I keep hearing people say this is almost like an ARG in video game form, but it also seems completely pointless.

Is there any point to it or is it just a bunch of obtuse puzzles that lead to nothing?

Like all the "story" bits I've seen just seem like completely throw away moments that have just been thrown in as mechanically as possible to stitch everything together.

I kind of want to buy it to find out why everyone is talking about it but it really just seems like a bunch of nothing. Like there is this really intricate and complex wrapping surrounding a hollow core.

I can appreciate a game with interesting puzzle for the sake of interesting puzzles, but it seems like Fez is trying to do something more with it and either fails completely at it because no one is talking about it or there just isn't any point to it at all and it is just solving puzzles to solve puzzles.

So answer my question.

@LordXavierBritish said:

I keep hearing people say this is almost like an ARG in video game form, but it also seems completely pointless.

Is there any point to it or is it just a bunch of obtuse puzzles that lead to nothing?

Like all the "story" bits I've seen just seem like completely throw away moments that have just been thrown in as mechanically as possible to stitch everything together.

I kind of want to buy it to find out why everyone is talking about it but it really just seems like a bunch of nothing. Like there is this really intricate and complex wrapping surrounding a hollow core.

I can appreciate a game with interesting puzzle for the sake of interesting puzzles, but it seems like Fez is trying to do something more with it and either fails completely at it because no one is talking about it or there just isn't any point to it at all and it is just solving puzzles to solve puzzles.

So answer my question.

You answered your own question. You play it for the puzzles to get cubes... and then once you do that you get to the meta stuff for the anti cubes.

The story is hardly there but if you observe the environment the world does have a history and there are reasons for why things are happening.

@Nottle: So no.

I felt there was more point to Fez than Dark Souls.

@LordXavierBritish said:

I keep hearing people say this is almost like an ARG in video game form, but it also seems completely pointless.

Is there any point to it or is it just a bunch of obtuse puzzles that lead to nothing?

Like all the "story" bits I've seen just seem like completely throw away moments that have just been thrown in as mechanically as possible to stitch everything together.

I kind of want to buy it to find out why everyone is talking about it but it really just seems like a bunch of nothing. Like there is this really intricate and complex wrapping surrounding a hollow core.

I can appreciate a game with interesting puzzle for the sake of interesting puzzles, but it seems like Fez is trying to do something more with it and either fails completely at it because no one is talking about it or there just isn't any point to it at all and it is just solving puzzles to solve puzzles.

So answer my question.

Is there a point to any game?

EDIT: Hehe sorry just wanted to sound mystical or smart in a fake way for just a second. I play puzzle games that have literally no story or point other than to simply solve them. Fez is just like that but with a beautiful hub world to explore and enjoy. If you don't like that then it just isn't for you, but the point of the game is simply to figure as much as possible about it.

@ShiftyMagician: Yes.

@CaLe said:

I felt there was more point to Fez than Dark Souls.

You played Dark Souls wrong.

@LordXavierBritish: It is a puzzle platforming game, you get the 32 cubes and it ends once you go through a stargate... but then it gets trippy you are allowed to play a new game plus with a new ability that really gives you a new view on things. You then can get the anti cubes (well those are in the first playthrough as well but whatever lets just say your second play though is where you'll be wrapping that up) which requires you to do some crazy stuff. The game gets meta in a way that only a person working on a game for 5 years would think of.

The game isn't about some epic tale, tough much like left 4 dead the writing on the wall serves as the story in ways. Really the game is all about viewing things differently, the first play through you may just think it is a charming throwback with a cool gimmick, but eventually you'll doing things that as mysterious as a season of Lost.

@LordXavierBritish said:

You played Dark Souls wrong.

I woke up in a cell and proceeded to fight my way to a bearded guy with a big flame sword, then I touched a piece of metal and a boring cut scene played that didn't explain anything. Pretty sure I played it like most people did. Maybe I didn't die as much, but that's just me.

@Nottle said:

@LordXavierBritish: It is a puzzle platforming game, you get the 32 cubes and it ends once you go through a stargate... but then it gets trippy you are allowed to play a new game plus with a new ability that really gives you a new view on things. You then can get the anti cubes (well those are in the first playthrough as well but whatever lets just say your second play though is where you'll be wrapping that up) which requires you to do some crazy stuff. The game gets meta in a way that only a person working on a game for 5 years would think of.

The game isn't about some epic tale, tough much like left 4 dead the writing on the wall serves as the story in ways. Really the game is all about viewing things differently, the first play through you may just think it is a charming throwback with a cool gimmick, but eventually you'll doing things that as mysterious as a season of Lost.

All I'm saying is I watched the 64 Cube ending and it just seemed like it was deliberately trying to be confusing so stupid people would think it meant something.

