In storytelling, what is implied is often more important than what is said. Visual storytelling, or relating an event or story without using words or dialogue, can lead to powerful arguments and ideas in games and other forms of art. Fez, a pixilated indie title from 2014, allowed the environment, mechanics and actions to speak louder than the sparse dialogue. Let’s take a look at Fez, and how its elements came together to unify a story.
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If I had to describe Fez in a single word, it might be “humble.” The visuals are 8-bit and simple, the sound engineering is almost quaint in its execution, and the plot is somewhat clipped and elementary. However, this 2D platformer uses its perspective to bring to pass a fascinating game mechanic: shifting perspective.
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| Though the assembly of the Hexahedron shards is the main motivation, the perspective tricks make exploration a more substantial and enjoyable part of the experience |
The player character is Gomez, a small creature that lives on a floating village. Gomez is summoned by Geezer, the village elder, to meet the Hexahedron. The Hexahedron, a godlike construct, gives Gomez a small red fez that allows him to twist his two-dimensional world and interact with it on three dimensions. However, when Gomez begins to test his powers, the dimensional strain causes the Hexahedron to explode dramatically. The player learns that the universe will collapse if the Hexahedron is not reassembled, and is encouraged by a four-dimensional being named Dot to gather the pieces together for reconstruction. This adventure leads from deep below the ground to across time and space as the player bends the universe to their whims, collecting secrets and learning more about the world around them.
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| The explosion of the Hexahedron forms the major plot point of the game, yet the deeper underlying lore and narrative told throughout the experience is far more complex than what initially meets the eye |
The world is made all the more accessible with the central mechanic, or the perspective tricks allowing for greater exploration. The player is allowed to rotate the cubic world 90 degrees in any direction, allowing the flat platforms and environment to shift in a manner that allows for out-of-the-box thinking. Tiny ledges are revealed to be adequate bridges, or two towers shifted in parallel allowing the player to move between vast spaces. This method of transportation, along with the game’s inherent focus on exploration, allow for a calm and contemplative gameplay strategy.
I’ll say right now that this is not a game that will raise one’s adrenaline or blood pressure. There is no combat or hostile threats to be found, (minus a rising lava flow at one moment, but this wasn’t too difficult) death was easily rectified and with no penalty, and the soothing music and vistas offer a relaxing and contemplative experience. This was the game that I played to calm down after a hard day at work, and I recommend it as a relaxation aid.
However, I doubt that this game would have been as nice as it was if it lacked the unique vistas, and by extension the stories those vistas told. You see, the world around you has hints and traces that allude to a civilization that came before your own. Relics and secret rooms show (not tell) of the construction of a teleportation machine, and how it has aided in the breakdown of the world around you. It shows how these people think, count and otherwise communicate in their unique and blocky fashion. This minute and unprecedented attention to detail encourages exploration at a tighter level, motivating the player with comprehensive fragments of the story.
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| The charming aesthetic meshs nicely with this versatile and simple mechanic to create a visually stunning game, with the pixilated textures and traditional 8-Bit sound engineering working with the game to create a comprehensive whole. |
In this case, while the elements are simple and easy to understand, the wealth behind the overall story experience is easy to notice. While the puzzles may seem a little directionless or somewhat confusing, (Note: A QR code is NOT a puzzle) the simplistic style and emotive aesthetic certainly aid in picking up the slack. I’ll recommend this game to any and all, so long as they have the appropriate attention span… and love of brightly colored headwear
Want to talk about the core mechanics or how they aided the story? Continue the discussion in the comments below, or at our Twitter @GamerGweek !
Written by Spence
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