Fez was the game I had been looking forward to playing the most of any game in recent years. After a long period of development it was released on XBLA, then was made available for Windows with a promise that Linux and Mac ports were coming soon. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, when I came to discover that the debut of the Mac and Linux versions of the game were now available, and were part of the latest Humble Indie Bundle. I threw money at my screen, and in no time I had everything downloaded.
Fez is a remarkably beautiful game. Although it looks kind of 16-bit-ish, the pixel art is just breathtaking. The scenery, both in the foreground and background, is vivid and really pops out at you. It might have taken years to perfect the game, but the end product is something very special.
The idea of the game is really cool. You play as a character living in a 2D world, then a level into the game something strange happens and he comes to learn that there is a 3rd dimension. From that point forward, you rotate the world left and right across the third dimension to explore, collect pieces, and solve puzzles.
The reason I am enjoying it so much, besides just how darn pretty it is, is that it’s relaxing. There are no time limits, penalties for deaths, or baddies you have to fight. Your entire job is to just explore and solve puzzles- and it’s a ridiculous amount of fun. When I want to unwind, Fez is a great way to do it.
Just in case there are other Linux users curious about how well it works, I’ll talk directly about the Linux version for a minute. After purchasing the game you are directed to downloading a .bin file. Make sure it has executable permissions, then simply click to run it. The installer asks where you’d like to save it (I’d recommend ~ /.fez), and it does its thing. After that, you will find Fez available in your normal application launcher. It opens full screen, and at least on my system, runs completely as expected with full performance. This is a great Linux port.
If you’ve not played it yet, go ahead and grab a copy while the Humble Indie Bundle 9 is still available. Support a few good charities, and let the developers know you appreciate the extra work they put into making the Linux version.
Click here to be taken to humblebundle.com, where you can buy the Humble Indie Bundle #9
