Fe

Developer Zoink isn’t a stranger for Xbox gamers, Stick it to the Man and Zombie Vikings are both 2D games that I enjoyed a lot. Fe is entirely something else though, making the 3D platformer switch. And gosh.. what a great experience it is. Fe pretty much has it all but I will let you discover that in this review for a new unforgettable journey. 

THE GOOD

• For a game with no words it is remarkable how hard Fe made a connection with me. The way you engage with enemies and other creatures is clever and a great way to “get to know” all the forest’s inhabitants. Murals that you can find throughout the forest explain some stuff too, but the mysterious story and events kept my interest.
• Stunning and like I said in the introduction unforgettable. I could just write that little sentence about the visual art style and atmosphere. But it deserves more kind words, it is unlike anything I ever played before and developer Zoink games hopefully knows what kind of excellent work they did. The Diversity, the change of colours, the beautiful created creatures, the size of the environments and .. that giant deer. What a spectacle , what a visual masterpiece!
• Fe combines regular platforming, a few stealth moments and  some easy-to-solve puzzles, what completely shakes the game concept is the way you communicate with other creatures. It isn’t only an emotional thing but singing with the lovely animals or plants makes the world feel alive and real. Pressing the button hard enough, finding the sound channel to talk with others is a mini game you will play often, a fun one too! The five to seven hour adventure never feels repetitive or boring, Zoink made sure to change things regularly and all the different gameplay styles, stealth, platforming or solving puzzles fits perfectly and gives Fe something really unique.
• Atmosphere is everything in Fe and the visual journey receives some great help from perfect music and sound effects. Singing with everything just feels right too and the choice of music is remarkable. To be honest it is just a magical thing and I adore Fe for it.
• One thing I really loved was how clear the game is, for example: there isn’t any kind of HUD. This makes sure that the visuals really have a chance to stand out. Knowing where you need to be is done with talking to birds, they will show you the way. Another great mechanic that makes the game feel alive.

Mixed feelings

• Fe is a typical Metroidvania game that let the players explore the world to collect all kind of collectibles, this adds some replay value but I wish the game was a little bit longer. You can finish the main story in a few hours, although it will be around the ten-hour mark to get 100%. It was a great ride though, so you won’t regret playing Fe.

THE BAD

• No game is perfect and Fe has some camera and control issues. Most of the times the problem is apparent when both come together, when the camera’s vision is obscured the sometimes awkward jump and glide controls become slightly annoying. Hardest part for most will be the giant deer, just be sure to not touch the directional stick and just press the jump button for going up a tree, the game doesn’t really explain it that well.

Fe [Score: 9,1/10] Zoink games already had a few games up their sleeve for Xbox but Fe is something really outstanding and simply awesome. Visually the game is unique and something you have to see for yourself, the gameplay, sound and atmosphere are all really good. It is not Zoink who should be happy that EA took them for the EA Originals label, but EA should be happy that the Swedish developer wanted to bring Fe on the Originals label.