@LordXavierBritish said:

@ShiftyMagician: Yes.

Hehe good answer mate. I was writing a proper answer as you typed that. Didn't think you'd answer so quickly. I'll paste here anyway just in case.

Hehe sorry just wanted to sound mystical or smart in a fake way for just a second. I play puzzle games that have literally no story or point other than to simply solve them. Fez is just like that but with a beautiful hub world to explore and enjoy. If you don't like that then it just isn't for you, but the point of the game is simply to figure as much as possible about it.

@CaLe said:

@LordXavierBritish said:

You played Dark Souls wrong.

I woke up in a cell and proceeded to fight my way to a bearded guy with a big flame sword, then I touched a piece of metal and a boring cut scene played that didn't explain anything. Pretty sure I played it like most people did. Maybe I didn't die as much, but that's just me.

You played Dark Souls wrong.

@ShiftyMagician said:

@LordXavierBritish said:

@ShiftyMagician: Yes.

Hehe good answer mate. I was writing a proper answer as you typed that. Didn't think you'd answer so quickly. I'll paste here anyway just in case.

Hehe sorry just wanted to sound mystical or smart in a fake way for just a second. I play puzzle games that have literally no story or point other than to simply solve them. Fez is just like that but with a beautiful hub world to explore and enjoy. If you don't like that then it just isn't for you, but the point of the game is simply to figure as much as possible about it.

I think the thing that piqued my interest is really the Bombcast talk comparing it to something like I Love Bees or Year Zero or the Potato Sack or that dumb 5 Gum thing I gave up on.

Except the entire point of those was there was a very big overarching narrative that everyone was working together to progressive through, like a crowdsourced adventure game more than a series of rooms with funny pictures you have to puzzle out.

@LordXavierBritish said:

@ShiftyMagician: Yes.

@CaLe said:

I felt there was more point to Fez than Dark Souls.

You played Dark Souls wrong.

Darksouls would be an apt comparison in ways. Both have pretty isolated worlds. While getting the normal cubes is baby game easy at first, there is a sense of accomplishment for cracking the tougher stuff, after staring at a puzzle for way longer than you should and it finally clicking, its the same thing as getting over the hurdles in Darksouls, you just feel like a bad ass.

Also both games don't tell the player all that much and the worlds actually have secrets which is a rarity in games these days. The mysterious nature of both games results in a community being built around the games giving each other tips. My favorite part of fez was when over xbox live 3 of my friends and I worked out one of the more vital puzzles by trying out different things and shooting around theories. It was such an awesome revelation once things were through.

@LordXavierBritish said:

@Nottle said:

@LordXavierBritish: It is a puzzle platforming game, you get the 32 cubes and it ends once you go through a stargate... but then it gets trippy you are allowed to play a new game plus with a new ability that really gives you a new view on things. You then can get the anti cubes (well those are in the first playthrough as well but whatever lets just say your second play though is where you'll be wrapping that up) which requires you to do some crazy stuff. The game gets meta in a way that only a person working on a game for 5 years would think of.

The game isn't about some epic tale, tough much like left 4 dead the writing on the wall serves as the story in ways. Really the game is all about viewing things differently, the first play through you may just think it is a charming throwback with a cool gimmick, but eventually you'll doing things that as mysterious as a season of Lost.

All I'm saying is I watched the 64 Cube ending and it just seemed like it was deliberately trying to be confusing so stupid people would think it meant something.

Those endings are weird 2001 space odyssey mindfucks. I didn't like that movie because it was weird, but I did like this game because it was weird so I don't know what to say. This game does have a number of things in common with that movie. Spoilers but this may give you an answer in some way to the "purpose." So this spoiler block is going to be a stream of conscious rambling of both facts that are in game and specuation on "the point" i guess.

But really I like it for the puzzles, that stuff is just interesting to wonder about.

Okay, since when do games (especially puzzle games) need a traditional narrative to validate it's content? Isn't playing it the point? I'm all for epic stories in games but what's even more rare is achieving that personal narrative in pure gameplay and discovery, and immersing yourself in the ambience of the game. This seems to be exactly the point of Fez.

@Nottle: And 2001: A Space Oddysey is one of the best films ever made. It's just that Kubrick makes self-referential puzzles instead of linear stories. That doesn't mean it's self-indulgent weirdness for weirdness' sake. But while Fez does this with logic 2001 does it with metaphysical themes. Not for everyone. On top of that the direction and cinematography are amazing and at the time a groundbreaking technical achievement. /rant.

@LordXavierBritish: Don't buy fez

Yes.

Fez features ambient storytelling that is actually remarkably coherent and interesting, and which is, in fact, expanded by the additional content found in the advanced puzzles. So already, it's superior to Dark Souls from a story perspective.

