Fe

Many reviews of this game are misleading. Yes, it's cute, and yes, it's for the most part an exploration game with some metroidvania elements. But I wouldn't call it "calm" because unfortunately it's also a mediocre and frustrating 3D platformer set in a world that is more often repetitive than delightful. I finished the game, but honestly I started to get quite annoyed with it at the mid-point.

Most annoying is the map: it's incredibly unhelpful and does little to get a sense of the rather large world and how it's interconnected. It would be great if we could see all the various collectibles, but instead we get vague, permanent markers for the main-quest items. I had zero desire to go and find all the collectibles after I finished the game, which is rare for me.

As for those collectibles, it might take you a few hours of play until you realize which items are unnecessary and which move the story forward. The game generally does a poor job at signalling what exactly you are supposed to do. There is a built-in hint system of sorts that at least tells you where to go, and I strongly recommend using it all the time and following it exactly in order to avoid confusion and keep the story plodding forward. 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.

It's also not a very easy game. The 3D platforming sometimes requires some precision and a bad jump can send you way back to try the whole sequence all over again. There are also enemies that can kill you, which will also send you back. It's anxiety-inducing, neither calm nor peaceful.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that the game has a very innovative musical mechanic. Alas, it is also disappointing, as it involves finetuning loudness and nothing very musical at all. It feels like a wasted opportunity.