Fe Review

Genre: Action-Adventure
Players: 1
Playtime: 6 hours (Includes beating the game and finding roughly half of all stone tablets, crystals, and other collectibles scattered about this minimalist world)


I can be a sucker for a game with a unique art style and intriguing premise.  Such was the case when Fe was first teased back at EA's press conference of E3 2016.  Taking cues from such esteemed games such as Journey, Shadow of the Colossus, and Metroid, all the cards look to be in hand for what should be an equally evocative gaming experience.  But being developed by such a smaller, more unknown indie team, is this game able to achieve those same lofty ambitions?  Let us ascend the many polygonal heights of this world and grab our bearings of the positive and negative features to be found across this somber landscape.

Unique Mechanics

Fe is a game that stands apart in thanks to the many unusual and unique means in which players control and interact with the world around them.  Discovering the many varieties of animal and plant life, and then using your growing palette of voices to resonate and/or antagonize each for many an effect; It's such a fresh and compelling system to play around with.  Your tools for traversal also feel incredibly unique as you zip up trees and glide through the air, calling out to the flora and other ethereal beings to extend your flights.  While the controls may not always be as accurate as desired, plenty of kudos is deserved for creating such original mechanics full of such curious delight.

There's an odd pleasure to be found in lining up frequencies and befriending the many wildlife found in this game.

Art Direction / Music

The art of Fe is also noticeably striking with its minimalist, polygonal models that lack texture, but stand out in thanks to careful consideration to shape and color.  The result is a world that has both dark undertones, but also entrancing beauty.  Everything feels connected in this world and there is an air of mystery that surrounds it all.  Aiding in this aesthetic is the distinct sound design, that adds subtle ambiance while exploring, but also crescendos with stirring strings when the moment calls for it.  This is a world that is a pleasure to just stand back at times, and let all the sights and sounds soak in.

Colossal Climb

One moment in the game that really stood out was a trek in which you had to climb a colossal deer.  And when I say colossal, this deer was as tall as a mountain with trees growing all across its surface.  It's a shame this was the only instance such was experienced in this game because there's nothing quite like the thrill of ascending such great heights, especially when it's an awe-inspiring walking behemoth.

One of Fe's most impressive sights to see, and to climb.

Storytelling

The story of Fe is told without the means of text, but rather player interpretation of the many actions between wildlife, bits of stone tablet drawings, and few glimpses of the Silent One's perspectives.  Strong narratives can be achieved through such indirect means, and Fe certainly had what seems to be an intriguing premise.  However, both the vague nature of these many storytelling elements and the scattered means in which the large score of them are strewn about in no particular order make it difficult to appreciate any sort of collective understanding of this narrative.  Come the end of the game, the story tries to steer course, but the disjointed nature of this storytelling lessens the impact of this conclusion and makes it feel just a bit uncertain and okay at best.

Um, sure.  Got it.  I think.

Navigation

While the fog and low draw distance add a lot to the mysterious aura of this game, it also makes it very easy to get lost, both literally and figuratively.  The world lacks iconic landmarks and every section sort of feels partly the same with their tall trees and mountains.  As such, navigating this world can be a bit of a confusing mess, especially when you're still unlocking abilities.  Because of this, I wasn't particularly motivated to try and find the rest of the collectibles scattered about this world, despite its artistic appeal and draw.

Controls

As mentioned earlier, the controls in this game can be a bit of struggle at times to cooperate with.  Too many a time you'll want to climb a tree and hop off prematurely before reaching its peak.  Or you'll glide off a tall ledge hoping to land on another tree, but miss your destination due to shaky gliding and sudden camera shifts.  This can cause a bit of frustration, especially when such requires significant rework to reach said tall ledge again.

Fe is certainly one of the boldest and most striking games to be released in 2018.  Outside this surface level attraction though, it suffers from uneven storytelling and a confusing world in which to explore.  It's unfortunate, because with a bit more polish, this game looks to have the potential to be quite a super hallmark in the indie gaming space.  As it stands though, Fe remains a fairly enjoyable game; A beautiful, but imperfect experience.

If you have any questions or thoughts about this game, please feel free to comment and discuss below.  Thanks.  And happy gaming!