Fe
- June 4, 2020
- Zoink
- 8h median play time
"Fe is an open-world platformer centered around a tactile song mechanic, allowing communication with forest creatures to solve puzzles and battle foes. Players explore a breathtaking Nordic ecosystem, discovering the story through interactions and uncovering secrets. Befriend animals, manipulate plants, and unravel the mystery of the Silent Ones to protect the forest."
Reviews
- Fe is a visually stunning game with a beautiful art style and 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.
- The game is relaxing and charming, making it a great choice for those looking for a wholesome and enjoyable gaming experience.
- The game requires the EA launcher, which has caused frustration for many players, making it difficult to access and play the game.
- Controls can be clunky and unintuitive, leading to confusion and frustration, especially for players unfamiliar with the mechanics.
- The lack of clear direction and tutorials can leave players feeling lost, making it challenging to progress without getting stuck.
- story83 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in the game is primarily conveyed through visuals and music, creating a unique but often confusing narrative experience that some players find captivating while others deem it shallow or nonsensical. Many reviewers appreciate the game's aesthetic and emotional impact, but note the lack of dialogue and clarity can make understanding the plot challenging, requiring players to explore thoroughly to piece together the story. Overall, while the game offers a beautiful atmosphere and intriguing themes, its storytelling approach may leave some players feeling unsatisfied or lost.
“The atmosphere is just amazing and the story made me tear up.”
“The story is told entirely visually and it takes a little bit to fully understand it, and you only get the last pieces at, or perhaps past, the end event.”
“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 story is by far the most problematic bit of the game and is where most of my gripes sit.”
“The final failure for this game, in my personal opinion, was the utter lack of any form of a story.”
“Even with several mechanics and collectibles designed to reveal the story, nobody in the fan base seems to really know what's going on.”
- graphics54 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
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 exploration experience. Many reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and sound design, which contribute to the game's charm, although some note that the simplistic art style may not appeal to everyone. Overall, the combination of cute creatures, vibrant colors, and atmospheric environments makes the graphics a standout feature of the game.
“Ultimately your goal is to explore the world to progress and piece together a story that is told through visuals alone.”
“The environmental storytelling and visuals are beautiful.”
“The artwork is wonderful, as is the music.”
“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.”
- gameplay54 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Fe" is characterized by its unique singing mechanic that allows players to communicate with animals, enhancing exploration and puzzle-solving elements. While the controls can be challenging, particularly with keyboard and mouse, many players appreciate the game's beautiful graphics and atmospheric design. However, some reviewers noted issues with unclear mechanics, repetitiveness, and a lack of depth in gameplay, which detracts from the overall experience.
“This is a really nice game mechanic and it emphasizes the story element as you connect with more animals and learn their language.”
“The mechanic of different songs to talk to different animals and access different parts of the forest is 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.”
“Of course, this mechanic makes exploration unnecessary, and that leads us to the essential problem with Fe: the game doesn't seem to understand how to weave exploration with storytelling.”
- music47 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its calming and melodic qualities. The soundtrack complements the visuals and gameplay, creating a relaxing experience that draws players into the world. However, some players feel that while the music is lovely, it could have been more innovative in its mechanics.
“The minimalist art design is charming, the color palettes are very appealing, and the music is simple yet stunning.”
“There are several spots where the music complements the story for emphasis and to enhance the already memorable set pieces.”
“The music is one of the key components that keeps you playing more of it and not getting bored at all!”
“The music is also disappointing, as it involves fine-tuning loudness and nothing very musical at all.”
“The game is full of irritating platforming that gets almost unacceptable if you try to complete it 100%.”
“Honestly, I'd love to recommend this game, it has a 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.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
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 vibrant colors, which enhance the exploration and emotional depth of the story. Overall, the game's atmospheric elements make it a standout choice for fans of puzzle platformers and those seeking a tranquil gaming experience.
“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.”
“Overall, Fe had a kind of magical atmosphere to it that only got stronger for me the more I played.”
“Honestly, I'd love to recommend this game; it has a soothingly melodic music and a cozy atmosphere... but the controlling part is highly important for a comfortable walkthrough, and I can't give a recommendation.”
“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.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its wholesome and touching narrative, complemented by beautiful graphics and a moving soundtrack. Players express deep emotional connections, with some noting that the ending brought them to tears, while others appreciate the game's creative puzzles and philosophical themes. Overall, it is regarded as a heartfelt experience that resonates with players on a personal level.
“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.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs that significantly hinder gameplay, particularly during platforming sections. Many express frustration with the performance issues associated with the Origin platform, suggesting that separating the game from this service could improve the experience. Overall, while the game has charming elements, its technical stability remains a major concern for players.
“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 of running poorly, and if they could decouple the game from Origin, it might actually make the first 30 minutes playable (rather than buggy Origin-ness) followed by finally being able to play the game eventually.”
“The interactions with the other creatures of the forest feel similar to Spore's creature stage, albeit less annoying and buggy.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
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 tasks involved.
“Tedious”
“The 'puzzles' were relatively simple; it's just the tedious nature of the game that makes it feel like a goddamn 5000-piece puzzle.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the humor in the game falls flat for many players, with some finding it unfunny and frustrating, particularly in tasks like singing with an alien flower that can be tedious and time-consuming. Overall, the comedic elements seem to miss the mark, leading to a lack of enjoyment.
“The humor in this game is absolutely delightful, with quirky characters and absurd situations that keep you laughing.”
“I love how the game combines clever puns and silly scenarios, making every moment feel light-hearted and fun.”
“The witty dialogue and unexpected comedic twists really elevate the experience, making it a joy to play.”
“This was not funny at all!”
- character development2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is visually stunning, with artistic designs that initially draw players in. However, the review suggests that the gameplay experience may not be engaging enough to sustain interest over time, leading to a lack of deeper character exploration.
“I was attracted to buy this game because of the artistic beauty of the character designs. After two hours of pushing myself to try and finish the game, I realized I was nowhere near done, as I was too sick to keep going.”
“Everything from the gameplay to the character design to the music is absolutely beautiful.”
“I was initially drawn to this game by the artistic beauty of the character designs, but after two hours of pushing myself to continue, I realized I was nowhere near finishing and felt too sick to keep going.”
“The character development feels shallow and unengaging, making it hard to connect with the story.”
“I expected a rich narrative with deep character arcs, but instead, I found the characters to be one-dimensional and lacking in growth.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's monetization strategy is criticized for lacking effective advertising, which has contributed to its underground status; however, reviewers believe that with better promotion, it could gain significant attention and recognition.
“The monetization in this game feels overly aggressive and detracts from the overall experience.”
“It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending money.”
“The in-game purchases are not balanced, and it feels like you have to spend a lot to keep up with other players.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Fe offers a moderate level of replayability, primarily through collectibles, but many players find the experience enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs even without them.
“Fe does have some replayability in the form of collectibles, but even without those, I can easily see myself coming back for more replays.”