Fe

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that's especially true for a game like Fe. For every beautiful moment and every emotional musical chord, there's a gameplay element that just gets in the way. Microtransactions: none

77%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

stability, grinding

79% User Score Based on 425 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Fe is a single player and multiplayer platformer game with fantasy, mystery and science fiction themes. It was developed by Zoink and was released on June 4, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Fe is a new type of platform adventure where the story is up to you to discover, without handholding, told wordlessly through the discoveries you make during gameplay. Run, climb and glide your way through a dark Nordic forest and explore its living, breathing ecosystem filled with secrets and mystical creatures. At the heart of the experience is a tactile, analogue song mechanic that allows you t…

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79%

Audience ScoreBased on 425 reviews

story56 positive mentions

stability6 negative mentions

Fe is a visually stunning game with beautiful graphics and a captivating soundtrack that creates an immersive experience.
The gameplay emphasizes exploration and puzzle-solving, allowing players to interact with the environment and other creatures in unique ways.
Many players find the game relaxing and enjoyable, appreciating its artistic style and the emotional impact of its wordless storytelling.

The game has frustrating controls, especially for those using keyboard and mouse, and lacks the ability to remap keys, making it difficult for some players to enjoy.
Many players report confusion regarding objectives and mechanics, leading to feelings of being lost and bored during gameplay.
The requirement to use the EA launcher and potential technical issues related to it have caused significant frustration for players trying to access the game.

