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  1. Fe from developer Zoink Games marks the beginning of EA's indie games program, EA Originals, but it also marks a change for Zoink's style. Their previous original games, Stick It to the Man and Zombie Vikings, as well as their upcoming title Flipping Death, all have a distinctly comical tone and outrageous but distinctive character design. But with Fe they're trying something new, something more sober, something more emotional. Fe relies upon simpler themes and classic adventure/platforming design to provide a beautiful, serene experience. Outside of a scant few tutorial directions Fe is completely devoid of text or dialogue, but the visuals alone are enough to establish the setting and basic premise: a magical forest filled with giant flora and unusual fauna is in danger of being destroyed by alien/robotic creatures. You play as a diminutive animal of some sort—it looks something like a fantastical take on a wolf cub—who is able to sing to interact with other animals and plants. It may sound weird when written down but this is the kind of game where you just kind of go with the flow of the experience, and if you do you'll be treated to a beautiful little journey about preserving life and nature. I'll be honest though: by the end of the game I wasn't quite sure what happened in the story. Specifically, the motivations and actions of the antagonists, the Silent Ones, is a little confusing after everything is said and done. But Fe isn't a game about telling a specific story so much as it is about eliciting emotions and broad themes, and in that regard the game accomplishes what it set out to do. Even if I wasn't positive exactly why everything happened in the game, I was still moved by the game's concluding moments. The basic gameplay in Fe is pretty intuitive: you're plopped down into the middle of a magical forest where you can run, jump, and explore. What makes Fe unique is the singing mechanic where you can essentially resonate with other animals and plants in order to explore further—for example, in order to jump across purple flowers you may need to enlist the help of ferret-like creatures that can activate the flowers. You actually have to tune your voice when singing by moving the Joy-Cons up and down in order to match the song of other creatures, which is a neat touch (you can also turn off motion controls but it's a pretty easy motion here). Gradually, you unlock new songs and new abilities that allow you to explore further and help rescue other forest animals from the influence of the Silent Ones. It's definitely a unique way to interact with a game world, and the more you play the more it feels like a natural interaction. The developers have done a great job of making the world feel large, with lots to discover, without making it feel overwhelming. Every time you gain a new song you'll be eager to go out and see what it unlocks, what new paths or collectibles you'll discover. Once you get started Fe can be hard to put down. There's also something just plain fun about climbing trees to glide from one platform to the next. There's a lot of freedom in Fe that encourages looking around and being aware of your environment, especially since there are so many collectibles to find. First off, you can collect pink crystals that add new abilities, some of which are required but the last few are purely for making exploration a little easier and more fun. You can also find memory orbs that flesh out the story a little from the perspective of the Silent Ones, and you can sing next to shimmering rocks to reveal murals, which also adds to the game's narrative. The murals offer vague hints to the game's story though, so don't feel like you're missing out on a ton for skipping over them. They're great ways to spend a bit more time with the game—which is otherwise around six or seven hours long—but finding everything can be a bit more challenge than it's worth. Our petite protagonist only has the power of song at his command so there's no combat element to Fe. When you do encounter Silent Ones you'll need to rely upon stealth to avoid capture. And there isn't any kind of elaborate stealth system at play here: you can hide in tall grass or oftentimes just run when the enemy is looking in the other direction. For the most part these stealth sections are pretty easy, and even if you do get captured the game reloads quickly, but there's still something satisfying about sneaking around enemies and escaping unscathed. A big part of what makes exploration in Fe such a joy is the visual and audio design. The graphics aren't flashy, high-end, detailed technological wonders. Instead it's the art design that really sells the beauty, mystery, and serenity of the world of Fe. The visual identity comes down to a fairly simple interplay between light and shadow. A lot of the scenery is dark, with rough shapes, but then when the light hits it there are blooms of color that are just gorgeous. Each area of the game has it's own dominant color and the effect creates plenty of beautiful vistas. The only downside is that the framerate can be a little choppy at times—not enough to spoil any of this lovely art design, but still noticeable. And as you might expect for a game that involves singing, the soundtrack is wonderful as well. Much like the simple art design the music doesn't rely upon anything too elaborate, but the tunes mesh perfectly with the heavy emphasis on nature—soothing sounds when you're just exploring, more intensity when you encounter enemies, and perhaps most important of all the soundtrack knows when to hold back and just let the visual design speak for itself. The sense of nature that Fe so perfectly captures—serene, yet full of life—can't truly be done justice in these screenshots and descriptions. Zoink took a step out of its comfort zone with Fe and stretched itself to create a game completely unlike its most recent releases, and the result is an absolutely beautiful game. The gameplay mechanics make the world of Fe fun to explore, from forest to waterfall to rocky cliff face, but it's the game's tranquility that pulls you in. The game isn't particularly long but if you take your time to drink in the scenery you'll enjoy every minute of it. This stylish journey into nature is one Switch platformer that shouldn't be missed. Rating: 8 out of 10 Songs Fe is available now on the Switch eShop for $19.99.
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