If you’ve played the first Figment, you’ll be able to hit the ground running with Figment 2: Creed Valley. And if you haven’t? It ultimately doesn’t matter.
The opening sequence to Figment 2 feels almost identical to its predecessor. You’re thrown straight into completing simple puzzles to progress, where you’ll need to find coloured batteries in order to power up various lights and switches. It’s exactly what you spent your time doing in the first game, and so it’s a little disappointing to simply be retreading old ground. Thankfully, it doesn’t last too long: once you’re past the opening chapter, Figment 2 becomes its own game, and a very worthwhile sequel.
It doesn’t take long until Figment 2: Creed Valley opens up, presenting players with a range of new, inventive puzzles. There’s still combat here, but it takes a back seat to puzzle solving and adventuring. Developer Bedtime Digital Games has done a grand job of introducing a wide range of gameplay styles, and it works very well. One level has you working your way through a series of individual puzzle rooms, while another has you scouring the environment for clues to solve a crime. It keeps Figment 2 feeling fresh for the entirety of its running time – which perhaps makes it quite a shame that you’ll be done with it in around five hours.
Just like the first game, Figment 2: Creed Valley sports a wonderful art style, surrealist in nature with a dreamlike setting that takes place in someone’s head. And, as before, we know that Something Bad has happened to cause nightmares to seep into the brain. Playing as Dusty, accompanied by his birdlike companion Piper, it’s our job to clear them out.
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Its messaging around mental health is perhaps a little ham-fisted, more so than the first game, and so it’s likely you’ll roll your eyes at some story beats. It ultimately doesn’t matter too much, however: the bulk of story scenes are told through song, and it’s hard not to love them. We especially got a kick out of the song from the discarded opinions – though we won’t spoil how it goes.
Dusty’s abilities remain the same as the previous game: he can interact with objects, dash, and swing a sword. Combat remains simplistic, but with less emphasis around killing enemies this time, it’s never much of a problem. There are several boss battles to engage in, none of which are particularly challenging, but are entertaining enough thanks to excellent enemy design. There are also a couple of ‘chase’ sequences, which see you running away from foes.
It’s not all good news, though. We’ve encountered several bugs while playing Figment 2: Creed Valley. Within the first 10 minutes, we encountered a game-breaking bug which required us to start again from scratch. Later on, we got ourselves into a situation that blocked our progress, needing to start the chapter again. It’s a shame they exist and did hamper our experience with the game somewhat, but hopefully these issues will be ironed out with a swift patch.
With a wide selection of puzzles to solve and a fantastic art style to enjoy, there’s a lot to like about Figment 2: Creed Valley. Whether or not you’ve played the first, this is a worthwhile, albeit short, jaunt for anyone who enjoys puzzle-solving and adventuring. It’s just a shame we’ve encountered a few bugs while playing. Maybe hold off jumping in for a week or two until they’re (hopefully) fixed.
Figment 2: Creed Valley Review – GameSpew’s Score
