FEZ!

[Ekkebus]

I have the number system figured out. The alphabet you don't actually NEED to decipher unless you want a shot at finishing the last two puzzles and even then the last one is nearly impossible anyways. There is actually a monolith out there that will lay out the entire alphabet for you if you can figure out what the phrase it's spelling out is. The biggest thing is figuring out the Tetris piece sequence codes since that alone will get you like half the Anti-Cubes.

Speaking of which, I have all 64 cubes now and all the artifacts which means I have a full achievement score for this game. There still are those last two super-puzzles but realistically speaking, I'm going to look up the answer for those online since they're way beyond my ability to figure out solo. Overall I fucking love this game though. The laid-back platforming Metroid style exploration of the first run-through gives way to an awesome code decrypting logic puzzle fest in the second half. Surprisingly though, other than those last couple of puzzles, none of the solutions felt too daunting to figure out with a little bit of keen observation. It's surprisingly well-balanced puzzle difficulty for having some really bat-shit crazy ideas going on. It'll be a tough fight for any other game to unseat Fez as my downloadable game of the year I think.

[Zeiram]

I think being able to understand the people in the other village and the cube at the start of a New Game (+) adds something to the experience. But by that point, I could almost translate the alphabet without referencing my notes. Also, I'm in the same boat as you Tim regarding puzzle solving and the line between challenge and BS.

[Wood]

SO, with everyone talking highly of this game, and being under a rock in Afghanistan, I only piece together what this game is, and it's no where close to what the game actually is. I might check it out when I get home, but I really have no clue. Is there a demo?

[Ekkebus]

Of COURSE there's a demo. All XBLA games have a demo. It's kind of better if you just check it out, It could be summed up as 'another indie puzzle platformer' but it's a lot more than that in practice.

[Juese]

So here's the thing. I "beat" Fez, which didn't feel like a conclusion or victory at all. In new game +, even with the aid of FAQs to try and figure out the Tetris code the input isn't working. Reading that the last puzzles get harder and harder, I feel like I shouldn't continue at all, which means I'm not getting the real ending. So although I enjoyed playing the game up through the seizure, I mean "ending", I feel really very unsatisfied right now.

Unlocking the Real Ending after you've beaten a game with some form of replay or trickery involved has never felt right to me, almost like a punishment.

[Ekkebus]

It's unfortunate that you couldn't get into the cryptology aspect of Fez. For me, and I think most other people who really got into the game that was the whole reason why. The platforming and exploration are fun but it's that need for pen and paper puzzle solving that really makes Fez stand out.

However, I don't think it's really fair to call it punishment when I game gives you more to do to unlock a true/better ending. There are quite a few totally great games that don't fully tip their hand until you go back and dig a little further after you've seen credits roll. Most prominently I would point out how in Symphony of the Night it's entirely possible (probable even, at least in 1998) to beat Richter and "beat the game" in just a few hours. I hardly think most players would classify going back and exploring an entire second castle as a punishment. Off the top of my head, 999, Eternal Darkness and Dragon Quest VIII are other examples of games that I think use a false or incomplete ending to enhance their stories.