“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” – Roy T. Bennett
Overview
Figment 2: Creed Valley is an exciting action-adventure game set inside the human mind! Players can solve puzzles, engage in combat and face bosses all whilst exploring unique and intriguing environments.
Developer: Bedtime Digital Games
Release Date: 9th March 2023
Price: £21.99
Narrative
The protagonist, Dusty and his sidekick Piper, a small bird, start the game in the outskirts of the mind which has been clouded by dangerous shadows. They clear the mind of the clouds by ridding it of its fear of the dark, which happens in the form of a boss fight, before heading onwards to new parts of the human psyche with new problems to overcome.
Lots of elements within Figment 2: Creed Valley are metaphors for something within the mind and the game is very cleverly written with things such as a literal perspective switch and a giant moral compass! There are also lots of eclectic characters to meet and talk to, often these will be personified opinions or thoughts and they will express themselves accordingly which can be very entertaining. Between chapters, there are often short but insightful cutscenes that give information about the human whose mind Dusty is exploring and the life of the person. This is a nice touch and helps ground the narrative and make it feel more relatable.
Gameplay
Figment 2: Creed Valley has fun and varied gameplay that primarily involves exploration, puzzles and combat. Usually, there will be a section of puzzle-solving with sporadic combat with smaller enemies that culminates in a boss fight as Dusty progresses through the map in a mostly linear fashion. The combat can be quite tricky and present a mild and satisfying challenge right from the start. There are, however, plenty of conveniently placed endurance neurons that can be collected to regain health. Similarly, death is not punishing and will simply return the player to the last of the very frequent checkpoints with full health.
There is a nice mix of gameplay aspects but one of the most prominent are the puzzles, which are highly varied and a lot of fun with just enough difficulty to be gratifying. There is a vast assortment of tasks to complete including environmental, inventory-based, logical, and musical puzzles, detective games as well as riddles to name a few. One of the key mechanics involves the perspective switch, which will determine if the environment is open or closed-minded. This affects the way the world appears, which paths are available and also the reactions of the NPCs to the protagonist.
Styling
Figment 2: Creed Valley features charming 2D, Isometric visuals depicted in an illustrative but painterly style that uses a mix of muted and vibrant colours and well-implemented lighting effects to create vivid and sometimes ominous environments. The animations are smooth and eclectic adding a cuteness to the overall aesthetic as well as drama to the combat sections.
Music is a key part of Figment 2: Creed Valley and is present throughout the game in various forms. Whether it’s playable instruments such as drums and piano bridges dotted throughout the environment, the musicality of the boss fights or the background music, there is always a musical element to be found. The music is highly varied and ranges from twinkling xylophone melodies and gentle acoustic guitar to rocky, electric guitar with a bluesy undertone and everything in between. The boss fights utilise rhythm and often include some fun lyrics, as do other musical interludes, the highlight of which is a song sung by a collection of rejected opinions, which is a humourous highlight of the game.
Summary
Figment 2:Creed Valley is an excellent and highly enjoyable experience that offers varied and satisfying gameplay in the form of explorations, a range of puzzles and exciting combat sections. It has a delightful and colourful aesthetic that perfectly fits the unusual environments being depicted as well as fantastic sound design that brings music to the forefront of the entire experience. The narrative is emotional and meaningful and very cleverly told with constant metaphors and references to the human mind, reminding the player of their location and purpose. Overall, it is a unique and eclectic experience that has a lot to offer in terms of narrative, gameplay and styling, with all aspects of the game working in tandem. I highly recommend this to fans of the first game and anyone looking for a fantastical action-adventure game.
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Lost in Random: Try Your Luck in this Exciting New Action-Adventure! – Kena: Bridge of Spirits – A spiritually-themed, profoundly moving adventure in a beautiful fantasy setting! – Altero – A Challenging and Atmospheric Puzzle Platformer
