Walking around in the world as a kid is something magical. We’ve all grown up now and we’ve forgotten the pure magic of the world, a magic we could clearly see when we were younger. We wanted to share our stories with adults but it seemed they didn’t speak our language, we were left in a gorgeous world without the possibility of communicating. Until we found language, the language of music.
Alone in the gorgeous forest
Right from the start, it’s clear that Fe is a different type of game. Developed by Zoink Games and published as an EA Originals game, it caught my attention directly after its first reveal to the world. The world of Fe is so different from the things we’re used to see and I can only applaud this creativity. Fe uses a limited amount of colors to tell its story, blue and red form the most important shades of the game. Looking at character design, Fe truly impresses with its minimal and yet recognisable creature design. The small fox-like creature you’ll command is just adorable and you’ll feel connected with it instantly. The visuals in combination with the gorgeous music are what make this into such a unique experience. Fe is master of creating a certain atmosphere you simply can’t ignore. But what remains of the game when you look further than just the pretty cover?
The song of family
When you take your first step in the game, you’ll soon notice that there’s no real guidance here. The world is open for you to explore and it’s entirely up to you to find the right path. Sound like a hard task but it’s actually not that difficult since it’s always pretty clear to see what the game wants you to do. The most important mechanism to venture forward is your ability to sing with other creatures. If you manage to sing in sync (a small mini-game is used to achieve this), you’ll befriend one of the wild animals. Depending on what animal you befriended, you’ll be able to activate a certain switch or swim upstream if you found the right creature for the job. It’s here where you’ll find the progression system of the game as well.
Right from the start, the little fox is too young to communicate with adult creatures, it’s useless to sing to them since they’ll simply won’t understand what you are trying to tell them. The more you advance, the more you’ll learn and eventually the more you’re able to unlock. Soon you’ll discover a giant bird who lost its giant eggs, by returning those to it, you’ll unlock new powers like the ability to climb trees. It’s an interesting approach to the Metroidvania genre, especially since the open world offers more freedom than you’re used to in this genre.
A unique story, if you pay attention to it
If you pay attention, you’ll understand the story of Fe. From the start, there’s no real narratives or story here, everything is explained with some visual hints, hidden messages or progress of your adventure. A couple of minutes into the game, you’ll meet the enemies for the first time. These creepy enemies walk like humans and crawl like spiders at the same time, it’s really unsettling to see them the first time and without further explanation, you’ll quickly understand that they can never see you if you wish to survive. It seems like these enemies are using some kind of strong web to trap the creatures of the forest, it’s your job to set them free.
During your adventure, you’ll learn more about the mysterious origin of these evil creatures and hidden stones in the environment help you understand everything even better. It’s an impressive way to tell the story and if you pay attention to it, you’ll enjoy the strange ending even more. It’s up to you if you want to invest your time in it but in the end, I think it’s crucial to truly appreciate the game.
Not a smooth journey
Fe is a unique game without any doubt, it’s a shame not everything about it works as it should. My biggest issue with it, is the way you control everything. The singing isn’t always as smooth as it should, climbing trees can get confusing at times and the open world isn’t that interesting if you look past the strong visuals. I’m sure a lot of gamers will think these are things that will break the game and to so point, I won’t argue with that. It’s true, Fe is far from perfect but the journey is worth the struggle in the end. A patch to smoothen the path even more wouldn’t hurt on the other hand.
Conclusion:
Fe is a unique game but struggles with some technical issues. It’s a game not everybody will like but if you’re willing to look past the flaws of it, you’ll discover a small gem. I enjoyed playing it from start to finish and both the visuals and music are from a level you wouldn’t expect for a project of this side. If you’re looking for a different kind of game for once, this is one you should try for sure!
