up between midnight and 3am pacific time.