story
163 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
34%
59%
7%
The story of the game is primarily conveyed through visuals and environmental storytelling, which some players find captivating while others deem it confusing and lacking clarity. Many reviewers appreciate the game's aesthetic and emotional impact, but criticize the brevity and vagueness of the narrative, often feeling that it leaves too much open to interpretation. Overall, while the story has its moments of beauty and depth, it struggles with coherence and engagement, leading to mixed feelings among players.
- “This game is underrated and has a beautiful story; more people need to play it.”
- “The atmosphere is just amazing and the story made me tear up.”
- “Fe's story is told entirely through images instead of text, and despite the fact that I didn't really understand what was going on, it still managed to leave an impact on me by the end through imagery and audio alone.”
- “The final failure for this game, in my personal opinion, was the utter lack of any form of a story.”
- “The story is by far the most problematic bit of the game and is where most of my gripes sit.”
- “Even with several mechanics and collectibles designed to reveal the story, nobody in the fan base seems to really know what's going on.”
gameplay
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
59%
6%
The gameplay of "Fe" is characterized by its unique musical mechanics and exploration elements, allowing players to connect with animals and solve puzzles. While the controls can be challenging, particularly the singing mechanics, many players appreciate the game's beautiful graphics and atmosphere. However, some reviewers noted that the gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with unclear mechanics and a somewhat shallow narrative experience.
- “This is a really nice game mechanic and it emphasizes the story element as you connect with more animals and learn their language.”
- “Movement feels satisfying, and the mechanic of singing to the other animals is so unique and well done.”
- “Overall, the game is gorgeous, the soundtrack is lovely and the gameplay is smooth.”
- “The only thing that bugged me was the explanations of mechanics in the game are slightly unclear. For example, when you first learn to sing, it shows you moving your mouse forward and back to change pitch, but it doesn't tell you you're supposed to move it quickly to try and maintain the same pitch.”
- “There are some cool ideas here, but the overall gameplay is just repetitive and not super engaging.”
- “The game is very stylistic, but ultimately falls short in terms of gameplay.”
graphics
107 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
35%
3%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique low-poly art style and beautiful aesthetics, creating an immersive and relaxing atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. Many reviewers highlight the vibrant colors and charming visuals, which contribute to the game's overall appeal, despite some criticism regarding the simplicity of the graphics. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack makes it a standout title for fans of indie games.
- “The graphics are really good, and there's adventure in it too!”
- “It was an absolute masterpiece, graphics and ambience is amazing, overall peaceful game to destress, singing with the animals to befriend them and learn abilities.”
- “Beautiful graphics, touching soundtrack, philosophical storyline, great satisfaction upon discovering secrets that you worked insanely hard to get.”
- “The visual aesthetic is somehow less pleasing in-game than I had expected from trailers, and the charm wore off for me too soon.”
- “While the graphics of a game don't really define it, the art style does, and their choice of season inadvertently shot themselves in the foot by only allowing them to use cold colors.”
- “Graphic - terrible.”
music
90 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
43%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience with soothing melodies and unique musical mechanics that allow players to interact with the environment and creatures. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a key component that keeps players engaged, although some express disappointment in the execution of the musical mechanics. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a touching soundtrack creates a relaxing and immersive experience.
- “It's a very cute game, has great music and even some creepier moments as well.”
- “The game's music is great throughout, but it becomes especially powerful in the last area, where it intensifies the closer you get to the finale.”
- “Everything from the gameplay to the character design to the music is absolutely beautiful.”
- “The music and graphics relax you as you venture deeper into this world and discover the story, but the game is full of irritating platforming that gets almost unacceptable if you try to complete it 100%.”
- “Alas, it is also disappointing, as it involves fine-tuning loudness and nothing very musical at all.”
- “Honestly, I'd love to recommend this game; it has soothingly melodic music and a cozy atmosphere... but the controlling part is highly important for the comfortable walkthrough and I can't give a recommendation.”
atmosphere
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
25%
11%
The atmosphere in "Fe" is widely praised for its beautiful visuals, soothing soundtrack, and magical, surreal qualities that create a relaxing and immersive experience. Players appreciate the game's minimalistic design and the emotional depth conveyed through its non-verbal storytelling, making it a perfect choice for those who enjoy atmospheric exploration and puzzle platformers. Overall, the game's enchanting ambiance enhances the gameplay, inviting players to unwind and explore its vibrant world.
- “The atmosphere is just amazing and the story made me tear up.”
- “It's very atmospheric and quite relaxing to play - perfect for unwinding after a day of work.”
- “I happen to love the minimalistic atmosphere the game has, combined with its surreal aspect.”
- “Fe is a very beautifully styled puzzle game with calm cute elements, a lot of blooming light colors in dark environments and a relaxing atmosphere if you are okay to just wander in a park, listen to the hum, go mushroom hunting all the while trying to figure out what the game is about.”
- “Overall, Fe had a kind of magical atmosphere to it that only got stronger for me the more I played.”
emotional
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players highlighting its beautiful graphics, touching soundtrack, and philosophical storyline that evoke strong feelings, including tears at the ending. Many describe it as a wholesome and creative experience, offering a satisfying journey filled with puzzles and secrets that resonate deeply with players. Overall, it is regarded as an underrated gem that provides a profound emotional connection.
- “The ending made me cry; I really love this game.”
- “Beautiful graphics, touching soundtrack, philosophical storyline, great satisfaction upon discovering secrets that you worked insanely hard to get.”
- “A gorgeous, wordless, and emotional little platformer that popped up on Steam just when I needed a game of its creative caliber to get through the day.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with players frequently encountering bugs that disrupt gameplay, particularly during platforming sections. Many users express frustration with the game's performance, especially when using the Origin platform, suggesting that separating the game from Origin could improve the experience. Overall, the instability detracts from the enjoyment of the whimsical story and engaging interactions.
- “It was so buggy and I'm not going to climb up to the highest point of the forest one more time after falling off like 100 times.”
- “Origin has a notorious habit for running poorly, and if they could decouple FE, a Unity game, from Origin, that might actually make the first 30 minutes playable (rather than buggy Origin-ness) followed by finally being able to play the game eventually.”
- “The 3D platforming is a lot like Spyro, the story is whimsical and interpretive (if you love coming up with game plot theories, you'll love this game), and the interactions with the other creatures of the forest feel similar to Spore's creature stage (albeit less annoying and buggy).”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, comparing it to the overwhelming challenge of completing a 5000-piece puzzle, despite the simplicity of the individual puzzles themselves.
- “The 'puzzles' were relatively simple; it's just the tedious nature of the game that makes it feel like a goddamn 5000-piece puzzle.”
- “Tedious”
- “Tedious”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The humor in the game has been criticized for falling flat, with players finding it unfunny and frustrating, particularly in a sequence involving an alien flower that requires a tedious interaction. Overall, the comedic elements seem to detract from the gameplay experience rather than enhance it.
- “This was not funny at all!”
- “This was not funny at all!”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The reviews highlight that the character designs are artistically beautiful, which initially draws players to the game. However, there is little mention of character development in terms of narrative or growth, suggesting that while the aesthetics are appealing, the depth of character progression may be lacking.
- “Everything from the gameplay to the character design to the music is absolutely beautiful.”
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
- “I expected a rich narrative with deep characters, but instead, I found one-dimensional personalities that failed to engage me.”
- “Despite the beautiful character designs, the lack of meaningful growth or change in the characters made the experience feel flat.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's monetization strategy is criticized for lacking effective advertising, which has contributed to its underground status despite its quality. Reviewers believe that with better promotional efforts, the game could gain significant attention and popularity.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Fe offers a moderate level of replayability primarily through collectibles, which encourage players to revisit the game. Many users express a desire to replay the game even without these collectibles, indicating a strong appeal in its gameplay experience.
- “Fe does have some replayability in the form of collectibles, but even without those, I can easily see myself coming back for more replays.”