"AINT NO POINT 2 DA GAME" - Soulja Boy Tell 'Em

I don't know, I love the game. I'm not as far as others, but just about every element in the game contributes to it's surrealist atmosphere. I think that this alone makes it worth playing. The puzzles are a great challenge, too. I don't see what about it is pointless.

@LordXavierBritish said:

You played Dark Souls wrong.

Dark Souls is your sacred cow isn't it? I loved the game, but I'm unable to develop unhealthy obsessions.

@CaLe said:

@LordXavierBritish said:

You played Dark Souls wrong.

Dark Souls is your sacred cow isn't it? I loved the game, but I'm unable to develop unhealthy obsessions.

Normally I wouldn't bother replying when it's this obvious, but this is this one is legitimately sad.

Tell me, were you trying to fish for an angry response or were you actually using metacritic scores to further some imaginary argument that isn't happening.

Answer truthful, both are equally shameful.

@BBQBram: I just found the film incredibly boring and pretentious. The only thing I throught was interesting was HAL but Dave wasn't interesting so I didn't care what happened. Then he becomes a baby.

Yes.

EDIT: Just realized who the OP is. GG.

did someone legit just try and use metacritic scores to prove a point up in here

have some self-respect

@drag: How can you not see that Fez is one better than Dark Souls?

Troll thread.

Numbers don't lie people. 90 is higher than 89 and that means Fez is objectively better than Dark Souls.

Fun is the point. Nothing more than that, nothing less. No sweeping storyline, no deconstruction of widely recognized tropes, just puzzles.

I think it seems like it's trying to be more than that just because it took so damn long to come out, and Phil Fish is infamously pretentious.

Why are people comparing Fez and Dark Souls, they are two entirely different games and really shouldn't be compared

For funsies.

Is there a point to FEZ? No, at least I don't think so. I completed NG+ and still didn't quite get what the point of collecting all the cubes were for. Sure it was to restore the hypercube but as the ending had shown you the world is just a part of an ever continuous and limitless array of cubes made out of cubes that leads to the higher dimensions. IMO the events Gomez goes through has happened before but also had people failing to collect all the cubes. The failure probably led to the death of the ancestors but life seems to carry on with Gomez's people as proof.

Did I enjoy my experience with FEZ? Yes, not because of the ARG stuff but because some of the puzzles were clever and interesting if frustratingly obscure.

The point of completing the puzzles in Fez is the same as the point of completing the puzzles in many games; you progress, you acquire in-game resources, it gives you a sense of satisfaction, it's challenging, it gets your brain working, and you can get impressed by the puzzles as a work within themselves.

You're solving puzzles. That's the point of the game. Because there's a puzzle and you want to solve it. Does every game need some high stakes driving force behind it?

You're solving puzzles. That's the point of the game. Because there's a puzzle and you want to solve it. Does every game need some high stakes driving force behind it?

I think Fez and Dark Souls are both fantastic! Man, I miss Paul Barman.

They are puzzles with a fairly light narrative hook. If you want more story go someplace else I guess?

@LordXavierBritish:

Is there a 'point' to any game?

Was there a point to LOST? If you answered "yes" then keep playing Fez, in "no" then I can't help you.

@CaLe said:

90 is higher than 89

Prove it.

@CaLe said:

@LordXavierBritish said:

You played Dark Souls wrong.

Dark Souls is your sacred cow isn't it? I loved the game, but I'm unable to develop unhealthy obsessions.

The fact that these two scores are being shown shows what is wrong with reviews these days. Fuck scores.

@LordXavierBritish said:

The point is Mario 64 is to collect stars to save the Princess. That isn't high concept it is just an objective. Everything I have seen of Fez seems like it is either completely pointless or it is trying to be 2 deep 4 u and doing it poorly.

I never played Mario 64 to save the Princess. I played it because it was fun to run around and explore and collect shiny things. Funnily enough, that's the same reason that I played Fez.

The point is to collect 64 cubes and rebuild the hypercube. That said, I'm probably the lone voice that thinks Fez is overrated. I didn't get that ARG experience, since I only needed a hint for one puzzle. The platforming has a interesting gimmick, but that only elevates it to above average platformer with puzzles. The story is "told" through the environment and really isn't all that interesting. I liked the game, but still, overrated.

Is there a point to any game? Well there you go.

@LordXavierBritish said: Stop being suck a dick all the time.

And troll. You troll dick.

Is there a point to any game?

Gonna have to hijack this thread. Thanks mods.

Is the soundtrack available for purchase anywhere? Played an hour or two last night and while the game itself is kind of meh, the soundtrack is amazing and I want it in my body.