Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Offline)
In 2017, Bedtime Digital Games released Figment, a cute and dreamlike action-puzzle game that was meant to be a bit more ambitious and expansive than its first release, Back to Bed. We enjoyed it, and obviously a lot of other people did too, as the studio has now brought us Figment 2: Creed Valley. Although Figment 2 looks more of the same, it offers an enjoyable and engaging puzzle experience that we think is worth your time, if not less on Switch.
Figment 2 borrows from Pixar’s playbook Upside down placing you in a fictional world inside the mind of an ordinary person, where various abstract concepts such as compassion or opinions are represented by tangible objects and characters. The story primarily follows Dusty, the personification of spirit courage, and his bird friend, Piper, as they struggle to define the moral compass of a father who struggles to balance the emotional needs of his family with his own sense of what should be. A parent. supplier. Dusty and Piper must fend off the evil nightmares that threaten to upset the balance of this man’s mind, as they attempt to make their way through the sprawling and wayward lands of the eponymous Creed Valley.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Offline)
On the face of it, it’s not a very deep tale – you can probably guess the lesson the workaholic dad is learning here – but it’s well enlivened by the great chemistry between Dusty and Piper. As you solve puzzles and catch bad guys, these two will constantly banter in an over the top, goofy way that will stop. fair less than annoying. Bad puns and corny jokes are the norm here, but there’s something magnetically charming about the unwavering optimism and confidence they both display. Plus, it’s refreshing to see a few down-to-earth characters for whom the world is nothing more than a vast playground; Dusty and Piper just take the hits and come up with something cheesy to say no matter what they’re up against.
The game takes the form of an action puzzler, which looks like an isometric version of the Trine series. Dusty and Piper take a mostly linear path through the spirit world and face simple but compelling puzzles that require you to do things like find the correct order to activate switches that raise and lower platforms or switch between binary world states as you create a path forward.
None of the puzzles take a lot of time to solve, but they feel like they’re at the right level of difficulty where it still takes a few minutes and a bit of trial and error before you get it right. Plus, the fairly short five-hour runtime means that new ideas are introduced relatively quickly to keep the puzzles fresh as you progress towards the end.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Connected)
The combat is less engaging, but nonetheless briefly breaks up the confusion. Dusty can smack enemies with his sword and dodge when they hit him back, but his gear quickly seems a bit too basic. Sure, you might not expect the combat here to compare to Hades, but there’s an awkward stiffness to most encounters that makes them a bit tricky. However, they don’t stick around longer than they should, and things get a lot more interesting when you go up against a boss.
While we would have liked more variety in the bosses, we liked that each fight had unique phases and attacks to learn while waiting for an opportunity. This is partly due to the musical elements, as the bosses will sing and attack in time to the special tracks played for this fight. Your movements don’t need to be as precise as they would be in a rhythm game, but the sight of these battles is still enjoyable as long as you try to keep up; Boss battles easily stand out as one of Figment 2’s strengths.
Those of you who have someone else available can also play in two-player mode, where Player 2 takes control of Piper. Their role is a bit like Super Mario Galaxy 2’s Luma, where the second player is clearly in a supporting role, but it’s still a fun way to involve someone other than themselves by simply offering ideas for potential puzzle solutions. Additionally, this co-op mode can be turned on or off at any time and supports single Joy-Con play, making it ideal for handheld multiplayer.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Connected)
When it comes to presentation, Bedtime Digital does a fantastic job of conveying the weird, abstract world of the mind. Whether you’re soaring on the backs of flying books or hopping on floating islands dotted with somewhat spooky blinking eyes, there are great Alice in Wonderland you thrill to the whimsical and vaguely haunting vistas you explore. Even better, the art style used here uses a carefully crafted painterly look that makes Figment 2 look like a painting brought to life.
We think special mention should also be made here to the excellent voice work showcased, especially by the lead duo. Dusty’s arrogant and heroic personality comes to life in Catty Donnelly’s performance, while Piper’s upbeat and playful portrayal of Ora Chaya perfectly matches her free-flying way. Even though the dialogue is fairly mundane, the voice cast consistently displays a sort of raw passion and energy that elevates the lines a bit.
Alright then, but unfortunately, here’s a warning. Figment 2’s most glaring flaw is its subpar performance on both dock and handheld, which drastically diminishes the experience on Switch. There were very few moments where we saw the action stick to the intended 30 FPS target; drops are frequent, heavy, and have a noticeable impact on gameplay. Sometimes the lag can cause you to waste time on a dodge and swallow a punch, though most of the time it’s just an annoyance as you watch Dusty flinch and stagger across bridges and platforms while the whole world slows down for a few moments. seconds.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Connected)
Considering everything this short game has to offer, it’s such a shame to see the overall performance let it down so much. It’s certainly not unplayable, but we’d rank the Switch version far behind compared to versions on other platforms which offer significantly better performance. Portability can be a nice bonus, but it’s not enough to make up for the performance hits.
conclusion
Figment 2 stands out as a competent and creative action-puzzle game with a lot of heart. Although it seems rather short, it’s clear that a lot of thought and care has gone into creating this enchanting world. Satisfying puzzles and excellent presentation are a big draw here, though let down by the simplistic combat and undeniably clunky performance that plagues gameplay on Switch. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for fixes and always recommend Figment 2, though you might want to wait for this one to come out.