Fe only caught my eye about a month ago. I watched a trailer for it and was immediately mesmerized. Windows Central's Brendan Lowry wasn't exaggerating to say that it's "one of the most well-made, thought-provoking games of the year so far." It is truly unique with its own set of rules. If you're just getting started with Fe on Nintendo Switch, well, one of the best things about it is discovery, but I can help get you going just the same.
- Singing with the animals
- The Silent Ones aren't the only things that can hurt you
- Call on small birds for help
- Sing to everything
- Collect those pink crystals: They give you new abilities
- Unlock the Silent One's memories
- Don't try to follow the story specifically
Singing with the animals
This is one of the first things you'll come across in Fe. You'll approach a dear-like creature that seems willing to hang with you, but don't go jumping on its' back right away. You have to sing with it. Here's where it gets a little complicated.
To sing to an animal, you must face it and hold down the RZ trigger button on your controller. That's not all, though.
While singing, you have to match the animal's tone by either raising and lowering your controller or push up or down on your joystick (depends on which control settings you're using - motion controls are on by default)to raise and lower your pitch.
Don't just go up and down rhythmically or randomly. You have to keep an eye on how the animal's and your voice match up. Both of you will have a glowing globe that will start to reach out to each other. Adjust your pitch up or down to continue to match the animal. Once you've made the connection, you'll become friends!
You'll be able to ride some animals, like deer and adult birds, while other animals, like small birds, will help you in other ways. Always sing to anything you come across (except the Silent Ones) because you never know what they can do for you.
The Silent Ones aren't the only things that can hurt you
Some of the baddies in Fe are pretty obvious, like those giant robotic Silent Ones. Some dangerous creatures, however, seem like standard fantasy forest fare at first. There is an annoying river fish, for example, that really doesn't want to let you pass and will try to eat you if you swim upstream. Seed bombs don't work on them, either. You just have to avoid getting eaten.
Other times, animals might have started out as friends, but will later turn on you. So keep your guard up as you approach any animal that doesn't have a slight glow around it. Your former friend may now be your enemy.
Call on small birds for help
Just before you start the Mother Bird quest line, you'll see the Silent Ones attack an adult bird and trap it. It's here that you'll meet a small bird willing to approach you directly. Sing to it and befriend it. This little guy and all of his friends will be your guide from now on.
To get a small bird's attention, Hold down the RZ trigger and either hold your controller up or push upward on your joystick. Keep this pitch until the surrounding glow turns green. This will call a small bird to you.
Then, to ask for guidance, sing once more — the pitch doesn't matter. The bird will take flight and leave a glowing trail behind it. Follow this trail to find out where you should go next.
You can call on small birds at any time by pressing and holding the RZ button and shifting your vocal pitch upward
Sing to everything
This is a game of discovery, and the developers made sure there is a lot to discover. There is usually some signifier to let you know that there is something nearby that needs attention, like floating transparent triangles, but sometimes, you just have to raise your voice and see what happens.
Collect those pink crystals: They give you new abilities
One of the many things you'll do in Fe is collect these pink crystals. Some of them are sitting out in the open, while others are well-hidden. These pink crystals unlock new abilities when you collect a certain number of them.
The first ability you'll unlock is tree climbing. After you've collected the right number of crystals, you'll go to a special portal where you'll be whisked away to a different dimension. Here you'll learn the basics of climbing trees. Once the mini-tutorial is complete, you'll be taken back to your world, where your new ability is still intact.
You'll eventually learn how to move faster and glide as you collect more crystals. Some parts of the game are unreachable without these abilities, so make sure to check every nook and cranny of an area.
Unlock the Silent One's memories
Sometimes, you'll come across a small mechanical cube that looks like leftover rubbish from a past attack of the Silent Ones. Well, that's sort of true. They are the left-behind storage units of Silent Ones.
Sing to these little relics and a crystal will pop out of it. When you pick up the crystal, you'll see a memory from the point of view of a Silent One. Each memory gives a little more detail about what's happening to your forest.
Don't try to follow the story specifically
Fe is about exploration. Yes, there are storyline's to follow, specific tasks to complete. But some things are better left for later. Reason is: you will gain abilities or get help from animals later on that will help with some areas that are unattainable at first. If there is a pink crystal high on a cliff that you want. Don't spend hours trying to get to it. Do some more exploring and before you know it, you'll be able to reach that pink crystal with a little future help.
Need more help?
Do you have any questions about how to get started on your mythical journey? Put them in the comments and I'll help you out.
